▁Am ... ▁Tour . ▁( 2 0 0 9 – 1 0 ), ▁her ▁On ▁the ▁Run ▁Tour ▁( 2 0 1 4 ) ▁with ▁Jay - Z , ▁The ▁Form ation ▁World ▁Tour ▁( 2 0 1 6 ), ▁and ▁her ▁O TR ▁II ▁( 2 0 1 8 ) ▁with ▁Jay - Z ▁again . ▁ ▁Background ▁and ▁development ▁After ▁six ▁months ▁of ▁film ing ▁for ▁the ▁Broadway ▁musical ▁adaptation ▁of ▁Dream g irls , ▁Know les ▁was ▁on ▁vac ation . ▁In sp ired ▁by ▁her ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁film , ▁she ▁said : ▁"[ When ▁film ing ▁ended ,] ▁I ▁had ▁so ▁many ▁things ▁bott led ▁up , ▁so ▁many ▁emot ions , ▁so ▁many ▁ideas ". ▁After ▁contact ing ▁American ▁song writ ers ▁and ▁record ▁produ cers ▁Se an ▁Gar rett ▁along ▁with ▁Rod ney ▁Jer kins , ▁Rich ▁Harrison , ▁and ▁K asse em ▁" Sw izz ▁Be atz " ▁Dean , ▁Know les ▁r ented ▁Sony ▁Music ▁Studios ▁to ▁begin ▁working ▁on ▁her ▁second ▁solo ▁album ▁B ' Day . ▁Gar ret ▁said : ▁" I ▁came ▁to ▁the ▁studio ▁and ▁saw ▁the ▁zone ... every body ▁in ▁here ▁is ▁b anging ▁out . ▁Rod ney ▁Jer kins ▁had ▁his ▁session , ▁Rich ▁Harrison ▁had ▁his ▁session ▁going ▁on ... I ▁started ▁b anging ▁out ▁some ▁sh it ." ▁" R ing ▁the ▁Al arm " ▁was ▁produced ▁by ▁Know les , ▁Gar rett ▁and ▁Sw izz ▁Be atz ; ▁its ▁lyr ics ▁were ▁being ▁written