Squashing their beef? Keri Hilson has been feuding with Beyoncé (and Ciara) for over a decade, but what actually happened between them? Keep reading to see a timeline of their rocky relationship.
Keri first found widespread fame with her 2009 anthem “Knock You Down” with Kanye West. She then released her 2010 jam “Pretty Girl Rock” followed by her T.I. collab “Got Your Back.” However, the songstress then went MIA amid finding success. Some fans credit the singer publicly shading Beyoncé for destroying her budding career, but that’s up for debate.
2009 — The Shade Begins With a Song
Fans first thought Keri had a problem with Beyoncé when she did a remix to her single “Turnin’ Me On” in which she says: “Your vision cloudy if you think that you da best, You can dance, she can sing, but need to move it to the left … She need to go have some babies, she need to sit down, she fake, them other chicks ain’t even worth talkin’ bout.”
People thought the qualities Keri mentioned in her song seemed to be about the “Hold Up” singer, and the line about moving it “to the left” appeared to be a nod at Bey’s “Irreplaceable.”
The song also seemingly included some shady lyrics about Ciara, whom Keri wrote several songs for through the years. “Go head tell these folks how long I been writing your songs, I been putting you on. Check the credits hoe!” Keri sings.
Keri later said the song was “not about” Ciara or Beyoncé during an interview in 2009. “I’m not jealous of anybody’s career,” she said at the time. “We are all like the same thing. Keyshia’s on my album. I’ve worked with Ciara many times. I’m a fan of Beyoncé’s.”
Then who was the song about? “It’s anybody that ever tried to take me down and didn’t want to see me succeed,” she explained. “I’m not gonna call their names because I feel I’ve addressed it.”
2011 — Keri Seemingly Moves the Feud to the Red Carpet
On the red carpet of the Soul Train Awards in 2011, Juicy Magazine asked Keri to hold the latest issue and give them a shout-out. She seemed down for it, but then took a glance at the cover, which was photo of Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z, and asked, “Who’s that?”
“No, I’m sorry, I can’t do that,” Keri said and dismissed the reporter’s request.
2013 — Keri Begs for the BeyHive to Leave Her Alone
“It’s TOO much!! Please! Is everything I tweet gonna be ‘intentionally misinterpreted’ as a statement about someone/drama I know nothing about?” she pleaded via Twitter in 2013.
“You have no idea what your hateful words could do to someone’s spirit. Years of verbal abuse from strangers all day long,” Keri continued. “Enough is enough! I’m here for MY FANS! I’m stronger than you imagine, but waking up/going to bed to your ugliness is just TOO MUCH, kids. I get it, OK? You can stop now. As far as WHATEVER you’re really mad about, I had my reasons. It’s been years! Just chalk it up to your ignorance of my reality and LET … IT … GO. As for my mistakes, God has dealt with me.” Some followers interpreted this as Keri admitting her shade toward the former Destiny’s Child singer ruined her career.
In an attempt to end the feud and put her back in the good graces of the public, Keri did an interview with HipHollywood.
“No, I don’t have a beef with any female artist. I think it’s just interesting that we live in such a gullible world,” Keri said at the time. “Anything that’s written, anything that is posted, and a picture that is interpreted one way, is truth. It’s like bible now. You can Photoshop something, put it out and everyone believes it.”
2018 — Keri Says She’s Ready for Her Comeback
Keri had been teasing a new album since 2016, which is called L.I.A.R. or Love Is A Religion.
“I think I had to give up music for a while. I stepped away. I thought it would just be a year. It’s been six, maybe,” she said in January 2018. “I realize now that I’m grateful for all of those years. I have built myself back up. It is sort of a comeback, because I’ve hit rock bottom a few times and I’m crawling back to walking in my purpose.” She has still not released an album since 2010’s No Boys Allowed.
2021 — Keri Says Her Feud with Beyoncé Is Over
Keri revealed her decade-long feud with Beyoncé was water under the bridge after the two had a heart-to-heart conversation during an Instagram Live with radio host Persia Nicole on April 11.
“I feel like she understood what happened, what had transpired and there was a bit of healing in that moment when we met. I take her as a very intuitive kind of soul, as am I,” Keri explained.
The “Energy” singer even said she would be open to collaborating. “Yeah, it would be a very fun experience to do that if she were open,” Keri added. “I do feel like she understood what that was all about. She’s amazing. I’ve always felt that way. That’s the truth of the matter, but no one will believe that.”