The History Of K. Michelle & Tamar Braxton's R&B Beef

K. Michelle and Tamar Braxton's feud is one news story that never seems to go out of date. The singers have engaged each other in social media outbursts for years. It is difficult to understand why the pair are always in the news over their beef. However, rather than settle their issues or just ignore each other, they successfully find a way to reignite hostilities. It is not like Tamar and Michelle have not tried to make peace with each other. After all, they performed together at the 2015 BET Awards. However, they found themselves exchanging insults soon after.

The singers again became the center of attention after Beyoncé released her country album, Cowboy Carter. During an interview, Tamar paid homage to Beyoncé, praising her for representing Black artists well in country music. However, although Tamar didn't mention K. Michelle's name during the interview, the latter still took offense and responded, sparking a back-and-forth. Tamar Braxton and K. Michelle's latest spat made fans wonder why they keep locking horns. Here is a breakdown of the their beef history, from how it started to its latest exchange.

K. Michelle and Tamar Braxton's beef began in 2012 following the premiere of Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta. During an episode, Michelle, who was a cast member on the reality TV show, made accusations against an ex-boyfriend. She alleged that the ex-boyfriend physically abused her when they were dating. She also alleged that he had a hand in blackballing her after their split. Michelle mentioned no names while opening up about her alleged abuser, but fans later realized she spoke about Jive Records' former A&R, Memphitz. Although Memphitz denied Michelle's claims, court records later proved she spoke the truth. However, before all of that, Tamar seemingly waded into the issue.

When Michelle made the allegations against Memphitz, he was married to Toya Wright. Toya and Tamar were friends, so the latter felt Michelle's allegations didn't hold water. However, rather than keep her thoughts to herself, Tamar went on X, then known as Twitter, to post a message to Toya while an episode of Love & Hip Hop aired. She wrote, "Oh have fun and let this girl sell her fairytale." Michelle found out about Tamar's post and didn't respond kindly. The ladies engaged each other in back-and-forth subtweets. Eventually, Tamar felt threatened and sent a cease and desist to Michelle.

K. Michelle spoke about her abuse allegations and issues with Tamar during a radio interview with TT Torrez. She emphasized that she was telling the truth about Memphitz and hoped he was a different man in his marriage to Toya. Meanwhile, she said of Tamar, "The one person I am mad at is Tamar Braxton, that muppet. She needs to have several seats. […] Because she deleted the tweets, because people were tweeting me what she said. She was saying to Toya, ‘Oh have fun. Let this girl stay in her fairytales. And stay in her fairytales’ All I tweeted was ‘I like Toni anyway.’ I don’t play in those little games. The muppet needs to get it together. She needs to stay away from me."

K. Michelle released her Rebellious Soul album in 2013, but it caused another issue between her and Tamar Braxton. After the album's release, Tamar seemingly insinuated Michelle stole her look and tweeted, "Damn! I lost my wig!!!!…." Tamar followed with another tweet, "#shadebutnoshade." Michelle didn't waste time responding to Tamar. She returned fire by tweeting, "You didn't lose your wig, Kermit snatched it." With the Kermit reference, Michelle meant that Tamar resembled the muppet character, Miss Piggy. Michelle didn't end her onslaught there. She went ahead to insinuate that Tamar buys her own records and lip-syncs by tweeting, "Rebel against muppets gone wild! No shade. Rebel against lip synching and buying ur own singles. Noshade."

Afterward, Michelle ended by writing, "I'm in a positive place but I ain't no punk!!! Dont come for a G. Now let me go to the boys and girls club and talk to the kids." Rather than responding to Michelle, Tamar shared a picture of her baby son Logan. She also promoted her then-upcoming LP Love and War.

Michelle tried to make peace with Tamar afterward by buying her Love and War album and encouraging fans to do the same. However, Tamar wasn't having it. She spoke about the "V.S.O.P" singer while promoting her album on The Breakfast Club. When asked about her issues with Michelle, Tamar said Michelle buying her album didn't undo her previous bad deeds. She said, "I really don’t talk about the people who bully me, like if you do one good gesture, does that make up for you calling me a muppet and for telling everybody I lipsync? I don’t want to talk about her. On my third day, I sold over 100,000 copies of my album, so we’re not even in the same conversation in life."

