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Is 'Cater 2 U' a 'slave song'? Michelle Williams defends Destiny's Child track

'Don't be mad at Destiny's Child,' Williams said in a clip she posted to Instagram. This was the second time she defended the song since past week.

Destiny's Child was one of the most successful girl bands of all time, but the now-defunct group recently made headlines 16 years after they announced their split in 2005. Michelle Williams, Beyonce, and Kelly Rowland made up the band that was responsible for a number of hits during their prime including 'Cater 2 U' which released in 2004. Now almost 17 years since its release, fans say that the message the song propagated through the lyrics is problematic and called for it to be canceled.

Since we're on the subject, another song that incited the same response from the audiences recently was 'My Old Kentucky Home' which is Kentucky's state song. People have been opposing the ritual of the song being played before the races commence at the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs for many years stating it is a slave song and was written on and about life on a plantation. Coming back to 'Cater 2 U', fans are objecting to the lyrics of the song where the three singers croon, "Baby I see you working hard, I want to let you know I’m proud, Let you know that I admire what you do, The more if I need to reassure you."

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In the next few lines Beyonce, Williams, and Rowland sing, "My life would be purposeless without you (Yeah), If I want it (Got it), When I ask you (You provide it)" The criticism against the song blew up on Saturday, June 5 after Twitter user @TheBaddestMitch tweeted, "Me listening to 'cater 2 u,'" and shared it with a photo of reality TV star Erica Dixon making a face which has been one of the most popular memes in the recent past. 

Fans say 'Cater 2 U' is a 'slave song'

Ari Labeija who owns tweets from the handle @TheBaddestMitch followed up her tweet with, "Beyoncé lost me in the first verse when she said 'my life would be purposeless without you' Then she followed later with 'I’ll brush your hair. Put your durag onnnn' Do you know how particular black men are about their durag tying technique? It’s too much," she asked her followers. Both of her tweets have gone viral with over 105K likes and more than 25K retweets. 

Shortly after, many others expressed how they felt about the song, most of them saying it felt like a "slave song" to them. "Please, let us not forget the slavery that Destiny's Child described in 'Cater 2 U'" a tweet read. "I do love that song tho bc the VOCALS … but yeah “I’ll brush yo hair, help you put yo do-rag on” always SENDS ME. I CA-" another user pointed out.

But there was an equal number of Destiny's Child fans that came out in support of the song and said people were reading too much into it.  "If Cater 2 U gets canceled y’all might as well start selling for crab legs and bottomless mimosas because that song is far from a slave song. Shits about a woman who is in love with her partner and her partner is in love with her and they share mutual love for one another…" a fan of the group and the song tweeted. "Cater 2 U isn’t a slave song. Wtf?! If y’all don’t know how to appreciate and love your mans just say that. Smfh," another tweet read. "50,000 songs about men doing things, jumping through hoops, going above & beyond, begging, buying this & that for women. Cater 2 U isn't a slave song, it's the acknowledgment I been waitin for after a long hard day and catering to you for the past 364 days," another fan tweeted.

Michelle Williams defended the group by saying, "Don't come for Destiny's child," in an Instagram post she shared on her feed. But back in 2018, she had expressed her shock over the "unrealistic" lyrics when she heard it playing at a restaurant while having a meal with her former fiance Chad Johnson. 

What do you think about 'Cater 2 U'? Let us know in the comments.