Rolling Stones Magazine list Beyoncé’s 70 Greatest Songs “from hits that owned the radio to empowerment anthems that stopped the world.”
Making the cut is Beyoncé’s Sean Paul feature Baby Boy at No. 34.
The magazine recalls how “Baby Baby” was made as a follow up to her “Crazy In Love” hit, “Beyoncé enlisted the hitmaker Sean Paul, who flew to Miami to record his vocals after Beyoncé sent him a demo track of the song’s reggae-raga rhythm.”
They also revealed that “Baby Boy” interpolates “Here Comes the Hot Stepper,” by Jamaican reggae singer Ini Kamoze. It is Beyoncé’s second Number One.
Also making the list at No. 70 is “Standing In The Sun” featuring Mr. Vegas.
The magazine says the song was largely unknown “until Mrs. Knowles-Carter teamed up with H&M for a summer collection” that she released an extended version of the song which featured dancehall artist Mr. Vegas.
They describe the song as “breezy” with a “fun tropical element.”
Just last week Baby Boy made Oprah Winfrey’s Daily Magazine Oprah Daily, “Beyonce’s 25 best songs” at at No. 23.
The magazine says, “In the early aughts, Jamaica-born rapper Sean Paul was the king of bringing island flare to the radio airwaves, so it makes perfect sense why Beyoncé enlisted his help when creating “Baby Boy,” a dancehall-fueled track that oozes sexiness and gives off summer vibes, even in the dead of winter. Nearly 20 years after its release, “Baby Boy” seems to be one of Bey’s faves to perform live as it remains a staple in her set lists.”
In 2016 the Rockabye deejay revealed what it was like to work with Beyonce, during AOL’s Build live-stream: “She’s amazing, a focused person, very talented. The first time I heard [Baby Boy] I was like: ‘Woah, it’s pretty dope’. I did my part and she called me to go to Miami to record another part. It was cool to be able to work stuff out with her right there.”
Soon after reports began circulating Jay Z was jealous of their close working relationship and allegedly banned Sean Paul from performing with the singer at the 2003 MTV VMAs.
Referring to the scandal, Sean Paul added: “The song became number one for nine odd weeks or something like that and the controversy – it was a crazy time in my career. So up to now, I still [perform] the song, it’s a huge song for me and her and I just thank her for having me.”
More recently while promoting his 8th studio album, Scorcha, Sean Paul lamented on his bitter-sweet relationship with Beyonce over the years. In the interview with Marlow Stern of The Daily Beast, the Dutty Cup deejay again recalled a time when Beyonce sought him out for the collaboration during her Destiny’s Child days. The Temperature pop star said, the admiration was mutual and kept reiterating how beautiful she is.
“She had a few hits with Destiny’s Child, and they would do the Caribbean, but we didn’t really hang out. I’d always admired her music and she’s beautiful. So, when I heard Beyoncé was stepping out on her own and wanted me to do a single, I was like “Hell fucking yeah.” I thought it was going to be R&B, but it ended up being dancehall, so that made me go off. That was a bangin’ track, man,” he said.
“Yeah. So, we only performed the song three times together—ever,” Sean recalled.
He said after the song became a hit rumors of an affair became swirling and that set off a series of fortunate and unfortunate events.
Beyonce has made Baby Boy part of her set many times since its release with major performances at The Beyoncé Experience (2007) in Los Angeles, California, and on I Am… World Tour (2009–10). Other performances happened at the Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, and she has even performed the song incorporating a section of Jamaican singers Chaka Demus & Pliers‘ “Murder She Wrote”. Baby Boy was a part of The Formation World Tour(2016) but none of those shows and performances has Sean Paul.
For those who remember Baby Boy’s early days, it was “the it” song in 2003. Neither Sean Paul or Beyonce could do anything wrong as far as pop culture and both of their careers benefitted from the hit.
“It was huge. It was nine weeks at No. 1, all over MTV and BET, magazines, everywhere. I had some people who were working with me for years and they were like “Boss—I’m now a fan of yours.” I was like “Now?!” But we had just three performances, and one was at Reggae Sumfest. At the time, we were both on the Rock the Mic Tour. This was 2003. She wasn’t on it every day, but she would come on certain dates and do the song [“Crazy in Love”] with Jay. One day, we left to do the video and then played Sumfest. That was the first time.”
That’s as far as the fortunate parts of the story goes because thereafter the Grammy winner said “strange things” started happening.
