Who is Rhiannon Giddens? Banjo player who worked on Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter feels conflicted over her contribution

Rhiannon Giddens is a renowned banjo player and folk artist who played on Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter but has conflicting opinions about her experience. Despite her strong ties to Queen Bey, she felt compelled to make a difficult compromise as an artist.

Giddens, a two-time Grammy winner and recipient of a MacArthur "Genius" grant, has dedicated her career to preserving the traditions of African American folk music. In an interview with Rolling Stone, performers like Joe Thompson have had a strong influence on her playing the instrument. She said,

“When I think about my banjo playing, I think of the lineage I have received through Joe Thompson and everyone who taught him, this connection to a very deep piece of my culture.”

She continued,

“Every time I pull my banjo out, I’m thinking of that. If ever I do something that seems counter to that, there’s a very good reason.”

Though she did not name or blame Beyoncé, she alluded to differences when she stated,

“There are two examples I could pull out, in my entire 20-year career, where I feel like I had to make a compromise in order for a greater good. This was one of those times. What was hard for me was to feel that gift treated as any other transaction in the music industry.”

Giddens said that, in spite of her inner turmoil, her participation in Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter brought about an unanticipated emotional experience: for the first time, she felt welcomed by the mainstream Black community. She went on to say,

“Because of all the things I’ve been fighting for my whole life, it’s been difficult to be seen as a Black musician, especially since I’m mixed. But for the first time, I felt acceptance from the mainstream Black community, which made me weep.”

She also felt proud of the fact that more and more people are taking classes and playing the banjo because of her. Even though her experience might not have been the best.

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Giddens' career beyond Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter

Other than working with Beyoncé, she even co-wrote the opera, Omar, which went on to win the Pulitzer. It was about an enslaved West African philosopher, Omar ibn Said, and she has five solo CDs. She has made a name for herself by working to preserve and promote musical traditions that are underrepresented.

She also served as UNC-Chapel Hill's Southern Futures Artist-in-Residence, highlighting the contributions of Black and Indigenous musicians through historical study. She was the artistic director at UNC in 2024–2025 for the Silkroad Ensemble.

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Giddens has stated that she won't be joining Beyoncé on tour even though working with her was a big milestone for her career and country music.

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