Beyoncé brought the European leg of her Cowboy Carter tour to a spectacular close with a sold-out show at Paris’ Stade de France and fans got an extra treat when Jay-Z made a rare on-stage appearance. After teasing the crowd of 80,000 with a “special guest,” Bey welcomed her husband to join her for their 2003 hit, “Crazy in Love.”
After the electrifying duet, Beyoncé exited, allowing Jay-Z to command the stage solo. He launched into a set of fan-favorite tracks, including a performance of “N****s in Paris”, but listeners quickly caught a significant change in the lyrics.
Where the original line reads, “Just might let you meet Ye,” Jay flipped it to, “Just might let you meet Bey, H-Town’s hero.” The tweak didn’t go unnoticed, especially given the well-documented fallout between Jay-Z and Kanye West.
The update comes just months after Kanye issued a public apology, reflecting on his turbulent relationship with both Jay and Beyoncé. In a since-deleted post, Ye expressed remorse over past actions, including false claims about the couple’s children and public criticism. “I LOVE JAY Z AND I DO FEEL BAD… I ALWAYS FELT LIKE THE BLACK SHEEP,” he wrote. He also aired grievances over Jay not attending his wedding and accused the Carters of siding with Kendrick Lamar over him for the Super Bowl halftime show.
“I FELT LIKE BOTH HIM AND HIS WIFE COULD HAVE HELPED ME HAVE MORE LEVERAGE WITH MY KIDS… THEY COULD HAVE USED THEIR CULTURAL POSITION TO NOT JUST WATCH THE KARDASHIANS RUN ME OVER,” Kanye added, referencing his ongoing family disputes.
Though Jay-Z didn’t directly respond to Kanye onstage, his subtle lyric swap spoke volumes. It wasn’t just a powerful performance, it was a public reminder of where loyalties lie.