2003 was a breakthrough year for both Sean Paul and Beyonce. Both artists landed their first number one singles, and then they linked up for the joint number one, "Baby Boy." It was an inspired blend of pop and dancehall, but the origins of the sang actually date back several years. Sean Paul talked about the hit single during a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter. He revealed that his friendship with Queen Bey started during her days in Destiny's Child.

Sean Paul told the outlet that he got a chance to meet Beyonce during the late 1990s. "She opened on a show here in Jamaica with Destiny’s Child," he recalled. "They only had one song, and I was on that same show. That’s where we all met." The two artists had similar tastes in music, but Sean Paul was pleasantly surprised when Beyonce reached out for a collab on her debut solo album. "Knowing she called me back a couple of years later for her first solo project was awesome," he admitted. Paul wrote the bulk of "Baby Boy" with Beyonce, and praised the singer for embracing dancehall sounds.

Sean Paul told THR that hip-hop artists were always interested in dancehall, but was impressed that a pop star like Beyonce would take a chance on such a different sound. "At the time, people were hollering at me to do collabs," the reggae artist noted. "I was working with Busta Rhymes, I was doing stuff with Clipse and Blu Cantrell—and all of those things were very dope but they were more Hip-Hop oriented. This was such a big artist, and she was stepping out on her own." Beyonce's instincts proved dead on. "Baby Boy" was a smash hit that topped the Billboard Hot 100 for nine consecutive weeks. It would be Beyonce's biggest hit until 2007, and Paul's biggest hit ever.

Eclecticism is part of Beyonce's image in 2024. She's dabbled in dance, country, and just about every genre you can name. Still, she holds a special place in her heart for dancehall. She based much of her classic 2018 performance at Coachella on dancehall and Jamaican culture. She covered the standard "Still in Love with You Boy" by Marcia Aiken, and performed "Baby Boy" before a screaming audience. Paul is still extremely proud of the song. "It made sense to me," he concluded. "And it made history for both of us."

About The Author

Danilo is a writer based out of San Diego. He graduated from the Art Institute of Tucson with a B.A. in digital media, and has since forged a career as a pop culture journalist. He covered hip-hop for Heavy.com, Rhyme Junkies and PopMatters prior to joining HotNewHipHop.com. Danilo's top five is constantly changing, but Biggie and Slug from Atmosphere remain permanent fixtures. His favorite rap album of all time is "Late Registration" by Kanye West, and that stays the same.

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