Just because artists don’t deliver their lyrics in rap format doesn’t mean they are immune to beef. Take K. Michelle for example. The feisty songbird with the killer voice and body with a receipt was once friends with her R&B peer Elle Varner.
Unfortunately, the Black female stereotype of their ilk not being able to get along proved all too real for their relationship. Contrary to initial assumption however, their fallout didn’t stem from petty jealous or cattiness. As K. Michelle tells Hot 97’s Old Man Ebro, it was a matter of principle after Elle allegedly stole a song concept from the former Love & Hip-Hop star and threw her rap crush Meek Mill under the bus after he admitted he liked her.
“I’ve never slept with Meek in my life. Me and Meek are friends,” K. Michelle (first name Kimberly) revealed. “We flirt and poke, know what I’m saying? We don’t poke,” she admitted. “I did have a crush on Meek. We do that. You know that as my friend, me and Meek do this. You get on Twitter and say, ‘Yeah Meek tried to talk to me and I swerved him.’ Okay, why would you do that to your friend. But I’m the crazy one. I’m the mean one. I let it slide.”
Through her recollection of the infamous PDA on the Philly rhymer’s end, K. Michelle inadvertently dissed another R&B diva in the process. “She wanted attention because we don’t give a f**k about that India Arie ass music. No offense against India Arie because I love her. We like India because she’s India. [Elle’s] not India. Go sit down trying to be K. Michelle and India with the guitar. It just don’t work.” Wow.
Although it was the Meek Mill ordeal that acted as the friendship deal breaker, K. Michelle alleges that musical swagger jacking initially set it off.
“I had a record. It was my favorite record. It was ‘Ride Out’ on my album and I wasn’t allowed to put out that record because management said the record was already too big,” K explained. “I played that record for my ‘friend’ at that time. The next thing I knew she threw off her shoes and said ‘Oh my God, this is a great record.’”
And then, the jig. “She played me a record. She said, ‘You like the record?’ I said, that’s my record. Ain’t nobody yodeling on the hooks but me. Then you went to the same producers. I came to [her] like a woman. I said, this is my record. You can’t put that out. That sounds like me. [She copied my style.] But I said it to you as a friend in a proper manner. I said it to management in a proper manner.”
The lengthy (but highly entertaining) interview can be found in the player below. Hit the next two pages to hear “Ride Out” and “Cold Case” respectively and let us know if you think they sound alike.
—
Photo: Hot 97
