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.
Tyrone
Erykah Badu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now keep in mind I'm an artist and I'm sensitivie about my shit
So y'all be nice about it, alright
Sisters how y'all feel, brothers y'all alright
Let me see how y'all groove to this
Alright, I'm gettin' tired of your shit
You don't never buy me nothin'
See every time you come around
You got to bring Jim, James, Paul, and Tyrone
See why can't we be by ourselves, sometimes
See I've been having this on my mind for a long time
I just want it to be, you and me, like It used to be, Baby
But ya don't know how to act
So matter of fact, I think ya better call Tyrone (call him)
And Tell him come on, help you get your shit (come on, come on, come on)
You need to call Tyrone (call him)
And tell him I said come on
Now everytime I ask you for a little cash
You say no and turn right around and ask me for some ass
Oh, Well hold up, listen partna, I ain't no cheap thrill
Cause Miss Badu is always comin' for real you know the deal, nigga
Every time we go somewhere, I gotta reach down in my purse
To pay your way and your homeboys way and sometimes your cousin's way
They don't never have to pay, don't have no cars
Hang around in bars try to hang around with stars
Like Badu, I'ma tell you the truth
Showing groove or get the boot
I think ya better (call him)
And tell him come on, help you get your shit
You need to call Tyrone (call him)
Hold on but ya can't use my phone
In Erykah Badu's song "Tyrone," she addresses a problematic and one-sided relationship. The lyrics speak to the frustration of constantly giving to someone who is not reciprocating the same level of effort in the relationship. Badu opens the song with a warning that she is testing out new material and that she is sensitive about it, which could be interpreted as her addressing criticism she may have received in the past. She then asks how the listeners are feeling before launching into her message.
Badu tells her partner that she is tired of their behavior, specifically that they don't buy her anything while bringing along their friends every time they meet. She expresses a desire to have quality time with her partner without any interruptions, but they don't know how to act. She then takes a jab at her partner's stinginess, with the partner refusing to give her money but expecting sex in return. Badu tells her partner that she is tired of always having to pay for them and their friends when they go out, and that they need to take responsibility for themselves. She concludes by advising her partner to call Tyrone, presumably a friend or family member who can help get the partner's life together.
Line by Line Meaning
I'ma test this out right quick on y'all
I'm going to try something new on you all.
Now keep in mind I'm an artist and I'm sensitive about my shit
I'm warning you that I'm emotional about my work as an artist.
So y'all be nice about it, alright
Please treat my work with respect.
Sisters how y'all feel, brothers y'all alright
I want to check in on how everyone is doing.
Let me see how y'all groove to this
I want to see how you react to my music.
Alright, I'm gettin' tired of your shit
I am fed up with your behavior.
You don't never buy me nothin'
You never buy me anything.
See every time you come around
You got to bring Jim, James, Paul, and Tyrone
Every time you visit, you bring your friends along, including Tyrone.
See why can't we be by ourselves, sometimes
See I've been having this on my mind for a long time
I just want it to be, you and me, like It used to be, Baby
But ya don't know how to act
Why can't we spend time alone? I've been thinking about this for a while now. I want to go back to just being us, but you don't behave accordingly.
So matter of fact, I think ya better call Tyrone (call him)
And Tell him come on, help you get your shit (come on, come on, come on)
You need to call Tyrone (call him)
And tell him I said come on
In fact, I suggest you ask Tyrone for help with your issues. Call him and get him to assist you. I'm telling you to call him.
Now everytime I ask you for a little cash
You say no and turn right around and ask me for some ass
Oh, Well hold up, listen partna, I ain't no cheap thrill
Cause Miss Badu is always comin' for real you know the deal, nigga
Whenever I ask for money, you refuse but then ask for sexual favors. Well, wait a minute, partner, I'm not that easy. I have integrity, and I'm not cheap.
Every time we go somewhere, I gotta reach down in my purse
To pay your way and your homeboys way and sometimes your cousin's way
They don't never have to pay, don't have no cars
Hang around in bars try to hang around with stars
Like Badu, I'ma tell you the truth
Showing groove or get the boot
Every time we go out, I end up paying for you, your friends, and sometimes your cousin. They don't pay, don't even have cars, and just hang around trying to meet celebrities. Like me, I'm going to tell you the truth: step up or get out of my life.
I think ya better (call him)
And tell him come on, help you get your shit
I still think you should ask Tyrone for help with your issues.
You need to call Tyrone (call him)
Hold on but ya can't use my phone
I'm telling you again to call Tyrone, but you can't use my phone to do it.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ERICA WRIGHT, NORMAN HURT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DangerousD580
I love how she's like "brothas y'all alright..." Before she assinates every brotha
@preciousorijin6196
she is fucking telling the truth
@nora22000
Lovable Lowlife She's "assassinating' a certain type. That's not the 'brothas' she's asking about at all.
@n.ayisha
only the trifling ones. there are brothas out there who got their shit together... then there's the ones who hang with Tyrone.
@NikkiJayArtistry
No every brotha..just the ones that know they not living right or treating they woman fairly
@chaddon7685
Shiit... not every. I'm a brotha and I don't feel spoken to at all.
@RevengeAvenger
Badu "Brothers y'all alright?"
Tyrone "Yeah, Wooo"
Badu "We'll see"
@ColorMeIn
This song hits way different as an adult. I used to sing this song for fun, now I sing it with passion
@careyhinrichs
Same babe
SAME
@KatWilliams-mk2ks
😂