When Beyoncé and Jay-Z are your parents, style and influence are bound to be a big
part of your upbringing. And while she's been in the public eye most of her life,
Blue Ivy Carter seems to be gradually crawling out of her family's shadow with each passing year.
Many celebrities' children end up trying to do the same thing as their parents,
and often they get pretty far in the industry due to their well-connected folks. Even so,
most kids tend to wait a little while before they get in on the action.
However, Blue Ivy Carter made her musical debut when she was just 2 days old — her
dad used the sound of her crying for his 2012 single, "Glory." Granted,
Blue probably didn't have a clue what she was doing and therefore didn't exactly
mastermind the operation, but the feature certainly set a precedent for her young life.
The little one can be heard on the track, but it's her dad's ecstatic lyrics about
how excited he was to raise her that truly highlight the sample. Little did the tot
know at the time that it was just the beginning of her collaborations with her iconic parents.
Fans found Jay-Z's song to be the perfect introduction to his daughter,
not least because the rap was released shortly before her birth was announced. The famous couple
followed up the drop of the song with a sweet statement confirming Blue's arrival, which read:
"Her birth was emotional and extremely peaceful, we are in heaven."
"The connection I had with her when I was giving birth was something I'd never felt before."
For most kids, visiting their parents at work might include a trip to the office and a treat
from the vending machine. However, Blue really won the genetic lottery and has
been getting used to being adored by big crowds ever since she was just a toddler.
Fans are used to seeing her appear at award shows these days,
but her first appearance made headlines for being such a sweet, poignant moment
at the VMAs in 2014. Her mom was one of the performers that year, getting up on stage
in a showstopping bejeweled bodysuit to sing a medley of her songs for the adoring crowd.
As if the performance wasn't already sensational enough, at the end,
Jay-Z came up on stage holding 2-year-old Blue in his arms. Together, they presented
Beyoncé with the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award, which visibly moved the Destiny's Child star to
tears. The moment was only capped off when the toddler even told her mom, "Good job."
The family gathering ended with Beyoncé planting a kiss on her man, providing a
glimpse of the Carters' family life and putting Blue at the forefront of public consciousness.
By 2017, Blue Ivy Carter had appeared on stages that other entertainers could
only dream of. Having superstar parents is good for getting on the guest list,
but something else popped up that year that proved her public presence was only getting larger.
"Coming to the stage now: Blue Ivy."
On June 30 of that year, Jay-Z dropped his new album 4:44,
and while it featured a number of A-list stars scattered throughout the tracklist,
perhaps the biggest surprise came in the form of yet another feature from Blue. This time around,
the bonus track "Blue's Freestyle / We Family," opened with an entire verse
rapped by the little one, before her dad takes over to sing about family unity.
The youngster's rap debut made waves among the fandom, who praised her performance and
zest. Not only that, but the inclusion of his daughter in his work showed fans more
of Jay-Z's fatherly side. This decision was in theme with the rest of the album, which
featured tracks referencing mistakes he had made in his marriage and openly apologizing to Beyoncé.
Whether Blue will continue to follow her father and release
her own emotionally raw material remains to be seen. If she does,
it will be interesting to see what her upbringing in the limelight will inspire her to sing about.
Some might find it strange how hard Jay-Z and Beyoncé work to keep incorporating their child
into their art, but considering how much time and effort they pour into their craft,
making music with her may be as much of an excuse to spend time together as family as
anything else. Regardless of the reasons behind it, this unique working relationship has propelled
Blue into earning awards adults many times her age would kill to have on their shelves.
In 2021, Blue won the Grammy for Best Music Video for her mother's song "Brown
Skin Girl." As a result, Blue also became the second-youngest person to ever win a Grammy,
securing her place in the history books.
However, that wasn't her only big victory of the year. Just months later, at the VMAs, she also won
best cinematography for the same video. Credited as a writer on the project, the young star beat
out competitors including Billie Eilish, Foo Fighters, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, and Lorde.
On top of these accolades, Blue also got to experience the privilege of filming the video,
and presumably hanging out with the likes of former Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland,
model Naomi Campbell, and a myriad of her mother's other iconic friends.
Often, one of the keys to an A-lister's success is to turn their name into a brand. It's not
always a smart idea to stay in one lane, and by creating a company around your celebrity,
you can diversify and turn your name into a multi-million-dollar empire.
From the moment their daughter was born, Jay-Z and Beyoncé knew there
was a ring to Blue Ivy Carter. It's an unusual and marketable moniker,
so it makes sense that they would try and trademark it for Blue's use later
down the line. However, actually getting the trademark instated was no easy task.
Beyoncé first tried to copyright the name back in 2017 but was met with resistance
when an event planner named Veronica Morales asked for the star's bid to be rejected,
as it sounded too similar to her own brand, the Blue Ivy Company. According to The Blast,
Morales told officials she didn't believe the Carters would use the name for business
purposes at all. A lengthy legal battle ensued, but Beyoncé emerged triumphant
in 2020 when the courts sided with her and allowed her to move forward with her plans.
Although she hasn't done much with the trademark yet, this victory was yet
another parental act that ensures Blue is set up for success as she enters the working world.
"My biggest job in — in the world is to protect my daughter. And I am very protective."
