She was raised by her mother Kolleen Wright and her grandmother on the city ’s rough south side. ”īorn around 1971 in Dallas, Badu was the oldest of three children. “Sometimes, ” she told People when the magazine named her one of 1998 ’s “50 Most Beautiful People ”of the year, “I do feel quite Queen Nefertiti-ish. Both romantic and a bit intellectual, Badu is steeped in African American spirituality, and exudes it in her personal presence. An original artist, she composed and performed a fusion of soul, hip-hop, and jazz. Erykah Badu was a breakout star of 1997, selling over two million copies of her debut album, Baduizm. Meanwhile, most freestyles end up as fodder for Gangsta Grillz_ mixtapes.Her trademark African head wraps helped inspire a vogue for African clothing in the late 1990s, and her music seemed to carry layers of African American experience, wrapped up and elegantly presented with the latest hip-hop beats. Erykah has revived the song’s closing line by using it as the title of her new mixtape, _ But You Caint Use My Phone. “Tyrone” has become an everlasting meme in rap and pop culture (Andre 3000 once took to the booth to deny the song is about him).

Oh, whoa well hold up, listen partner I ain’t no cheap thrillĬause Miss Badu is always comin’ for real and you know the deal, nigga! You say naw, but turn right around and ask me for some ass Now every time I ask you for a little cash 1 record on the Billboard Hot R&B Chart thanks to some sassy, improv quips. The banter about Badu’s nameless leech not only forever embarrassed anyone wielding the name “Tyrone”-it also went on to become a No. But it just kind of turned into a song that was totally freestyled.” “In rehearsal a lot of times we’d just play around and do stuff like “call me!” but I didn’t know it was going to turn into ‘Tyrone.’ So the background vocalists were prepared because they kind of know the joke. 24) and reminisced about how her timeless hit came about. Badu sat down with The Breakfast Club on Tuesday (Nov. The scrub-bashing “Tyrone” was originally performed and conceptualized live in London, going on to become one of her most memorable songs. One of the biggest records of Erykah Badu’s epic, non-conformist career was concocted off the top of her head-wrapped head.

Erykah badu tyrone freestyle