After Tamar's album sales comment went viral, Michelle responded via several posts on X. In one of her tweets, she explained that she bought Tamar's album to support her but didn't understand why she was the bully in the situation. Michelle also tweeted, "Humble yourself! You bout SEVERAL of those albums. I sold over a 100,000 albums 2, just 4 days after u. SHE is not winning like SHE thinks."

In another tweet, Michelle asked Tamar not to worry about her album sales but about finding her original face. She added, "My sales are REAL, nothing political ALL HARD WORK." Michelle also responded to Tamar calling her a bully by tweeting, "You keep throwing rocks at me and then u run and hide behind Vince's man boobs! U not above getting checked shady boots!" The singer ended her tirade by tweeting, "Now stop coming for me. There's enough room for everybody! Just shut up and sing!"

Not long after Michelle's Twitter tirade, Tamar appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show. During the show, she was asked about her and Michelle's issues. However, Tamar responded by acting as though she didn't know who Michelle was. She replied, "Who? K Mart, where they sell Nicki's clothes at? That's the only K I know." K. Michelle appeared on The Skorpion Show and spoke about her beef with Tamar Braxton. During the interview, Michelle said she was done with the beef. However, she reiterated that she didn't start fights with Tamar but only responded to her shades. Michelle explained, "I always win arguments, and just because I win them doesn't mean I start them."

In another interview with The Demi Lobo Podcast, Michelle said Tamar was insecure and wanted to be young like her. She said she constantly tried to remain positive about the situation. She said of Tamar, "This lady is 40. There's no reason why. I am a new artist, you are 40, you just had a baby. Like, I don't even know her, and she continues to comment and poke, but people are so used to me being aggressive. At first, they thought it was me, but then when you start to pay attention, I'm never saying anything." Michelle also asked Tamar to leave her alone and stop coming for her.

Hope that K. Michelle and Tamar Braxton could be friends arose when they performed together at the 2015 BET Awards. Before the performance, Tamar spoke to ET about her and Michelle. She said, "I'm doing a very special performance with myself and K. Michelle, who in the past, you know, we've both had a lot of disagreements just about, I guess life in general." She revealed that the BET performance would be the first time she and Michelle would be meeting each other. Tamar concluded, "I’m just really excited because I’m really about girls sticking up for each other and being there for each other, and it’s time for all the nonsense to stop and let’s just empower each other and be great!"

Tamar also discussed the performance in a post on X. She said people change, and she and Michelle were moving forward positively. The pair tweeted about the performance multiple times, raising anticipation levels. The day came, and the previously feuding women serenaded the audience at the 2015 BET Awards as they joined Patti LaBelle for a lovely rendition of her song, "If Only You Knew."

Many hoped K. Michelle and Tamar Braxton's performance at the 2015 BET Awards would mark the beginning of more collaborations. However, that was not to be, as the R&B singers soon returned to their old ways. In April 2018, Michelle opened up about how she was recovering after removing her butt injections in January 2018. She revealed she was dealing with complications from the procedure. Before going to surgery, Michelle appeared on The Steve Harvey Show to share details about her removal. Weeks later, Tamar also appeared on the show to join in a conversation about the benefits and risks involved in plastic surgery.

Tamar said all the right things during her appearance. However, she could have done so without leaving any subtle hint of shade at Michelle. The "Pieces" singer said, "I just think that you do have to do your research. But you can’t be thinking you’re gonna go ahead and have plastic surgery on the Groupon. Ain’t no plastic surgery on sale! Like that’s not gonna happen." She added, "And if it’s on sale–nine times out of ten–you’re not supposed to get it from the person that’s having a sale. Don’t do that." Tamar did not specifically mention Michelle or say she had cheap surgery. However, given the pair's history, her words sounded like a subtle shade at Michelle, who was suffering complications from her butt removal surgery.

Unsurprisingly, despite not being named, Michelle took Tamar's response personally and went on X to clap back. She wrote, "Ugly face a*s milk dud." She also tweeted, "Tell that to your left nostril broke joke." Tamar added another tweet, writing, "You so called paid all that money and your nose is still doing the Gangsta lean😇." Afterward, she tweeted, "Good night. Going back to heal and mind my own business like I always do, not bothering anybody!"

Although Tamar didn't respond directly to Michelle's tweets, she made a post that heated things up even more. Tamar shared a video of her son Logan and added a lengthy caption to the post. In her caption, Tamar wrote, "I'm just a Mother who takes care of her SON no MATTER WHAT!! I'll NEVER trade him for a night out, a man, nor a job #mygift #imaREALmom #bestjobever #heliveswithME shout out to all the amazing real mothers!! Love yall." Many people perceived Tamar was shading Michelle with her caption because the latter opened up about allowing her son to stay with relatives to allow her to pursue her career.

