Beyoncé and Kanye West aren’t the only names that come up in Jay-Z’s latest album, “4:44.” R&B singer, Eric Benét, also got a shout-out from the rapper.
Benét is best known for his relationship with actress Halle Berry. The two were married for a short time before separating in 2003 due to Benét’s infidelity, says USA Today. Jay-Z referenced this scandal in “Kill Jay-Z,” the opening track of “4:44.” He raps, “You almost went Eric Benét, let the baddest girl in the world get away / I don’t even know what else to say / N–a, never go Eric Benét.”
In the verse, the Brooklyn MC hints at a cheating scandal between him and wife Beyoncé that came to light with the 2016 release of Bey’s “Lemonade.” Jay-Z appears to chastise himself for his past actions.
How does Eric Benét feel about this? Well, he’s sort of thrilled.
He told USA Today on Friday that he got the news via Twitter, and though he had no prior knowledge of the song, he’s not mad that his name is in it. “It’s all love,” he said. “Everything [Jay-Z] makes is always fire, and once again he did not disappoint. It’s kind of unreal being mentioned in his lyrics, but like I said, it’s all love.”
Benét also said he appreciated the song’s subject matter. “He’s talking about some deep stuff on the song, how he needs to be a better man for Blue and he went through it…and personally, I’m just happy to see that he and Beyoncé made it through on the other side, and everything is dope.”
Shortly after “4:44” dropped Friday at midnight, Benét playfully clapped back at the lyric that claimed he had “let the baddest girl in the world get away.”
Hey yo #Jayz! Just so ya know, I got the baddest girl in the world as my wife….like right now! ✌🏾
— Eric Benét (@ebenet) June 30, 2017
He tweeted, “Hey yo #Jayz! Just so ya know, I got the baddest girl in the world as my wife…like right now!”
Benét also told USA Today that if given the chance, he’d give Jay-Z “a pound” and thank him for the “shoutout.” Finally, he punctuated his stance with one final joke about the song: “Yo, bro, where are my royalties!”