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.
cel u lar device
Erykah Badu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You used to call me on my cellular device at night
And I know when that hotline bling, that could only mean one thing
I know when that hotline bling, that could only mean one thing
Ever since I left the city, you
Got a reputation for yourself now
Everybody knows and I feel left out
'Cause ever since I left the city, you
Started gettin' dressed and goin' out more
Glasses of champagne out on the dance floor
Hangin' with some dudes I've never seen before
You used to call me on my cellular device at night
You used to call me on my cellular device at night
And I know when that hotline bling, that could only mean one thing
I know when that hotline bling, that could only mean one thing
(Two and four, witness)
Some people just said let it go
And on and on and such and such
But they don't ride around with us
No, no, no
Ain't that too bad we love to hang
And for a while, it stays the same
But now you tryna change the game
No, no, no
You used to call me on my cellular device at night
You used to call me on my cellular device at night
And I know when that hotline bling, that could only mean one thing
I know when that hotline bling, that could only mean one thing
Late night when you need my love
Late night when you need my love
Late night when you need my love
Late night when you need my love
You've reached the Erykah Badu hotline
If you're calling for Erykah, press 1
If you're calling to wish her a happy birthday, Kwanzaa, MLK
Black History Month, Juneteenth, or Hanukkah, press 2
If you're calling because you just saw her on B. E.t, MTV, or any other social media outlet
And you're checking to make sure you're still in good standing, press 3
If you're calling to beg for some shit in general, press 4
If you're calling to beg for some shit, but this is that pre-call before the actual begging, press 5
If you've already made that pre-call and this is the actual call that you beg, press 6
If you're calling to ask for some free tickets in a city near you
And know she don't really fuck with you like that? Press 7
If you're calling to book Erykah, to flip the first burger at your company BBQ,
Or to DJ at your little cousins slip-and-slide party, press 8
If you're calling to say peace, and don't really fit into any of those descriptions
Text me, because I don't really answer voicemail
You used to call me on my cellular device at night
You used to call me on my cellular device at night
And I know when that hotline bling, that could only mean one thing
I know when that hotline bling, that could only mean one thing
(Two and four, witness)
Some people just said let it go
And on and on and such and such
But they don't ride around with us
No, no, no
Ain't that too bad we love to hang
And for a while, it stays the same
But now you tryna change the game
No, no, no
You used to call me on my cell
You used to call me on my cell
And I know when that hotline bling, that could only mean one thing
I know when that hotline bling, that could only mean one thing
The lyrics to Erykah Badu's "Cel U Lar Device" address the idea that mobile phones and instant communication have negatively impacted relationships. Badu sings about a former lover who used to call her on her cellular device at night, but now that she's left the city, they've changed their ways. She feels left out and stressed because the former lover has a new reputation, and she implies that he's now hanging out with a crowd she doesn't know, which is representative of the disconnect that technology can create in relationships.
Badu speaks to the idea that people often lose touch when they aren't physically present with one another, falling out of sync and moving on to new things. She notes that some people encourage letting those past relationships go, but those people aren't a part of the situation and therefore cannot understand the full scope of the situation. Badu also addresses the idea that people often use communication technology to beg for things, whether it's for a favor or attention, without understanding the consequences of their actions.
Overall, "Cel U Lar Device" serves as a commentary on technology's impact on modern relationships and how it can sometimes result in a loss of emotional intimacy and communication.
Line by Line Meaning
You used to call me on my cellular device at night
We used to communicate frequently but now we don't.
And I know when that hotline bling, that could only mean one thing
I know that when I receive your call, it means you want something.
Ever since I left the city, you
Got a reputation for yourself now
Everybody knows and I feel left out
Boy, you got me down, and got me stressed out
'Cause ever since I left the city, you
Started gettin' dressed and goin' out more
Glasses of champagne out on the dance floor
Hangin' with some dudes I've never seen before
Since I left, you have become more popular and I feel left behind. You have been going out and partying more, mingling with new people.
Some people just said let it go
And on and on and such and such
But they don't ride around with us
No, no, no
Ain't that too bad we love to hang
And for a while, it stays the same
But now you tryna change the game
No, no, no
People advise me to move on from our past, but I miss our friendship. Though you seem to have moved on and changed.
Late night when you need my love
Late night when you need my love
Late night when you need my love
Late night when you need my love
Even though we don't communicate as much, you still reach out to me when you need something from me.
You've reached the Erykah Badu hotline
If you're calling for Erykah, press 1
If you're calling to wish her a happy birthday, Kwanzaa, MLK Black History Month, Juneteenth, or Hanukkah, press 2
If you're calling because you just saw her on B. E.t, MTV, or any other social media outlet
And you're checking to make sure you're still in good standing, press 3
If you're calling to beg for some shit in general, press 4
If you're calling to beg for some shit, but this is that pre-call before the actual begging, press 5
If you've already made that pre-call and this is the actual call that you beg, press 6
If you're calling to ask for some free tickets in a city near you
And know she don't really fuck with you like that? Press 7
If you're calling to book Erykah, to flip the first burger at your company BBQ, Or to DJ at your little cousins slip-and-slide party, press 8
If you're calling to say peace, and don't really fit into any of those descriptions
Text me, because I don't really answer voicemail
Erykah Badu humorously provides a list of options for callers trying to reach her, including options for those trying to beg for something or book her for an event.
You used to call me on my cell
You used to call me on my cell
And I know when that hotline bling, that could only mean one thing
I know when that hotline bling, that could only mean one thing
We used to communicate frequently but now we don't, and when you reach out to me, it's because you want something from me.
Some people just said let it go
And on and on and such and such
But they don't ride around with us
No, no, no
Ain't that too bad we love to hang
And for a while, it stays the same
But now you tryna change the game
No, no, no
People advise me to move on from our past, but I miss our friendship. Though you seem to have moved on and changed.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Anthony Paul Jefferies, Aubrey Drake Graham, Timmy Thomas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Esquire Still
I would be playing those beat pads all night long with my tongue 😛 in total control freaking out 😂
Topman Squad
dawg what?
Jayden Adams
you heard the man… he a MUNCH 😂
Arianna G
Thank you for posting this 💓
L L
<3 Galactica times
Luke Lou
Late night when you need my love 😍
Fisher Finesse
Why doesn’t anybody talk about this I feel like this whole tape was a shot a drake.... but why did her spell not work on ole heartbreak 🤔🤔 very interesting
Mari
Because it wasn't, she just got inspired :>
casperog
drakes on this mixtape lol bit weird to insult someone who gave u permission and even featured on the project
Ynobeus Queen
This song came out b4 drake snatched so….Texas stand up!!! Cellular device 2015; hotline bling 2016