Fans of 1980s-era R&B had the opportunity to see two of the biggest stars from that time period—Anita Baker and Babyface. That was until apparent friction led to so-called “R&Beef.”
Babyface addressed the situation during a recent episode of The Jason Lee Show. The 67-minute conversation included the 11x-Grammy winner taking the high road when discussing his musical contemporary.
“Well, that was a complicated evening,” Babyface said about the day he learned he would no longer perform on Anita Baker’s tour. “First of all, I have no problem being a support act for Anita Baker. I have much love and respect for her art. And it was her show.
“I have no issue with that. I think that I was looking as forward to watching Anita Baker every night as well because I love her as a writer and as an artist. It’s a beautiful experience.”
Babyface also denied supposedly gaslighting his online followers to cyberbully Anita Baker. Additionally, the co-founder of LaFace Records went on to announce his own headlining tour is on the way.
“Yeah, we’re putting something together because everybody’s asking for it. So let’s do that,” stated Babyface on hitting the road in the near future. His ninth studio album, Girls Night Out, arrived in October 2022. Ari Lennox, Kehlani, Queen Naija, and other female artists appear on the project.
Earlier this month, Anita Baker announced Babyface would no longer appear on The Songstress Tour going forward.
“After silently, enduring [cyberbullying]/verbal abuse and threats of violence from the fan base, of our special guest/support act, in the interest of personal safety, I will continue ‘The Songstress Tour’ alone,” Baker tweeted on June 13.
In response, Babyface posted, “I am saddened by the news that Anita Baker has decided to remove me from ‘The Songstress Tour.’ It’s unfortunate and disheartening to see how things have played out via social media. While I was looking forward to the rest of the dates, I have nothing but love and respect for Anita and I wish her the best for the remainder of her tour.”