Beyoncé accused of stealing Ledisi's limelight with Selma song Grammy performance

Grammy awards 2015 best photos — Beyoncé closes the show with Take My Hand Precious Lord as a group of background performers pose in a "hands up, don't shoot" stance Robyn Beck/AFP

She may be music royalty but even Beyoncé can't get away with "stepping on the little people".

The Drunk In Love hitmaker has been branded "disrespectful" and "selfish" after allegedly stealing Ledisi's limelight in the wake of her controversial Grammy performance.

Fans could not hold back their disappointment after Beyoncé was asked to sing Precious Lord, Take My Hand, in place of Ledisi, the r'n'b and jazz star who originally sang the song in civil rights movie, Selma.

As Ledisi plays Mahalia Jackson in Ava DuVernay's Oscar-nominated film and performs the track on the official soundtrack, many fans could not understand why she wasn't given her moment to shine on music's biggest night.

"I feel sad and surprised that she pulled this under Ledisi's rug. Bey has stepped on many people's toes, I just wished her s**t would be exposed. Not a very considerate person," one critic said.

Sometimes artists let their egos overtake their capabilities.. its ok to admit that someone else should do a performance than you.
— Such A Lady (@TimaUnspoken) February 9, 2015

Honestly, the level of disrespect that Beyonce is singing this instead of @ledisi is... like... I... just... smh
— Charles Wade (@akacharleswade) February 9, 2015

Beehive status in jeopardy, but had to be said. @MrMokelly @PoliticsPeach @Signifyin @AmenRaTheGreat @Consultant59 pic.twitter.com/6IMECZPt0K
— Tami L. Taylor (@TLTESQ37) February 9, 2015

While Ledisi admitted to being "a little disappointed" she didn't grace the Grammy stage herself, she said she understands why Jay-Z's wife was chosen.

"But I got over that and I had to look at the positive and empower women," she told Entertainment Tonight on the Grammy red carpet ahead of the show. "We have to empower each other. It's a great thing. And one day I'll be on that Grammy stage. Every artist wants to be on the Grammys stage. That's part of our career is to be there. So my time will come when it's time."

Despite the snub, Ledisi said she appreciated the opportunity to be part of a legacy and was glad Selma was receiving the exposure it deserved.

"I was able to portray an iconic gospel singer, the queen of gospel Mahalia Jackson. I sang the version she sang, Take My Hand as well with Thomas Dorsey writing it and now we get to see Beyoncé sing a song that's been living forever and to her generation," she said. "It's great. I'm part of a legacy of great women and the Queen of Soul [Aretha Franklin] sang it as well. So I'm a part of that."

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