Some of our favorite duets have come from celebrities who were actual couples or…had a “connection,” if you get my drift. Some of the songs came from places of genuine love while others came from some good ol’ “gangsta, boo lovin’.” Some of the couples lasted, some didn’t. Either way, they’ve made some beautiful music together (well, it at least had you in your groove).
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Mary J. Blige & K-ci Hailey
“I Don’t Want To Do Anything” is a prime example in her hayday of singing: she couldn’t really carry a note well but the emotion she sang with made you completely forget it. The relationship she had with K-ci, as we all know, was very tumultuous and this song probably told a deeper story of how passionately they loved each other but weren’t meant to be together. But we sang like it was about our own relationship!
gossiponthis.com
Lil’ Kim & Notorious B.I.G.
These two carried on a love affair for years that may or may not have been as deep as Lil Kim always describes it. They were featured on a few songs together based on Kim’s affiliation with Junior Mafia (B.I.G. helped put the group together) but one of the songs that featured just the two of them is “Another” from B.I.G’s double disc album. I should warn you that if you look this song up that you won’t want to blast it at work because it is quite “ratchet.” However, based on what we know, this song probably let the world know how dysfunctional they were when together.
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Ashford & Simpson
This is definitely one of two “cheats” that I’m adding but it is for good reason, I promise. First of all, allow me this honesty moment: for years, I had no idea Ashford & Simpson were a couple. I remember falling in love with “Solid As A Rock” when it came out but since I was young, I only thought of it as just another song I liked. It wasn’t until their radio show on NYC’s now defunct KISS-FM that I realized they were a couple. From that moment on, ALL of their songs meant even more to me than they already did.
theprophetblog.net
Cassie & Ryan Leslie
Back in 2008, Ryan Leslie released “Addiction” which featured his then boo, Cassie. I’m not quite sure if it was supposed to be a secret that they were dating since he was a few years older but word got out pretty quickly. However, in sad news for Ryan, he seemed to have forgotten he was part of the Bad Boy team and Diddy pulled little Cassie away from him. I’m being dramatic but look up any interview Ryan has done since their break up; any mention of her seems like he’s a broken man looking for his missing piece.
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Erykah Badu & Common
The R&B equivalent to Common’s “I Used to Love H.E.R.,” Erykah and then boo Common hooked up for “Love Of My Life,” which was featured on the Brown Sugar soundtrack. This, of course, was right in the midst of Common’s well documented time of wearing crochet pants and knit hats.
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Whitney & Bobby
This is the second “cheat” of the list since Whitney and Bobby were either engaged or just married when “Something in Common” came out and we definitely knew all about their relationship. Surprisingly, the song was never officially released here in the States though we did get a video. Aren’t we all still rocking to this song whenever we hear it!?
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Brandy & Wanya (of Boyz II Men)
Yes, they had a song out and a “quiet as kept” relationship going on at the same time. The remix to Brandy’s “Brokenhearted” featured Wanya and although it wasn’t confirmed until much later that they had been a couple, it seemed pretty obvious. I mean yes, Wanya is a great singer and B2M were really popular at that time; however, he was sort of an odd choice when someone like Usher was just as popular then.
thefader.com
Kelis & Pharrell
While there has never been actual confirmation of a relationship that went beyond professional, it seems pretty plausible that Kelis and Pharrell were pretty hot and heavy for a few years. The Neptunes almost exclusively produced Kelis’ first three albums and though there are only a couple of songs in which Pharrell is actually featured, his background vocals are on many of her songs. Rumor has it (yes, rumor…this is celebrity chat) their professional relationship ceased because their personal relationship was affecting all areas of business.
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Beyonce & Jay-Z
By the time “Crazy in Love” was released, we all knew they’d been dating for about a year but based on Beyonce’s pictures and quick comments she’s made, it seems they could have been together for two, or maybe, three years before the song came out. They’ve made many songs together since and I suspect we’ll hear more duets in the future.
What do you think about these celebrity duets?
