Born and raised in Washington, DC, YahZarah started singing at the age of 7 in her church choir. Her love for performance began after winning a youth talent search at the Kennedy Center at age 10. After years of honing her talent in churches, talent shows and local concerts, she entered high school at DC’s prestigious Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Upon graduation in 1997, she was accepted to North Carolina Central University in Durham on a full scholarship to the school’s jazz program.
In 1998, she left NC Central and began touring as a background singer for Erykah Badu. While touring, YahZarah contributed background vocals and vocal arrangements to Badu’s platinum-selling “Mama’s Gun” LP, and was featured in the video for the album’s lead single, ‘Bag Lady.’ In 2001, she left the Mama’s Gun tour and released her debut album “Hear Me” on the KEO Music label. A follow up LP, 2003’s “Blackstar,” was issued on the Three Keys label and reached #44 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart.
2004 found YahZarah reuniting with longtime collaborator and fellow NC Central classmate Phonte Coleman (Little Brother, The Foreign Exchange) for a series of crucial guest appearances. With the release of The Foreign Exchange’s debut album “Connected,” YahZarah was featured on the lead single “Sincere.” The following year she appeared on Little Brother’s “Minstrel Show” LP (Atlantic Records), and was featured on the debut single “Lovin It.” She later contributed two vocal performances to The Foreign Exchange’s GRAMMY-nominated “Leave It All Behind” LP in 2008. That same year, she released an EP of new material entitled “The Prelude.” To support the EP, she toured nationally and internationally with artists such as Chaka Khan, Musiq Soulchild, The Roots, Rahsaan Patterson, and R. Kelly.
YahZarah’s latest album “The Ballad Of Purple Saint James,” is scheduled for release in May 2010 on the Foreign Exchange Music label.
Rooftop
Yahzarah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
10: 30, on the rooftop
You still diggin' me? Yeah, like a grave
Gotta leave in a hurry
Goota pack my bags
Gotta call my mama and tell her
That I won't be back
See, baby had to pull a caper
So we gotta head for the border
Break out and be gone before sundown
He told me
[Chorus:]
Meet me on the rooftop at about 10: 30
Be there in a hurry, prepare to make a run
'Cuz I'm diggin' you like a grave
Diggin' you like a grave
Meet me on the rooftop
At about 10: 30, be there in a hurry
Prepare to get loved
'Cuz I'm diggin' you like a grave, uh, uh
He moved three months ago
When I left the band
Didn't have no money, no record deal
But baby got a plan
So he slept all day, stayed out all night
The green didn't sell, so he switch to white
So when I got a call at 2: 30,
The shit didn't shock me at all
That's right, he said
[Chorus:]
Romeo and Juliet, Alexander and Cleopatra
Never knew love like this, we keep it tight
While we livin' that thug life
Not afraid to make a run for you
Pack a clip and bust around for you
They catch up, be sure I'm gonna wait for you
That's right, don't wanna lose you
So I'm gonna be there like you told me to
[Chorus:]
Meet me on the rooftop
At about 10: 30, be there in a hurry
Prepare to make run
'Cuz I'm diggin' you like, you like, you like
Meet me on the rooftop
At about 10: 30, diggin' you, diggin' you
Ohh-ohhh, oh-ohhh
[Chorus w/ad-libs]
You're my brotha in the alley
You're my nigga in the sky
Got more weed on today, on the way
Won't you please be in the hurry?
That's right, that's right
'Cuz I'm diggin' you like a grave
Diggin' you like a grave [here come the police]
Meet meet on the rooftop
At about 10: 30, be there in a hurry
Prepare to get loved
'Cuz I'm diggin' you like a grave
Here come the police
Rooftop
The lyrics of Yahzarah's song "Rooftop" tell a story of a couple who are about to embark on a journey to escape from their current situation. The singer, who receives a call at 2:30 am from her partner, is informed that they have to make a run and leave for the border before sunrise. Her partner is involved in illegal activities and has to make a quick escape.
The chorus of the song is a call to action for the singer to meet her partner on the rooftop at 10:30 pm. The rooftop symbolizes a temporary escape from reality, a place where the couple can be together without any disturbances. The singer expresses her love for her partner, saying that she is "digging him like a grave." The use of the word "grave" is interesting as it suggests an intense and deep form of love that can even transcend death.
The song also references iconic love stories like Romeo and Juliet and Antony and Cleopatra, implying that the love between the singer and her partner is a timeless one. The lyrics also allude to the hardships that the couple has faced, such as the singer leaving her band and her partner resorting to illegal activities to make money.
Overall, "Rooftop" is a compelling song that tells a story of two people who are willing to do anything to be together. The rooftop represents a momentary escape from reality, and the song's eerie vibe, with its slow and somber melody, adds to the overall mood of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello? It's time? Yeah, I remember
She received a call from her partner, reminding her to meet him on the rooftop at a designated time.
10: 30, on the rooftop
The specific time and place of the meeting between the two lovers.
You still diggin' me? Yeah, like a grave
Her partner continues to have strong feelings for her and is still interested in the relationship.
Gotta leave in a hurry
She needs to leave quickly in order to meet her partner as planned.
Goota pack my bags
She is leaving for an uncertain period of time and must pack her belongings accordingly.
Gotta call my mama and tell her that I won't be back
She feels it's necessary to inform her family that she won't be returning home soon, possibly due to the dangerous nature of the trip she is about to take.
See, baby had to pull a caper / See, he had to make that paper / So we gotta head for the border / Break out and be gone before sundown / He told me
Her partner has committed a crime to earn money, and the two of them need to flee the border before getting caught by law enforcement.
Meet me on the rooftop at about 10: 30 / Be there in a hurry, prepare to make a run / 'Cuz I'm diggin' you like a grave
Her partner wants her to meet him on the rooftop, ready to leave for their escape, and he reiterates that he deeply loves her.
He moved three months ago / When I left the band / Didn't have no money, no record deal / But baby got a plan
Her partner moved away three months ago when she quit her band, and while he had no money or record deal, he devised a plan to make money.
So he slept all day, stayed out all night / The green didn't sell, so he switch to white
He worked odd hours to sell drugs, and when those weren't doing well, he switched to selling a more lucrative substance - cocaine or its equivalent.
So when I got a call at 2: 30, / The shit didn't shock me at all / That's right, he said
When he called her in the early hours of the morning, she wasn't surprised because she was aware of the risk associated with his way of earning money.
Romeo and Juliet, Alexander and Cleopatra / Never knew love like this, we keep it tight / While we livin' that thug life / Not afraid to make a run for you / Pack a clip and bust around for you / They catch up, be sure I'm gonna wait for you / That's right, don't wanna lose you / So I'm gonna be there like you told me to
They believe their love for one another is on par with the famous devoted pairings Romeo and Juliet and Cleopatra and Alexander the Great, and they plan to stick together while engaging in criminal activities. Her partner is willing to fend off law enforcement to ensure their safety and not lose her.
You're my brotha in the alley / You're my nigga in the sky / Got more weed on today, on the way / Won't you please be in the hurry? / That's right, that's right / 'Cuz I'm diggin' you like a grave
Her partner is like a brother in the alley and a friend in the sky, and he's bringing more marijuana along. He asks her to hurry since he's looking forward to seeing her, and he reaffirms his passionate feelings for her.
Here come the police / Rooftop
The police arrive, and they are on the rooftop where the two lovers are supposed to meet. It's unclear how things will play out from here.
Contributed by Lillian A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.