In 2009, Ledisi released her fourth album Turn Me Loose , which earned her a couple more Grammy nominations.
Ledisi's fifth album, Pieces Of Me, was released on June 14, 2011 debuting at #8 on the Billboard 200, her first entry on the top 10 of the album chart.
She and her band are from a new breed of modern soul singers (that fall into the New Organic Soul movement in the U.K.) that do not bow to the formulated 'pop' format that permeates the national charts of the U.K. and the U.S.A.
Her mother sang in an R & B band and opened her daughter's ears to classical music, then to jazz and gospel.
‘My mother is an inspiration to me because she was an R & B singer when I was growing up, and I'd watch her perform in the park by our house. I grew up on Earth, Wind and Fire. Tina Turner is my favorite’.
As a teenager Ledisi first sang in a friend’s band, but soon realised she'd have to form her own if she was going to get the creative freedom she desired.
She formed the group Anibade.
The band consisted of:
Sundra Manning (keyboards)
Cedrickke Dennis (guitar)
Nelson Braxton (bass)
Wayne Braxton (saxophone)
and Tommy Bradford on (drums)
Anibade means ‘my mother is great’ in Yoruba and also happens to be Ledisi's middle name.
The band the group performed at several nightspots including Bruno's, The Black Cat, and Rasselas, in the San Francisco area before, successfully, getting a local radio station, KMEL, to play the single ‘Take Time’, without any major label distribution.
Ledisi said, ‘We took it to other labels to try and get a deal, but we found that they didn't get it 'cause it wasn't already out there. We got frustrated with that.’
Ledisi is said to be recording a jazz record with bassist Marcus Shelby on Noir Records.
That album was due in early 2000, although the set has not yet surfaced.
Her first solo album ‘Soulsinger’, was, however, released in 2000, to critical acclaim.
The album addressed several personal issues, none more so than the track ‘Papa Loved To Love Me’, a harrowing tale of a father sexually abusing his daughter.
The track is uncomfortably close to home.
Ledisi said ‘My family heard it, though, and they said, 'Wow, you went and told everything!'. I know it's giving something away about myself, but it's a part of me. That's why people relate to a story like that.’
Eric Benét and Rahsaan Patterson recently attended her groups' concerts and they have opened for Eric Benet, D’Angelo and Angie Stone.
A second album entitled 'Feeling Orange And Sometimes Blue' was released in early 2002.
Ledisi travelled to London's Jazz Cafe in March 2003 for more gigs following a successful concert at Subterranea in the autumn of 2002.
She was supported by the Braxton Brothers along with several other performers.
Hate Me
Ledisi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is that what I do to you? (Is that what I do to you?)
Ya outside my door, scared to be alone
I know your addicted to
I know it's hard to understand(hard to understand)
Sometimes woman wanna act like a man
And when it feels like I'm running things,
[Chorus]
I know you hate me
(aye, but sometimes that's just the way love is sometimes)
Don't you hate that you love me?
And I know that you know that I love
Even though you don't believe me, baby (ayee)
I know you hate me cause you can't stop lovin' me
(Yeaaa)
Ya walkin' out sayin' that ya had it all,
But ya never gonna leave
I choose to ya anyway
But baby won't you let me breathe
You always there's someone else (be like that then)
Let me be real with ya the only one I'm seeing is myself
You knew what it was when I met ya
But that's just how it is lovin' me
[Chorus]
Sometime love will drive ya crazy
But you still gone be my baby, baby, baby
Aye yeah, yeah, mmm, heyy
[Chorus]
I know it feels like, I know it feels like
I don't want ya but I do
I know you hate me cause you can't stop lovin' me
In Ledisi’s song Hate Me, the artist is singing about a relationship where the other person is addicted to her. The song starts off with the person repeatedly calling Ledisi, indicating that they cannot keep away from her. Ledisi acknowledges the other person’s addiction to her and emphasizes that she understands it but also knows that they hate her. She is aware that the other person's love for her drives them crazy.
Ledisi goes on to explain that sometimes women want to act like men, and when she’s running things, she knows that the other person is about to lose their mind. Ledisi acknowledges the contradiction in the relationship where the other person hates her but can not stop loving her. She makes it clear that she does love them, even though they do not believe it.
In the chorus, Ledisi acknowledges the complexity of the relationship, with the other person hating that they love her. She understands that sometimes love can drive us crazy, but she affirms that they will always be her baby, and she doesn't want to be without them. The song is an honest and raw exploration of a complicated and addictive relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
One call, two calls, three calls
I keep calling you repeatedly.
Is that what I do to you? (Is that what I do to you?)
I wonder if I am bothering you like you bother me?
Ya outside my door, scared to be alone
You are always outside my door, afraid to be alone.
I know your addicted to
I know you cannot resist me.
I know it's hard to understand(hard to understand)
I know that it is difficult to comprehend.
Sometimes woman wanna act like a man
Sometimes women want to be authoritative like men.
And when it feels like I'm running things,
When I dominate the relationship...
I know you bout to lose ya mind
I know that you are almost at your breaking point.
I know you hate me
I know that you despise me.
(aye, but sometimes that's just the way love is sometimes)
However, that is just how love is sometimes.
Don't you hate that you love me?
Don't you dislike loving me?
And I know that you know that I love
You are aware that I love you,
Even though you don't believe me, baby (ayee)
Despite not trusting me, darling,
I know you hate me cause you can't stop lovin' me
Your love for me makes you hate me.
(Yeaaa)
Ya walkin' out sayin' that ya had it all,
You are leaving saying you have everything,
But ya never gonna leave
But you are never going to depart.
I choose to ya anyway
I still choose you regardless.
But baby won't you let me breathe
But darling, could you let me be sometimes?
You always there's someone else (be like that then)
You always assume I am cheating (if you say so).
Let me be real with ya the only one I'm seeing is myself
Let me be honest, the only one I care about is me.
You knew what it was when I met ya
You knew what our relationship was when we started dating.
But that's just how it is lovin' me
But that is how it is with me,
Sometime love will drive ya crazy
Sometimes love can make you go insane,
But you still gone be my baby, baby, baby
But you will still be my darling,
Aye yeah, yeah, mmm, heyy
I know it feels like, I know it feels like
I am aware it seems like...
I don't want ya but I do
I am giving mixed signals; I want you, but I don't.
I know you hate me cause you can't stop lovin' me
You hate me because you cannot help but love me.
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: REX RIDEOUT, MICHAEL RIPOLL, LEDISI YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind