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A big feud between two big names in music.
Anita Baker and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds are in the middle of a huge battle involving her latest tour.
The drama came to a head on Tuesday when Baker made the big announcement that she was dropping Baby Face from her Songstress tour and she’ll continue on as a solo act.
This all started on May 10, when Babyface essentially blamed Baker claiming she asked him not to perform.
“I am truly sorry to my fans who have been waiting for us to hit the stage this evening at the Prudential. I was asked not to perform in order to give Ms. Baker her space and time to perform her show in its entirety,” he tweeted. “My band and I are extremely saddened we didn’t get to perform for y’all tonight”
After this, Baker took to Twitter to provide some context.
“It was 9:30 p.m. *contractually?… It was way past time 4 the Headline Performer, to be on stage/Anita Baker Support Act did not perform. I have no contract with Support Act. Not my call I did what I was *Contracted 2 do & love, as Headline Performer, of my sold-out concert,” she tweeted.
The ‘Sweet Love” singer said Babyface was late to perform and continued to explain that it was possibly a technical issue.
“Support act’s equipment was onstage for hours prior to my set amid video wall failure… But, with live musicians? We. PLAY. Anyway. Why did they, not perform?” she questioned on Twitter. “I/Anita did nothing to prevent their live/to track, performance…. Other ppl? Tech issue?”
As it turns out, technology was to blame for the issue and not Baker
“As advanced as technology is today we are sometimes at its mercy. The video wall was unfortunately not working that day and time wasn’t on our side,” Babyface said in a statement to PEOPLE.
Technology facts aside, Babyface fans took matters into their own hands and started going after Baker online. She even asked the “Two Occasions” singer to stop but with no response.
From there, she decided to continue on the tour without him in an announcement on Tuesday
“After silently enduring cyberbullying/verbal abuse & threats of violence from the fan base, of our Special Guest/Support Act. In the interest of personal safety,” she tweeted. I will continue, the Songstress tour, alone. Appropriate refunds will be made.”
Babyface then took to social media to issue his own statement.
“I am saddened by the news that Anita Baker has decided to remove me from ‘The Songstress Tour.’ It’s unfortunate and disheartening to see how things have played out via social media,” he said. “While I was looking forward to the rest of the dates, I have nothing but love & respect for Anita and I wish her the best for the remainder of her tour.”
This isn’t the first time the pair has had a feud.
Back in April of 2006, Babyface filed a lawsuit against Baker claiming she owed him more than $250,000 for his work co-writing, coproducing and performing her song “Like You Used to Do” and that she failed to perform shows with him like the agreed.
“My company defended and prevailed against the lawsuit filed, (not by Babyface, but by his reps. at the time). Kenny, came to me YEARS ago, in the spirit of community and we put it all behind us and came together, in love, peace, music and community and forgiveness,” she tweeted.
The Songstress tour is set to stop at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Dec. 22.
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