She is best known for her singles You Got Me her collaboration with The Roots, as well as her own songs Tyrone, Love of My Life, On & On, Bag Lady, The Healer, Honey and Soldier. Her lyrics are highly personal urban philosophy which throw emotional challenges in the face of the listener. She weaves unusual musical influences together creating a rich texture of sound.
Some music journalists have labeled her Nu soul, nouvelle-soul or neo soul, often comparing her to Billie Holiday in lyrical delivery and grouping her with Maxwell and D'Angelo in musical genre.
Baduizm, Badu's highly acclaimed debut album, was released in early 1997 and debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts. Lead single On & On reached #12 on the singles charts in both the U.S. and UK. Badu received notice for her introspective lyrics and jazzy, bass-heavy sound, and was hailed as one of the leading lights of the burgeoning neo soul genre. Her sophisticated style of singing drew many comparisons to Billie Holiday. Baduizm eventually went triple platinum and, along with On & On, won Grammy Awards at the 1998 ceremonies.
During that year, Badu became involved with rapper André 3000 of OutKast, with whom she had a child, Seven, who was born in 1997. Their relationship ended sometime in the late 90s. Badu recorded her first live album, Live, while pregnant with Seven, and the release of the recording coincided with the birth to her child. Live reached #4 on the Billboard charts, selling double platinum, and spawned another R&B hit single in Tyrone a song chiding a selfish, cheap, and inattentive boyfriend. Badu also collaborated with The Roots (who had previously handled production duties on a number of tracks on Baduizm) on their breakthrough 1999 release, Things Fall Apart. She was featured on the song You Got Me co-written by Jill Scott, which hit the top 40 and won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
After taking some time off to raise her child, Badu returned in 2000 with Mama's Gun, an album more organic in sound than her previous studio album, and primarily produced by the Soulquarians and noted bassist Pino Palladino. A remix of one of the album's songs, Bag Lady was issued as the first single and topped the R&B charts for seven weeks. The album was well-received, with the lyrical content winning notices from many publications who found some of her lyrics hard to decipher on her initial releases. Despite not charting as high as her first two albums, Mama's Gun was another platinum-selling success, and Bag Lady was nominated for a Grammy.
By 2000, Badu was in a romantic relationship with fellow Soulquarian Common, and Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop) was released as a collaboration between the two on the Brown Sugar soundtrack. Love of My Life hit #9 on the pop charts, topped the R&B listings, and Badu was awarded her fourth Grammy for the song in 2003.
After the release of Mama's Gun and Love of My Life, Badu went through a period of writer's block. She hit the road throughout 2002 and much of 2003 on what she dubbed the "Frustrated Artist Tour," in search of inspiration to write and perform new material. The conclusion of the tour saw Badu head back to the studio with new material, and in September of 2003, the Worldwide Underground was released. More jam-oriented than any of her prior releases, Badu was quoted as saying that the release was designed to serve as one continuous groove. Worldwide Underground reached #3 on the Billboard charts and was certified gold not long after its release, and Badu received four further Grammy nominations for the EP.
After almost four years and the birth of a daughter, Puma, it was revealed in 2007 that Badu had three albums in the works over the course of 2007 and 2008. Honey, a new single produced by 9th Wonder, was leaked online in November 2007, and the new album, titled New Amerykah Part One (4th World War), was released on February 26, 2008.
On August 23, 2008, Badu joined the rock band My Morning Jacket on stage at their show in Dallas, Texas to perform her song Tyrone. Her surprise appearance was met with an enthusiastic reaction from the audience.
On February 1, 2009 Badu gave birth to her third child, a girl named Mars Merkaba with her boyfriend Jay Electronica.
Her album New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) was released on March 30, 2010.
Danger
Erykah Badu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The brotha's got this complex occupation
The brotha's got this complex occupation
Me and this baby
Gon' be up all night long
Walkin' this wood flo'
'Till my man gets home
I'm listening by the phone
But I'm gon' be here
With my make-up on
It's been a long time
Since my man been gone
But when he get here
You know I won't be gone
Because I love him
Love him strong (N'Dambi)
Me and this baby
Gon' be up all night long
[Chorus 2x]
Because they got the block on lock
The trunk stay locked
Glock on cock
The block stay hot
Block on lock
The trunk stay locked
Glock on cock
The block stay hot
[Talking]
What she say?
I said,
Block on lock
The trunk stay locked
Glock on cock
The block stay hot
Got a box of money
That I keep under my bed
But we don't spend it though
Might need it for more Yeyo
We need this money
Just in case we need to
Make a run
Gotta keep the clip in mama's gun
Or run...