“The second time was in L.A., and a strange thing happened—and I think that’s what started the rumors. Strange things started to happen at the performances, which was weird. We went to L.A. and I did my show and then she was performing, and they told me to stick around because we’ll do “Baby Boy.” We do it and I run out there and the crowd goes wild, but after a while it seems like I lost their energy. And it’s weird because I was going wild out there. When the song finished, I came backstage and my own band was all pissed off, like “Man, that’s fucked up. You heard yourself? We couldn’t hear you in the crowd. Your mic was off.” I was like, “How the fuck did that happen?”
Although “strange things happening”, Sean said he doesn’t think it was deliberate sabotage but as the rumors progressed, more things started happening and he said Beyonce told him they ‘needed to talk’.
“When the thing happened in Scotland, that’s when we had the talk, because the rumors got really crazy. I landed in Scotland and it was this MTV event, and there were paparazzi everywhere. We ended up doing the rehearsal and everything was good, and the performance was going to be where I come up from under the stage, and then we both walk to a big center thing in the middle of the stadium which was surrounded by fire. That all happens, and then it reaches my part—“You’re a top, top, girl”—and the track keeps going, “Baby boy, you stay…” “Baby boy, you stay…” Just repeating. I was like, “What’s going on here!?” She was pissed and was like “I need to speak to you.” So, we go back and talk and she’s like “What’s all these rumors about?” and I’m like “Yo, I’m not saying shit,” and she’s like “These rumors fuck with my career. I just want you to know that.” I was like “They don’t fuck with mine. So, listen: I met Jay before you and we was friends, so me and him should talk. If he feels a way about that, then we should talk, because it’s not coming from me.”
In 2018 Sean told World Music Views that he thought Jay-Z took shots at him in the song La La La. He attributes the line “Run up on me at the light you will lose you life, need a light” to be a direct shot at him because at the time his biggest hit song was the chart topper “Gimmie The Light”
Still he says he doesnt think Jay- Z was the force behind the strange series of events that took place in Scotland.
“It couldn’t be because he wasn’t even there. But people started to say this shit.”
There is an epic VMA performance where Beyonce descended from the ceiling performing Baby Boy. However Sean’s voice was heard through the speakers. Sean Paul recalls embarrassment he suffered seeing his song being performed on such a grand scale without him even though he was present at the awards show. During the same performance Jay-Z came out and performed with Beyonce for Crazy In Love.
“We were supposed to do at the VMAs, and she said to me “We’re gonna have rehearsal, so look out.” The day before the VMAs happens, there’s this press day where you speak to every radio station, and I’m hearing somebody rehearsing “Baby Boy.” So, I’m like “What’s going on?” We went to the label and they were like “Yo…they’re not gonna do the song with you.” So, I’m sitting there in the crowd with my present wife and Paris Hilton is sitting in front of me. Beyoncé is coming down the stairs singing the song and Paris Hilton turns to me and goes “Why aren’t you up there?” It was embarrassing and weird.”
The Jamaican deejay said he got his revenge the very next day when they were supposed to perform the song for a smaller scale event.
“So, the next day, I was supposed to perform in Washington, D.C., and do the song with her for her father. I went there, did my show, and then waited around for a while. And I got pissed off. They were like “There are 3,000 influential people waiting out there for you to do it.” And I was like, “There were 50 million people watching the VMAs. I’m not doing it.” And I left.”
He continued in his assessment of the moment and the song, “That was the last time we did the show, and by that time I was saying publicly that there was nothing going on. It fell on me. Nobody was asking them about it. But you know what? It was a big, fat, sexy song.”
“Baby Boy” was on Beyonce’s Dangerously in Love album (2003). The song contains a lyrical interpolation of “No Fear” by hip hop group O.G.C.
One of Sean Paul’s singles from his lates album Scorcha is titled “No Fear” with Damian Marley and Nicky Jam.
Baby Boy reached the top ten in many countries and was certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It also reached the top 10 in Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
The song’s music video was directed by Jake Nava and mostly shows Beyoncé dancing in various locations. Sean said when he showed up for the video the director told him there will be no scenes with Beyonce but more than anything he seemed to have cared about the opinions of people in Jamaica who expected him to be in the video with Beyonce.
“People in Jamaica were like “How come you’re not in any scene with her? You’re supposed to be grinding on her and shit,” he said
“I got there and thought we were going to be dancing, and the director called a meeting—which I never had before—and he told me exactly how things were going to go, and he said “You’re not going to be in any scene with her,” and I go,“OK.” He goes “You’re in a dream world and she’s thinking about you every night.” But…sexy video, sexy song, and a lot of sexy rumors.”
“It’s weird…maybe it had something to do with her management at the time, which we found out later has been a tumultuous relationship for the both of them.”
On whether there was any truth to the Beyonce hook up rumors or an affair? The now married, father of 2 quips,
“[Laughs] Nah! I wish I did! She’s beautiful.”
