If we are thrilled to be witnessing one of the rap game’s most intense beefs unfold before our eyes— between Compton native Kendrick Lamar and Canadian hitmaker Drake— it’s worth noting that our parents also bore witness to a comparable clash between two iconic figures of their era, namely Fairouz and Madonna.
Taking place in courtrooms rather than on streaming platforms, it turns out that the two music icons of the late 20th century once went head to head, via proxy through their respective lawyers, following the Michigan-born singer’s use of a sample from the Lebanese legend, reportedly without her consent.
Part of Madonna’s fifth studio album, the single, titled Erotica (as is the album), loops vocals from a popular prayer chant penned by Fairouz a couple of years prior. Dubbed Al Yawm Oulliqa Aala Khashaba, the canticle narrates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, in Arabic, and can often be heard around Easter time in predominantly Christian towns, villages, and neighbourhoods in Lebanon until today.
Stripping the song away from its original sacred context and layering it with relatively explicit lyrics such as “lay your hands on my body,” Madonna’s rendition sparked controversy and offended many inside and out of the Cedar State, ultimately leading to a high-profile (and expensive) legal dispute.
With Fairouz’s representatives claiming that the sample was used without permission, the two divas eventually settled outside of court, setting the American singer back $2.5 million. But that’s not all as according to online archives, both the single and album faced bans on sales in Lebanon, while Madonna herself was also barred from entering the country—an allegation that, if proven true, could still hold to this day.
Though the story is nearly three decades old, the controversy resurfaced recently in March at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, when Madonna opened her performance of another song with Fairouz’s ballad. This, of course, reignited tense discussions and prompted social media users to express their discontent, some going as far as labeling the pop-icon a purported “devil worshipper.”