Michelle didn't waste time clapping back after discovering Tamar's post. Taking to X, she wrote, "I woke up this morning excited about seeing my family. Yesterday it was just shocking to me how a person can continue to take shots at a person after years for no reason even when Their very own life is in shambles. I then realize the head and heart are just miserable." In another tweet, Michelle wrote, "Never bask in the distress of others but know that karma has and will bring them to their feet."

Tamar responded by updating the caption of her post about her son. She added, "Love yall this is why I turn my comments off because it IS ok to pat yourself on the back!! It's hard working your a*s off all day like most of us do THEN go home and be A FULL TIME parent! Shade who for WHAT!!?!? Gtf up please."

Tamar also addressed the issue on Instagram Live. She said, "If you're getting victory and joy out of talking bad about somebody or think that's fun or jumping on social media to talk about somebody, criticize or ridicule them, then you're lame, and it's late, and it's played out, and I'm simply nothing like that. That's not the objective of my life." K. Michelle fired back on X, writing, "No tater tot formed against me shall prosper." She addressed Tamar, writing, "You start something AGAIN then cry like a victim. I wasn't bothering a soul Bring up my child we got beef Forever! 10 years old then me and keep going. Don't Act your current wage act your age Charles Barkley."

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Two months after their back-and-forth, K. Michelle and Tamar were at it again. This time, the issue was over comments Tamar made about the income Love & Hip Hop cast members received. Then, Tamar wasn't pleased with her sister Traci's decision to keep filming their reality TV show, Braxton Family Values, with friends rather than family. When a fan asked about Tamar's opinion on Traci's decision, she replied, "[Traci isn't getting paid and] she is getting LESS than lahh [Love and Hip Hop]... basically nothing." K. Michelle found out about Tamar's comments and clapped back in her usual fashion. During an Instagram Live, the former Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta star responded to Tamar, saying, "Ta-muppet talking about what we make on Love and Hip Hop. Girl, you ain’t paying your coins either, honey. You getting kicked out of your house. You ain’t getting too much on We."

Tamar Braxton appeared on the May 2020 episode of TS Madison's Supreme Virtual Court and was asked who she thought would win a #Verzus battle between Monica and Brandy. In response, Tamar praised Brandy and Mo and encouraged them to participate in the performance. However, when asked if she would battle with K. Michelle, Tamar showed no interest in answering. It took Tamar a month to respond, and when she did, all hell broke loose.

In a video, Michelle, who had just released her fifth LP, All Monsters Are Human, and was working on a follow-up project at the time, first spoke about how much time she was spending at the studio. Afterward, she moved on to speaking about Tamar, who she called a muppet again. Michelle said, "I’ve been fighting my whole f*cking life and now I’m supposed to fight a b*tch with no edges?" She added, "I’m supposed to fight a muppet? How do you slay a muppet that’s still talking sh-t and still running her motherf—– mouth! Y’all want me to fight a cartoon character."

Later in the video, Michelle claimed Tamar was in an affair with Jermaine Dupri's father. She also claimed Jermaine's mom beat Tamar up in an elevator. Michelle said, "You can’t go around talkin’ ’bout nobody when you was sleepin’ with a married man! You was sleepin’ with Jermaine Dupri daddy! How you sleep with Jermaine Dupri daddy and get yo’ a** beat by Jermaine Dupri momma in a elevator?…but you wanna talk about me? I don’t f*ck with married men! Hmm. But you so holy…rice and beans and cabbage. Hmm, hmm, hmm. Tellin’ the truth. I ain’t never lied. Got drug up off that elevator. Whoop! Whoop! You know who you are! Whoop! Next!"

While Tamar did not respond to K. Michelle's accusations, her then-boyfriend David Adefeso leaped to her defense during an episode of their YouTube show, Quarantine & Coupled with Tamar Braxton and David Adefeso. The Nigerian-born entrepreneur discussed how Michelle's accusations made him feel. He said, "What I saw this morning made me sad because I saw one strong Black woman, [a] strong good-looking Black woman, tear another strong, good-looking Black woman down and it broke my heart." David added, "What makes me sad is Tamar now gotta defend herself against something which is false. Against something which was concocted. Against something which was meant to defame her character. As her man, it broke my heart."