Her first decade on the planet was eventful enough, but Blue Ivy Carter
was far from done soaking in the spotlight. In 2023, she burst onto the stage yet again,
this time as a bona fide performer on her mom's Renaissance tour. To showcase her
daughter's dancing skills, Beyoncé took to Instagram to share pictures of her
daughter on stage and express how proud she was of her. She captioned the post,
"My beautiful first born. I'm so proud and thankful to be your mama.
You bring us so much joy, my sweet angel."
Of course, this is far from the first time Queen Bey has openly praised her daughter.
"She is hilarious and she is fire."
While her mom was bursting with adoration for her daughter's talent, some of Beyoncé's fans
were a little more critical of Blue's performance, giving the up-and-coming
star a taste of how quickly the public can turn when you do something they don't like.
According to The New York Times, Blue read the unflattering comments on social media and,
although her mom was concerned, she reportedly took it on the chin and decided to work harder to
put on a better show. While it can't have been nice for Blue to feel like she wasn't doing a
good job, her response was surprisingly mature and will put her in good stead for the future.
In early 2024, Jay-Z was honored with the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at the Grammys,
marking a key moment in the rapper's career. He took to the stage to accept
the accolade and brought his daughter along for the ride.
Twelve-year-old Blue Ivy Carter looked unexpectedly grown up at the Grammys in
a cream-colored gown, standing poised beside her father as he delivered his
speech. Most 12-year-olds might still be running around in cartoon t-shirts,
but Blue seems to have no trouble fully embracing
her parents stylistic influence and resources for major outings like this.
Her father couldn't resist praising his daughter during his moment in the spotlight. He highlighted
the fact that Blue used to use his Grammys as a sippy cup, and now she has some of her own.
Blue's appearance wasn't lost on audiences watching at home, who flocked to X,
formerly Twitter, to highlight how much she's changed in just a few years. One
user tweeted a video of Blue chatting with singer Olivia Rodrigo, with the caption,
"Not Blue Ivy having her own queue at the Grammys. On a side note:
the confidence she exudes! Truly Beyoncé's daughter."
This outing marked something of a turning point for Blue,
who seems to be stepping further and further in to the entertainment industry with each passing year.
While Jay-Z and Beyoncé are best known for their music, they don't play when it comes
to fashion. Both of them have been hailed for their influential looks, with fans going crazy
for everything from Bey's bejeweled 2015 Met Gala look to Jay-Z's sleek black suit
at the 2024 Grammys. It seems their taste — or at least their connection to so many giants of
the fashion industry — is just one of the many things they're passing on to their daughter.
This is evidenced in pretty much any of her public appearances. When Blue's not busting moves with
her mom on stage, she's dressed like a futuristic style icon. When she appeared alongside her dad
at the Grammys, she looked like she wouldn't be out of place on the Vivienne Westwood runway.
There seem to be no limits to Blue's wardrobe. Even her casual outfits, such as the combat-style
pants, blue Nike sneakers and football jacket she wore to the 2024 Super Bowl,
feel intrinsically more intricate than what a run-of-the-mill pre-teen would throw on.
It's not a massive leap to assume that Blue will only turn into an even bigger style icon
as she gets older. If nothing else, she'll always have her mom's closet to raid — and
it's hard to imagine the number of priceless treasures she'll have access to in there.
Considering just how famous her parents are,
it's not surprising that Blue Ivy Carter is pretty well connected. A lot of us dream of
being able to talk to our favorite celebrities, but to Blue, it's just another day in the life.
The preteen has already been spotted hanging out with some of the biggest stars in the business,
and her circle extends far beyond Olivia Rodrigo.
Blue is reportedly friends with North West,
the eldest daughter of Kim Kardashian and her ex-husband, Kanye West. For this reason,
it may not come as a major shock that a Kardashian fan account shared a TikTok
where Blue can be seen in the background of the infamous Kardashian-Jenner Christmas Eve party.
Fans were quick to notice that the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio were also present,
meaning that Blue travels with some undeniably heavy hitters in the entertainment industry.
There's no denying Blue lives as charmed a life as anyone with parents like hers could
expect. While she's seemed to take to stardom fairly naturally, no one knows what she'll do
as she grows up. If she decides to take the stage and continue making waves in the music business,
she'll almost surely excel with the connections her parents have.
However, there's always the possibility that she might go in a totally different
direction. Regardless of what the next few years look like,
Blue is still heir to one of the biggest empires in the entertainment industry.
Thanks to their entrepreneurship, Forbes estimated her parents are worth $1.4 billion,
and that was before Beyoncé’s Renaissance world tour. And in the process of becoming the pop icon
she is today, Beyoncé has created everything from production companies and clothing lines.
Just in 2024, she launched haircare line Cécred, and she made sure Blue wasn't left
behind. In promotional shots for the brand taken as part of a cover shoot for Essence magazine,
Beyoncé can be seen sitting down with her mom while she does Blue's hair. It's a
heartfelt image that highlights the immense generational influence Blue is working with.
If her involvement on the Renaissance tour is anything to go by, Blue's part in her mom's
business endeavors is only set to grow as the years turn by. If she wants it,
it's all there waiting — and that's not even taking her dad's businesses into account.