Ray J has recently resurfaced in the media spotlight, not for his music but for some intriguing cultural insights he shared on Shannon Sharpe’s podcast, Club Shay Shay. Sharpe, a former NFL star, has been drawing attention with his series of interviews, and Ray J’s appearance was no exception.
During the podcast, Ray J discussed the infamous 2003 sex tape with Kim Kardashian, suggesting that its release has had a broader impact on society than one might think.
He posited that if the tape had never been released, “we’d all be different” and even suggested it influenced fashion trends and digital platforms, saying, “Everything would be different. There might not be any OnlyFans and all the things like that. All the opportunities like that. Probably more people would be going to college.”
Ray J says that everything would be different if he didn't do the tape with Kim Kardashian
"…more people would be going to college… there might not be any OnlyFans… are we apart of the cure or are we apart of the disease…"
via Club Shay Shay pic.twitter.com/uKdpfsFR0y
— SOUND (@itsavibe) June 5, 2024
Now promoting his new single ‘Throwing Stacks,’ Ray J is still widely recognized for his controversial track ‘I Hit It First,’ which references his relationship with Kardashian before her marriages, including to Kanye West. Now 43, Ray J reflected on how the tape continues to affect his life, especially now that he is a father.
“I have kids now. Everything I did now when we are parents is just totally different. The whole thing is wacky. With my kids it’s not OK,” he expressed, highlighting his embarrassment and his efforts to “make it right.”
Despite the fame the tape brought him, Ray J expressed a mix of regret and philosophical pondering to Sharpe about whether he contributed to “the cure or [the] disease” of society’s ills.
The sex tape not only catapulted Kardashian into fame but arguably laid the groundwork for the entire Kardashian-Jenner family’s rise to reality TV stardom and their subsequent business ventures. “Think about it. No tape, no Keeping Up with The Kardashians,” Ray J remarked.
The ongoing relevance of the tape in pop culture was underscored by an incident where Ray J’s former manager, Wack 100, claimed to possess additional footage, prompting Kardashian’s ex-husband Kanye West to intervene.
It appears Ray J’s reflections on the tape’s cultural impact may not be entirely misplaced.