At the age of sixteen, Esthero moved from small town Harriston, Ontario on her own to Toronto, where she began singing at open-mic nights, a journey that in 1997 led to a meeting with the president of EMI Publishing Canada, whom she charmed so well during their first meeting that without hearing her sing a single note he was moved to set up and finance recording sessions with Doc, a guitarist and studio engineer. Their debut album, Breath from Another, was released to critical acclaim in 1998 and is widely seen as one of the more accessible albums of the trip-hop genre.
Though she remained active following the moderate success of the debut album, featuring on tracks by such artists as Nelly Furtado and The Black Eyed Peas, it would take over 7 years for a proper follow-up to be released (due to a confluence of factors that included a lengthy creative process, the closure of the WORK record label and marketing delays) in the form of 2005's Wikked Lil Grrrls, an album that crossed genre boundaries with its heavy debt to jazz and hip-hop. The album was preceded in 2004 by a pair of EPs, The O.G. Bitch Remixes (with the title song reaching Number 1 on the Billboard Dance Chart) and We R In Need of a Musical Revolution, which served as a preview of the full length album.
After the release of Wikked Lil Grrrls, Esthero devoted an increasing amount of time to songwriting and production, with her work featuring on albums by Brandy and Kanye West (most prominently on West's single Love Lockdown).
2012 saw the release of Esthero's third full-length album, Everything is Expensive (Universal Music Canada), preceded by the release of Never Gonna Let You Go as the lead single and video. The album was partially funded through a campaign on PledgeMusic in which backers could choose from exclusives such as artwork by the singer. Everything is Expensive debuted on Billboard's Heatseeker chart at #13.
Official Websites
www.esthero.net
O.G. Bitch
Esthero Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am the girl that you just won't admit you adore
I am the original witch, I am the original whore
I am the girl that you just won't admit you adore
I suppose you think that you know me now
Yeah, I bet you've got it all figured out
And you try and pick apart the shit that I do
All the while the quest for fame has got you
You're so vein, you don't even notice that corruption surrounds you
You don't even notice somebody set their arms around you
You're just waiting for me to drown
So no one knows that you stole my whole sound
And yet you're grinning when I come around
You fake ass bitch
You're just waiting for me to drown
So no one knows that you stole my whole sound
And yet you're grinning when I come around
You fake ass bitch
I am the original bitch, I am the original whore
I am the girl that you just won't admit you adore
(I know, I know you love me)
I am the original witch, I am the original whore
I am the girl that you just won't admit you adore
How kind of you to offer what you think a woman should do or say
Maybe if you weren't so self-righteous,
You would not have such a hard time getting laid
Whatever you have to say out loud to convince yourself that you're right
Oh it's just too bad you carry no conviction in your so-called revelations,
Your pedantic conversations shed no light
Oh you're just waiting for me to drown
So no one knows that you stole my whole sound
And yet you're grinning when I come around
You fake ass bitch
Oh you're just waiting for me to drown
So no one knows that you stole my whole sound
And yet you're grinning when I come around
You fake ass bitch
I am the original bitch, I am the original whore (yeah, yeah)
I am the girl that you just won't admit you adore
(You know you love me)
I am the original witch (I am), I am the original whore (yeah, yeah)
I am the girl that you just won't admit you adore
In Esthero's song "O.G. Bitch," the artist portrays herself as the original, the one who others have copied and tried to emulate, yet refuse to acknowledge or admit their admiration for her. She confidently owns her "bitch" and "whore" labels, reclaiming and re-defining them as powerful and empowering terms. Esthero calls out those who try to tear her down and steal her sound while pretending to be her friend. She exposes their hypocrisy, pointing out their self-righteousness and lack of originality, and encourages them to be honest with themselves about their true feelings for her.
The chorus repeats the lines "I am the original bitch/whore, I am the girl that you just won't admit you adore" with conviction, emphasizing the point that Esthero is not afraid to be herself and take control of her image. In the verse, she calls out those who are quick to judge and point out flaws in her, while ignoring the corruption and unethical practices they engage in themselves. Esthero challenges their idea of what a woman should say or do, asserting that their judgmental attitude is only hurting them in the end.
Overall, the song is a powerful message of self-confidence, standing up to those who try to bring you down, and owning your identity and individuality. It is a feminist anthem that challenges societal norms and stereotypes, while also acknowledging the struggles of being a woman in a male-dominated industry.
Line by Line Meaning
I am the original bitch, I am the original whore
I am a powerful and confident woman who owns my sexuality, despite others trying to shame me by calling me derogatory names.
I am the girl that you just won't admit you adore
You are too afraid to admit your admiration for me, perhaps because you fear what other people might think about you being attracted to a strong, independent woman.
I suppose you think that you know me now
You might believe that you have figured me out, but in reality, you have only scratched the surface of who I really am.
And you try and pick apart the shit that I do
You are constantly looking for flaws in my behavior and actions, probably to justify your own insecurities and/or to undermine my success.
All the while the quest for fame has got you
Your pursuit of fame and recognition has blinded you to the harm you are causing to others, including me.
You're so vain, you don't even notice that corruption surrounds you
Your obsession with yourself and your own success has made you oblivious to the corrupt and unethical practices that you engage in.
You don't even notice somebody set their arms around you
You are so focused on your own goals that you fail to recognize the people who are helping you along the way and providing support.
So no one knows that you stole my whole sound
You have taken credit for my innovative and creative work, without giving me proper recognition or compensation.
And yet you're grinning when I come around
You appear happy and friendly when you see me, but I know that your intentions are not genuine and you are only pretending to be supportive.
You're just waiting for me to drown
You are hoping for me to fail, so that you can claim victory and eliminate the competition.
You fake ass bitch
You are a hypocritical and insincere person who pretends to be something you're not.
How kind of you to offer what you think a woman should do or say
You are condescending and patronizing towards me, thinking that you know better than I do about what women should or should not do.
Maybe if you weren't so self-righteous, you would not have such a hard time getting laid
Your self-righteousness and arrogance are a major turn-off for people, making it difficult for you to form genuine connections and relationships.
Whatever you have to say out loud to convince yourself that you're right
You are overly vocal about your opinions and beliefs, perhaps as a way to convince yourself that you are confident and knowledgeable.
Oh it's just too bad you carry no conviction in your so-called revelations,
Your arguments and supposed revelations lack substance and credibility, making them unconvincing and unimpressive.
Your pedantic conversations shed no light
Your conversations and discussions are overly academic and theoretical, without providing any practical or useful insights.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EATON, ESTHERO, WEST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind