Tina Turner fans have slammed Beyoncé and Jay-Z for the reference to the late star’s abuse at the hands of her husband Ike Turner in their 2013 hit Drunk In Love.
The What’s Love Got to Do With It singer, real name Anna Mae Bullock, died on Wednesday at the age of 83 in her Switzerland home, following an unspecified illness, leading to Jay-Z’s lyrics in the song being hurtled into the spotlight.
In the track, Jay raps: ‘I’m Ike, Turner, turn up / Baby no I don’t play / Now eat the cake, Anna Mae / I said eat the cake, Anna Mae’ – which led to a fan tweeting: ‘a tragic example of #TinaTurner being mocked & her abuse being dismissed.
The lyric references a well-documented moment in which Tina, still going by the name Anna Mae, was in a diner and when fans asked for her autograph and not his, he attacked her by forcing cake in her mouth and saying: ‘Eat the cake, Anna Mae!’
The scene was replicated in the 1993 biopic, What’s Love Got to Do With It, in which an argument between Tina (played by Angela Bassett) and Ike (Lawrence Fishburne) turns physical and he forces her to eat the cake he’d ordered in a diner.
Slammed: Tina Turner fans have slammed Beyoncé and Jay-Z for the reference to the late star’s abuse at the hands of her husband Ike Turner in their 2013 hit Drunk In Love (Beyoncé pictured in the Drunk In Love video)
Heartbreak: The What’s Love Got to Do With It singer, real name Anna Mae Bullock, died on Wednesday at the age of 83 in her Switzerland home, following an unspecified illness (Tina pictured in 2009)
That was then: Ike and Tina Turner are pictured performing together in 1973
Shocker: Jay-Z and Beyoncé are pictured at their On the Run II in 2018
Following Beyoncé’s references to Tina being her music idol, Twitter was flooded with anger from fans, with users penning: ‘Drunk In Love was a tragic example of the incomparable #TinaTurner being mocked & her abuse being dismissed.
Fans took to Twitter in droves, to write: ‘I still can’t get over Jay Z saying ‘eat the cake Anna Mae, eat the cake’ on ‘Drunk In Love’. When I found out that it was reference to Ike forcing Tina to eat literal cake..a damn shame…
‘Still mad at beyonce and jay z for that tina turner abuse reference… I love Bey but she rubs me the wrong way sometimes. How is Tina Turner one of your biggest inspirations but you were ok with Jay Z using that line in Drunk in Love…
Slammed: The scene played out in the 1993 biopic , What’s Love Got to Do With It, in which a verbal argument between Tina (played by Angela Bassett) and Ike (Lawrence Fishburne) turns physical and he forces her to eat the cake he’d ordered in a diner
Vile: Following Beyoncé’s references to Tina being her music idol, Twitter was flooded with anger from fans, with users penning: ‘Drunk In Love was a tragic example of the incomparable #TinaTurner being mocked & her abuse being dismissed
‘I was so disgusted when I understood the reference. Stopped listening to Drunk in Love for that reason alone… ‘Drunk In Love,’ was a tragic example of the incomparable #TinaTurner being mocked & her abuse being dismissed…
‘While Jay Z sang the lyrics mocking Tina, #Beyonce obviously cosigned Tina’s horrific abuse being made a mockery of & put that song on her album…
‘Reflecting on Tina’s legacy, I’ve always been surprised + disappointed how her being a domestic violence survivor somehow always turned into a joke, esp. in rap music…
Ouch: A video from a Beyoncé fan page, showed the thrilled star meeting Tina before they performed together at the 2008 Grammy Awards
‘That’s one reason I don’t play Drunk in Love often, because of Jay Z’s verse + his reference to ‘eat the cake’… I will never forget when Jay Z made fun of Tina’s abuse in Drunk in Love…
A video from a Beyoncé fan page, showed the thrilled star meeting Tina before they performed together at the 2008 Grammy Awards.
In response to the video, another Twitter user penned: ‘This video makes it even more disappointing that Jay Z disrespected Tina Turner & made light of her abuse on Drunk in Love. They both should’ve known better than that.’
The critiques come after she was slammed again last year for using ableist slurs on her track Heated, which was co-written with Canadian rapper Drake.
Disability rights advocates blasted the singer for including the words ‘spaz’ and ‘spazzin’ from the song. She then changed the lyrics with her representatives stating: ‘The word, not used intentionally in a harmful way, will be replaced.’
Slammed: Beyoncé and Tina performed together at the Grammys in 2008
Sweet: The singer, 41, shared a heartwarming message to her website just a few hours after it was announced that the Proud Mary hitmaker had passed at her home in Switzerland
Following the news of her death, Beyonce honored her music icon Tina in a touching post, as she shared a heartwarming message to her website just a few hours after it was announced that the Proud Mary hitmaker had passed.
‘My beloved queen. I love you endlessly,’ she wrote. ‘I’m so grateful for your inspiration, and all the ways you have paved the way. You are strength and resilience. You are the epitome of power and passion.’
‘We are all so fortunate to have witnessed your kindness and beautiful spirit that will forever remain,’ Beyonce went on. ‘Thank you for all you have done.’
Beyonce has frequently referred to Tina as her biggest musical inspiration.
Beyonce performed a tribute to Tina during her Kennedy Center Honors ceremony in 2015. The duo also graced the stage together for an iconic duet at the Grammy Awards in 2008.
Beloved: Beyonce has frequently referred to Tina as her biggest musical inspiration
The soul divas wowed the crowd, with Turner coming out of retirement to perform a duet with the R&B singer. It was Turner’s first concert performance in more than seven years.
Turner and Beyonce, who was 26 years old at the time, got the crowd on their feet with a lively version of Proud Mary, for which Turner won a Grammy in 1972.
Following their performance together she said: ‘This is literally a dream to me because she’s the ultimate. To actually be on the stage with her is crazy.’
Turner’s death was announced on Wednesday at the age of 83. The singer died at her home in Küsnach near Zurich, Switzerland, following a long, unspecified illness.
Her representatives announced the news, saying: ‘With her the world loses a music legend and role model.’
On April 9, in what are believed to be her final public remarks, she told The Guardian how she hoped the world would remember her – and how she did not fear death.
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