Husbands and Wives

We think people should mate for life, like pigeons or…Catholics

Jay Electronica
"Girlfriend"
Unreleased
2007

Woe is the rapper who, against all conventional wisdom, falls deeply in love with the notorious Erykah Badu. We have, unfortunately, seen this particular phenomenon occur time and time again and it never ends on a good note. Almost overnight, or so it seems anyway, MCs with fairly conventional oeuvres begin dabbling, first in ‘70s afro-beat, then rock, and before you can yell, “CONTROL YOUR BALLS NIGGA,” you’re literally watching your favorite artist transform into some weird rap version of an Oxygen network talk show host right in front of your eyes. This can’t be life.

One notable exception is Jay Electronica. Any references to his affairs with Erykah Badu have, for the most part, been confined to a few photographs of the couple on his MySpace page. While “Girlfriend” does make mention of his infamous boo—“Girlfriend, I don’t know what you did to me/But it sure feels like something good for me”—it never, fortunately, gives off that henpecked sucker-for-love-ass vibe your boy Common was working to great affect on “Come Close,” which for all intents and purposes is music for people who are mortally afraid of dolphins. Here, instead of simp-ass exhortations on the beauty of his wisdom, Jay keeps it funky over a bass-driven backdrop with lines like, “I’m 27 girl, I need to settle down now/I don’t need to be up in the club chasing the brown round/You don’t need to be up in the streets chasing these clowns down/Let’s say we catch a matinee today/downtown." ATTN: Gangsters don't simp; we settle down.

Addendum: Yo E, if you happen to see this particular post, PEACE QUEEN!

No harm, no foul. But real rap, if this thing with your mans doesn’t work out I’m down to study 120 with you boo. Don’t sleep.