The two rappers Jay-Z kicked off a Beyoncé video set: “We’re not allowed to watch”
Jay-Z is an extremely commanding man who can certainly take control of a situation. However, few know that in 2005, he kicked two fellow rappers off a music video set where Beyoncé was filming. In 2005, the singer released one of her most beloved projects, B’day, which produced several hit singles, including ‘Deja Vu’ and ‘Upgrade U’.
However, it was while recording the music video for the track ‘Check On It’ featuring Houston MCs Bun B and Slim Thug. That said, during an interview with Jamel Johnson on The Nostalgia Mixtape Podcast, Bun B recalled being on the Hype Williams set and suddenly being asked to vacate due to the revealing nature of her outfit.
According to the former UGK rapper, it was when the now-married couple were still dating, but it seemed that Jay-Z was paranoid about having other men watching Bey dance in a short skirt. Reflecting on the shoot, Bun began, “This is in New York. So we’re on the set and we’re filming the video, and, if you look at the video, there’s a lot of kind of skimpy outfits.”
He continued, “[My wife] is there also, so it’s not like I’m there salivating over another woman, but we’re like, ‘Woah, this is crazy. Beyoncé’s dancing in this short skirt, and she’s dancing in like a bikini,’ type of thing, you know.” However, he was not the only man on the set, and he detailed how there were “a lot of single men” staring at her during the takes.
Furthermore, the Lemonade creator wasn’t the only female on the set, and there were a lot of backup dancers, but they weren’t exactly prudes. Recalling the slightly raunchy choreography, Bun B told Johnson, “This is during the scene with the chair, so it’s like her and several other girls, and they all have these short skirts on, and they’re all dancing seductively on the chair. They’ve got a leg up on the chair so you can kind of see the thigh and maybe a little bit of butt if you’re staring hard enough, and Jay-Z calls and talks to one of her assistants.”
Bun B explained how he went to his dressing room while Bey was shooting her parts but suggested that even when he was away from the set, Jay started to get overprotective of his then-girlfriend. Recalling the militant way they were moved around the set, the Houston native continued, “So they immediately come over to us, and they kick all of us out to our dressing rooms, and we’re told to stay there until we have to shoot! We’re not allowed to watch Beyoncé dance anymore.”
Still, what’s interesting is that the ‘Partition’ star actually came up to Bun B after filming and apologised for Jay-Z’s actions. According to Bun B she spoke with him and Slim Thug, and said, “I’m so sorry you guys had to leave the room, but Jay’s not comfortable.”
However, for Bun B, the experience was enlightening as he got to see the singer’s work ethic and insisted that he had never seen anything like it, telling Johnson, “She’s doing these costume changes, all this dancing, and choreography, and she’s not breaking a sweat. It’s really something to behold! Beyoncé doesn’t halfway do anything. Her key to success has been the ability to do fully choreographed dance routines while maintaining breath control enough to sing the songs that she needs to sing and maintain the notes.”