Sean Paul remembered the genesis of his friendship with Beyoncé, a collaboration that catapulted both artists to global acclaim with their 2003 chart-topper “Baby Boy.”
Years before they became household names, a serendipitous performance in Jamaica laid the groundwork for his future alliance with Beyoncé.
Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, the reggae star recounted their early days,
“She opened on a show here in Jamaica with Destiny’s Child. They only had one song, and I was on that same show. That’s where we all met. And knowing she called me back a couple of years later for her first solo project was awesome,” Sean Paul said.
Sean vividly recalled penning his verse for their massive hit single “Baby Boy” in a pastoral setting.
“I was writing my part of the song in the back of my house underneath a mango tree. And while I’m writing my verse, a mango falls out the tree and lands straight through the window of my car into my lap. And I was like, ‘That must mean that this song is a sweet song.'”
Reflecting on this pivotal period, Sean Paul praised Beyoncé for embracing the Dancehall music genre.
“At the time, people were hollering at me to do collabs—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.”