“Wait a minute, ain’t that Brandy’s brother?” — Lil Kim
These words, spoken by the original Queen Bee in 2001 were about Ray J, and the set a precedent for the kind of celebrity he was and is. Can you think of a favorite Ray J moment in your pop culture memory? No? Didn’t think so. Ray J is always most recognizable by who he’s next to, or on top of.
He’s hell-bent on talking about his past with Kim Kardashian at every opportunity. During his short stint on Celebrity Big Brother earlier this month, he called his ex-girlfriend a player and a cheater. And now, he just made his debut on a different reality show, My Kitchen Rules, with another nod to Kim. He asked people to “forget about his past” as if we hadn’t done that years ago. And when he and sister Brandy were the first ones to cook, Ray J joked, “Gotta hit it first.” Eye. Roll.
Throughout the '90s, Ray J was an afterthought to his older sister Brandy, who remains an R & B icon. There’s no doubt in my mind that when he and Kim’s sex tape was released by him to the public, Ray J thought the moment to become the solo star he always wanted to be was upon him. But it didn’t quite work out that way. The buzz about Ray J and his "endowments" quickly fizzled out, while Kim used it as the launching pad for her $52 million career.
It’s a snub Ray J still hasn’t been able to shake. At least he’s taking a more subtle route than making tacky singles like “I Hit It First.” But will he ever get over the girl who got away — and got ahead? I doubt it.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Emma Stone Didn't Love That Dirty Dancing Lift In Crazy, Stupid, Love As Much As You Did