We like to keep the car runnin'
We try to keep the bitch hummin'
In case the sweeper boyz are comin'
Runnin' runnin', We like to keep the car runnin'
We try to keep the bitch humin'
In case the sweeper boyz are comin'
Runnin' runnin'
[Chorus 2x]
Because they got the block on lock
The trunk stay locked
Glock on cock
The block stay hot
Block on lock
The trunk stay locked
Glock on cock
The block stay hot
Well there ain't no mistaken
That the money you're makin'
Leaves you nervous and shakin'
'Cause at night you're awake and
Thinkin' bout lives that you've taken
All the love you've forsaken
In yo zone
Niggas gon' get they fuckin' head blown
Danger
You're in danger
No hard feelings right or wrong
Weak or strong, I don't make the laws
In yo zone niggas gon' get they fuckin'
Head blown
[Chorus 2x]
Because they got the block on lock
The trunk stay locked
Glock on cock
The block stay hot
Block on lock
The trunk stay locked
Glock on cock
The block stay hot
Might have to flush the Yeyo
Might have to flush the Yeyo
Might have to flush the Yeyo
Yeyo, Yeyo
Might have to flush the Yeyo
Might have to flush the Yeyo
Might have to flush the Yeyo
Yeyo, Yeyo
Break!
Your eye, your eye,your eye, your eye,
Your eye, your eye, your eyes [4x]
In Erykah Badu's song "Danger", the lyrics describe the complexities and danger of living a life of crime. The first verse speaks about the complexity of the brother's occupation, implying that he may be involved in illegal activity that is not easily understood. The chorus uses repetitive phrases to describe the seriousness of the situation: "they got the block on lock", "trunk stay locked", "Glock on cock", and "block stay hot". The singer then talks about keeping money under the bed as a precaution for when they need to make a run or protect themselves, as well as the necessity to keep the car ready in case they need to flee from the authorities.
The second verse touches on the emotional toll of living a life of crime, such as the guilt of taking lives and forsaking love. The chorus reiterates the dangerous situation they are in, and the final verses talk about the possibility of having to dispose of drugs ("flush the Yeyo"). The song ends with a repetitive chant of "Your eye", possibly referring to the watchfulness required when living a dangerous lifestyle.
Overall, "Danger" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of living a life of crime and the toll it takes on those involved. It speaks to the complexities involved in such a life, including the need to be constantly alert and prepared for dangerous situations.
Line by Line Meaning
The brotha's got this complex occupation
The man in question has a complex and demanding job
Me and this baby
Gon' be up all night long
Walkin' this wood flo'
'Till my man gets home
I'm at the front do'
I'm listening by the phone
But I'm gon' be here
With my make-up on
It's been a long time
Since my man been gone
But when he gets here
You know I won't be gone
Because I love him
Love him strong
The singer is waiting up for her man to come home, showing that she loves him strongly.
[Chorus 2x]
Because they got the block on lock
The trunk stay locked
Glock on cock
The block stay hot
Block on lock
The trunk stay locked
Glock on cock
The block stay hot
There are people with weapons keeping watch over the area to protect their interests.
Got a box of money
That I keep under my bed
But we don't spend it though
Might need it for more Yeyo
We need this money
Just in case we need to
Make a run
Gotta keep the clip in mama's gun
Or run...
The singer and her associates have a box of money which they may need in case they have to run, and they are ready to defend themselves if needed.
We like to keep the car runnin'
We try to keep the bitch hummin'
In case the sweeper boyz are comin'
Runnin' runnin', We like to keep the car runnin'
We try to keep the bitch humin'
In case the sweeper boyz are comin'
Runnin' runnin'
They keep the car in good condition so it can be used to leave the area if needed and also to ensure that it runs properly.
Well there ain't no mistaken
That the money you're makin'
Leaves you nervous and shakin'
'Cause at night you're awake and
Thinkin' bout lives that you've taken
All the love you've forsaken
In yo zone
Niggas gon' get they fuckin' head blown
Danger
You're in danger
No hard feelings right or wrong
Weak or strong, I don't make the laws
In yo zone niggas gon' get they fuckin'
Head blown
The violence and illegal activities that go along with their way of making money can have a negative impact on them as individuals and make them feel guilty. They recognize that they are in danger of payback from others in their line of work if they mess up.
Might have to flush the Yeyo
Might have to flush the Yeyo
Might have to flush the Yeyo
Yeyo, Yeyo
Might have to flush the Yeyo
Might have to flush the Yeyo
Might have to flush the Yeyo
Yeyo, Yeyo
They may have to get rid of some drugs that they have hidden.
Break!
Your eye, your eye,your eye, your eye,
Your eye, your eye, your eyes [4x]
This is a break in the song, with an altered version of the previous line repeated several times.
Lyrics © SMV Schacht Musikverlage GmbH & Co. KG, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: AUDRIE MAGGET, JAMES JASON POYSER, RASHAD SMITH, R.C. WILLIAMS, ERICA WRIGHT, PATRICK HART, LAURENCE PETER HOLLOWAY, CORIN BISHOP, NEIL WILLIAMS
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