Lil Mama’s fateful decision to crash the stage during Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ performance of “Empire State Of Mind” during the 2009 VMAs continues to remain an infamous moment in hip-hop history. Despite having previously revealed the profoundly negative impact her decision ultimately had on her mental health, that hasn’t stopped many from associating the rapper with her spontaneous and ill-founded encounter with the “Empire State Of Mind” duo.
In fact, a recent exchange with a digital heckler found Lil Mama reflecting on the incident. “I entered this industry as a teenage black girl from Brooklyn and Harlem NY,” she stresses. “These situations are with mature adults at least ten years my senior. I reached out in private to create an opportunity for communication and clarity. I haven’t heard back from either party yet. With that, continuously misrepresenting my brand in public won’t be tolerated.”
You know it, you’ve seen it. Kevin Mazur/WireImage/Getty Images
Though it’s been over a decade since Lil Mama’s infamous stage crash, it would appear that not everybody is willing to share a laugh. Lil Mama herself previously poked fun at the situation, wishing Jay-Z a happy birthday with a throwback picture that many don’t need a description to see. Alas, it doesn’t appear that Jay-Z has found the situation quite so amusing, and his silence in spite of Lil Mama’s attempted reach-outs remains telling.
At the time, the Jigga Man shared a few thoughts on the matter with Angie Martinez. “To interrupt that moment for us, I don’t think that was the right thing to do,” he stated, revealing that Mama’s unexpected arrival angered him. “It was a lot of planning that went into that performance. To disrupt that was outta line.”
Should Lil Mama’s claims be believed, it would be that neither Jay-Z nor Alicia Keys are particularly interested in letting this one slide, no matter how much time might pass. Check out her brief reflection on the situation below.