Jamaican star Shenseea continues to prove that her range extends far beyond the dancehall genre. Her latest single, “Boss Up,” dropped on October 24 and instantly sparked conversation—not just for its confident lyrics, but for its clever sample of Blu Cantrell’s 2001 hit, “Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!).”
In an Instagram Live session the following day, Shenseea shared the backstory behind the song and revealed that she personally reached out to Cantrell to appear in the music video.
“They played that beat (‘Hit ’Em Up Style’) to me, and I was like, ‘oh, this is crazy!’ But I wanted to make it in my own way,” she explained. “When we got to the hook, I couldn’t hear no other melody. I was like, ‘might as well.’ We just used the original hook, the original melody. Because it’s so freakin’ fire. I’ll make it my own. And that’s what we did.”
While some fans hoped the collaboration would extend beyond the sample, Shenseea confirmed that she did reach out to Blu Cantrell directly—and the connection was positive, if not collaborative.
“The sample cleared. We spoke to Blu Cantrell. She said she felt the song,” Shenseea said. “You know, because I really wanted her to do a cameo in the video. But, yeah. She’s like, ‘nah, f–k it.’”
Despite Cantrell turning down the invite, there’s no bad blood. Shenseea emphasized that the R&B singer expressed genuine support.
“She said she’s proud of what I did with the song still,” Shenseea continued, adding that she hopes fans appreciate the creativity and range she brought to the track.
“I gave a lot of versatility on that one song alone. That’s why I’ve only been teasing the first part, because I want you guys to hear what the rest is.”
Cantrell’s “Hit ’Em Up Style (Oops!)”—written and produced by Dallas Austin—was a massive hit when it debuted in 2001, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning Cantrell a Grammy nomination for Best Female R&B Performance. The song became an anthem of empowerment, encouraging women to take control after betrayal.
https://www.complex.com/music/a/bernadette-giacomazzo/shenseea-says-she-invited-blu-cantrell-to-the-boss-up-videobut-she-refused