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Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter album was groundbreaking in more ways than one, as it stirred up discussions about how Black musicians can explore and conquer the music genre. Before Beyoncé released the album, K. Michelle revealed she would fully transition into Country music after her September 2023 project, I'm The Problem. Although K. Michelle didn't feature in Beyoncé's country album, she received flowers from the legendary songstress. Michelle took to her Instagram page to reveal the flowers Beyoncé sent her. Accompanying the flowers was a note. Queen Bey wrote, "You're killing it! I love what you've been doing and I know it's not easy to enter a new space. Sending you positivity and respect. I hope to meet you one day. Love, Beyoncé." Michelle appreciated Beyoncé's gesture and said she was motivated to release her first country album.

In April 2024, Tamar Braxton appeared on the We Sound Crazy podcast and was asked to share her thoughts on Cowboy Carter. She responded, "I think that Black country is so necessary. I’m so happy that people with talent, who can actually sing country music that are Black people, are finally getting the recognition they deserve." Tamar added, "I just really appreciate Beyoncé for opening the door for all the other Black artists that have rode that wave behind the floodgates." Those comments from Tamar were unproblematic, but her next words stirred controversy.

Tamar said some people didn't respect Black culture well in country music. She explained, "There are a couple of people who not have should been singing Country Black music that were awful and it was concerning for me." Tamar added, "I’m not trying to be funny; it just didn’t sound good. You’ve got to make sure if you’re going to step into a new genre of music and represent us…you’ve gotta right. You can’t be all autotuned down and flarp." Tamar didn't mention K. Michelle's name but the latter responded to her.

Taking to X, Michelle clapped back at Tamar with some insults. She tweeted, "Imagine you keep playing with someone who's minding they business, then BOOM. They sick of you. One tweet and screenshot and it's over 4ya." In another post, Michelle wrote, "I don't pull stunts Raggedy Ann, I pull cards." Michelle continued her tirade by writing, "Loud Cackling hyena." She posted a picture of a muppet, which she captioned, "How many times are you going to keep calling for something you can't handle upon its arrival? Huh Janice?"

K. Michelle made further posts where she said she was going back to being peaceful and minding her business. In another tweet, she said, "I’ve grown, I’ve healed, but I’m not weak. Leave me alone. I’ll turn the other cheek but I’ll slap yours first🌻." Word of Tamar and Michelle's beef spread, and fans started wading in. A fan tweeted in Tamar's defense, saying she wasn't referring to Michelle with her comments. Tamar responded to the fan's post, "I absolutely was not!! I said a FEW artists! I paid homage to Beyonce 4bringing positive attention to country music. There are people who i don’t address n don’t mention/shade to keep mess away… where was all this chatter when my song went #1. I mind my business and go to work."

Tamar also responded directly to Michelle's tweet. She wrote, "I wasn't speaking about you. I would have said your name." She added, "I was speaking of country "Black" music that I have heard before that I didn't enjoy." Tamar concluded, "I wish you the best on all your future endeavors. I only want to beef with the devil. The End." However, Michelle didn't buy Tamar's words. She jumped on the comment section of TNT's post to call her archnemesis out.

Per Vibe, Michelle commented, "Y'all know I wouldn't be saying anything. She knows exactly what she's doing. She's been going on for months now, well years, she's just very hurt acting out. It has to stop TODAY." Michelle accused Tamar of bringing her up, throwing shades at her, and then playing the victim. She said, "I’m just not going to keep playing with her. It’s played out, but she WILL stop. I can overlook negativity all day but don’t keep poking at me even at shows." Michelle claimed she had information about Tamar that the latter wouldn't want her to reveal. She also told Tamar there was no reason for her to continue subbing and jabbing her.

Michelle continued, "It’s like you have to be seen even if it’s shading and negativity. Bitter Betty. Live in your talent, not in your drama. Lesson I had 2 learn and worked out 4me. I have a right to defend and be sick of your sh*t." Concluding, she warned Tamar to leave her alone. She wrote, "I finally say in front of everyone LEAVE ME ALONE or else. I stand on that, you should try it. Your 9 whole years older than me, you should set an example of some sort. Now go play victim."

Tamar didn't respond to Michelle, and things quietened afterward. One can only wonder if this signals the end of the on-again, off-again feud between two women who have done so much for the music industry. What do you think about K. Michelle and Tamar Braxton's beef? Do you think they will soon get into another online spat? Let us know your thoughts on their never-ending feud in the comments section.

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