Thursday, February 17, 2011

strawberry letter to ms. jackson










André and Big Boi showed us that they were for real with this depiction of some very real family drama for all the baby's mama's mamas. André Benjamin had a child with Erykah Badu and wrote this about having the face her mother, Kolleen Wright. It topped the US charts and won Outkast a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.










Yeah, this one right here goes out to all the baby's mommas, mommas
Mommas, mommas, baby mommas, mommas, yeah, go like this

I'm sorry Ms. Jackson, I am for real
Never meant to make your daughter cry
I apologize a trillion times

My baby's drama momma, don't like me, she be doing things like
Having them boys come from her neighborhood to the studio tryna fight me
She need to get a piece of the American pie and take her bite out
That's my house, I'll disconnect the cable and turn the lights out
And let her know her grandchild is a baby, and not a paycheck
Private school, daycare, shit medical bills I pay that
I love your mom and everything, but see I ain't the only one who laid down
She wanna rib you up to start a custody war, my lawyers stay down
Shit, you never got a chance to hear my side of the story we was divided
She had fish fries and cookouts for my child's birthday I ain't invited
Despite it, I show her the utmost respect when I fall through
All you, do is defend that lady when I call you, yeah

I'm sorry Ms. Jackson, I am for real
Never meant to make your daughter cry
I apologize a trillion times

Me and your daughter, got a special thang going on
You say it's puppy love, we say it's full grown
Hope that we feel this, feel this way forever
You can plan a pretty picnic, but you can't predict the weather, Ms. Jackson

Ten times out of nine, now if I'm lying, find
The quickest muzzle throw it on my mouth and I'll decline
King meets queen, then the puppy love thing
Together dream 'bout that crib with the Goodyear swing
On the oak tree, I hope we feel like this forever
Forever, forever ever, forever ever?
Forever never seems that long until you're grown
And notice that the day by day ruler can't be too wrong
Ms. Jackson my intentions were good, I wish I could
Become a magician to abracadabra all the sadder
Thoughts of me, thoughts of she, thoughts of he
Asking what happened to the feeling that her and me had
I pray so much about it need some knee pads
It happened for a reason one can't be mad
So know this, know that everything's cool
And yes, I will be present on the first day of school, and graduation

I'm sorry Ms. Jackson, I am for real
Never meant to make your daughter cry
I apologize a trillion times

"Look at the way he treats me", shit, look at the way you treat me
You see your little nosy-ass homegirls, done got your ass sent up the creek
G, without a paddle, you left to straddle and ride this thing on out
And I knew you and your girl ain't speaking no more
Cause my dick all in her mouth
Know what I'm talking 'bout jealousy, infidelity, envy
Cheating to beating, envy and to the G they be the same thing
So who you placing the blame on, you keep on singing the same song
Let bygones be bygones, you can go on and get the hell on

You and your momma



Outkast sampled and distorted the riff from the Brothers Johnson's funky remake of 'Strawberry Letter 23' a Shuggie Otis classic.








Outkast also sampled "the Wedding March" from "Lohengrin", a german opera in three acts by Richard Wagner.


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