Beyonce Shows Up as a Background Singer in Rare Hip-Hop Video

It’s hard to believe that Beyonce was once a background singer — but it’s true. Need proof? Well, there’s a rare music video from the 1990s that features a very young Bey singing for rapper Lil’ O.

The throwback music video, which was spotted by Cosmopolitan.com, is for Lil’ O’s song ‘Can’t Stop.’ The visual, which takes place in Beyonce’s hometown of Houston, Texas, oozes with old-school rap cliches including a house party, shooting pool and O riding around in a luxury sedan. Beyonce shows up with some of the original members of Destiny’s Child (in matching outfits, of course).

Who is Lil’ O and how did he get Beyonce in his video? He’s not a household name but the H-Town rapper does have several albums and mixtapes under his belt. The Loose Ends-sampled track ‘Can’t Stop’ was a big local hit in 1997.

The following year, Destiny’s Child would break into the mainstream with their self-titled debut album and the rest, they say, is musical history.

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