Ray J is still relevant in 2024. The former R&B singer hasn’t scored a hit in over a decade, but he has continued to remain a cultural presence through interviews and reality TV shows. Why? Well, if you let Ray tell it, because he helped to create the pop culture world in which we currently live. Ray J recently went on Club Shay Shay, and he detailed the very specific ways in which his decisions back in the mid-2000s shaped the way that we consume media.
The bold declaration stemmed from the Kim Kardashian sex tape that was released in 2007. Club Shay Shay host Shannon Sharpe asked about the impact of the tape, and the “One Wish” singer didn’t mince words. “How different would we all be,” he asked in return. “How different would this whole f*cking thing be…How different would this industry be… Everything would be different.” The singer then went on to detail the ways in which pop culture would have differed. “There might not be any OnlyFans and all the things like that,” he posited. “All the opportunities like that… Probably more people would be going to college.”
Ray J Claims “Everything” Would Be Culturally Different
Ray J said the sex tape changed his career, but acknowledged that its impact was not entirely positive. “Are we a part of the cure or [are] we a part of the disease,” he wondered aloud. “I don’t know. All I know is I’m trying to make it right. Shannon Sharpe asked Ray J if he was embarrassed by the tape now, and he took a long pause before answering. “Yes,” Ray J admitted. “I have kids now… Everything I did now when we have kids is just totally different. The whole thing is wacky. With my kids it’s not ok.”
Ray is not the only person who feels as though the sex tape changed everything. Vince Staples has put forth a theory that the R&B singer is the most important person in pop culture over the last two decades. He had an entire GQ interview based around this theory in 2015. “Kim Kardashian is a great person, but Ray J does have a part in giving her such notoriety,” Staples posited. “Ray J is someone whos always in the mix. If you really think about everything thats going on today, Ray J is very, very good at making himself part of the conversation.”
About The Author
Danilo is a writer based out of San Diego. He graduated from the Art Institute of Tucson with a B.A. in digital media, and has since forged a career as a pop culture journalist. He covered hip-hop for Heavy.com, Rhyme Junkies and PopMatters prior to joining HotNewHipHop.com. Danilo’s top five is constantly changing, but Biggie and Slug from Atmosphere remain permanent fixtures. His favorite rap album of all time is “Late Registration” by Kanye West, and that stays the same.
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