They say in marriage, you split everything. For music superstars Beyoncé and Jay-Z, that apparently also includes beats. Turns out, Queen Bey’s ass-shaking track “Church Girl” originally belonged to the “Dirt Off Your Shoulder” rapper. Producer No I.D. explained that he created the beat for Jay, but it wasn’t long before his wife swooped in and took it.
“I was at [their] house one day, and I had some equipment with me, and I just started making a beat,” No I.D. told Stereogum. “And he was rapping to it, it was for him. And he just put it in the computer, I never thought about it again, I literally forgot about it.”
You’d think after all this time Jay would’ve learned you have to put your name on the leftovers to make sure they’re safe. He left that beat unattended a little too long, and the “Cuff It” singer claimed it. I have to wonder if this means we’ll get a “Church Girl” remix collaboration featuring the power couple.
“Jay jokingly tells me, ‘Man, she stole my beat. She was like, ‘Remember that idea in the computer that you didn’t finish?,’” the producer said.
Since he started his career in house music, and Renaissance is clearly a tribute to the genre, No I.D. was hoping his track would have more of a house feel, but when Beyoncé tells you, “Nah, we got this ‘Church Girl’ record,” you listen. He’s also well aware that opinions are divided on the song, but that’s the nature of art.
“Usually, when music is divisive that means it’s something new,” he said. “To each their own, some people like raspberry ice cream too.”
If you missed the 32-time Grammy winner’s record-breaking world tour, you can catch it on the big screen when Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé releases in AMC Theatres Dec. 1.