Pharrell Williams Breaks Silence On Kelis Drama Over “Milkshake” Sample Used In Beyoncé Song
Pharrell Williams has broken his silence regarding Kelis’ outrage over Beyoncé sampling her 2003 hit, “Milkshake,” without her blessing.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Williams responded to remarks made by Kelis in 2022, following the release of Beyoncé’s Rennaisance album. At the time, the singer voiced her “frustration” over Beyoncé incorporating elements of “Milkshake” into the Rennaisance song “Energy,” prompting her to go on a social media rant to air her grievances.
However, according to Williams, he has the right to use the song in any way he desires, as he wrote the lyrics to “Milkshake.” “I wish her the absolute best,” the Grammy Award winner said of Kelis. “But I wrote this song.”
He continued, noting that he and his Neptunes groupmate Chad Hugo are solely responsible for the track’s composition. “It was me and Chad [who] produced it,” Williams added.
A former artist on Williams’ Star Trek label, Kelis addressed Beyoncé sampling “Milkshake,” which she said was done without her knowledge or consent. “The reality is that it’s frustrating. I have the right to be frustrated,” the songstress said at the time. “Why did no one have the human decency to call and be like, ‘Yo, hey, [we] would like to use your record.'”
Beyoncé never addressed Kelis’ rant directly, but later removed the portion of “Energy” containing the interpolation of “Milkshake” from the song, prompting further reactions from Kelis.
“Milkshake” was released in 2003 as the lead single from Kelis’ third studio album, Tasty. The song was a massive success, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping charts in the U.S. and abroad. “Milkshake” was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance and is widely considered the signature hit of Kelis’ career.
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