O.T. Genasis Gives Onstage Apology to Keyshia Cole for Unauthorized "Love" Cover: ‘I Love You, and I’m Sorry’

Keyshia Cole got a surprise on-stage apology from O.T. Genasis during a recent Los Angeles concert.

Cole, who's a performer on The Love Hard Tour with fellow R&B acts Trey Songz, K. Michelle and Jaheim, was in the middle of her set on Mar. 30 when Genasis popped out as a surprise guest. As pointed out by The Source, the West Coast rapper launched into his classics "Everybody Mad" and "Cut It" before apologizing for covering Cole's 2005 song "Love" without her permission.

"We was kinda going at it at one point, and listen, it was me,” Genasis began. "I just want to sit here today, I want to tell you I apologize to you…"

“I did call you a Ninja Turtle,” Cole jokingly replied.

“I want to tell you I’m sorry," Genasis continued. “And when I met this woman, she is the sweetest, one of the greatest personalities, the greatest sense of humor, she’s really sent from God. She got a very, very, very good soul.”

Also giving his condolences to Cole for the passing of her biological mother, Frankie Lons, he added, “I just wanted to let you know, here in front of everybody, that I love you and I’m sorry.”

The two then embraced after a long few years of going back-and-forth over Genasis' "Love" rework, titled "Never Knew."

Although Genasis later made an appearance during Cole's 2021 Verzuz with Ashanti, she initially took offense at "Never Knew."

"My only concern—this is a genuine concern is that, you know, I am trying to get my music where it used to be," she said on her show One on One with Keyshia Cole in 2019. "I'm trying to find that passion for the music that I used to have so long ago when I was trying to get out of Oakland," she said. "So I would like my classics to be left alone. Is that wrong as an artist to say?" 

Per BET, Genasis later issued a post-and-delete apology in 2020 over Cole's disapproval. The rapper poked fun at her before attempting to call a truce.

"Look, I was really just jokin’ on [that] IG Live shitt…[People] screen record and blow it out of proportion, [and] make a n***a really look thirsty. I ain’t trippin," he wrote.

"It’s all just fun. I apologize if I was disrespectful,” he added. “PS - Just don’t disrespect me neither for yo n***a have to carry yo’ weight. #IMDONEWITHTHIS #GETTINGOUTOFHAND."