Ms. Jackson
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"Ms. Jackson" is a number-one hit song by OutKast, from their 2000 fourth album Stankonia. It topped the U.S. charts for the week of February 17, 2001, and won a 2002 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
The titular "Ms. Jackson" is the real-life mother of Erykah Badu. Erykah is André 3000's ex-girlfriend and the mother of his son Seven. The song discusses the problems break-ups, separation, and divorce can bring on the former couple, and the animosity a woman's mother can have for her daughter's former boyfriend or husband.
The single helped sell the album following the mixed reaction to the lead single "B.O.B.," which did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100. [link]
Writers: Andre Benjamin, Antwan Patton, David Sheats
Producers: Earthtone III
The Video
The video for "Ms. Jackson" features the two members of Outkast at an old house. Big Boi is cleaning a car, and Andre is making some home improvements. The house is overrun with pets, mostly dogs, a few cats, and an owl who often seems to be contributing to the song. All the pets nod their heads to the song and sometimes appear to be singing.It rains, spoiling Big Boi's hard work. It rapidly turns into a storm, lighting strikes the car, and it explodes. Meanwhile, Andre attempts to keep the house clean by planting buckets under the holes in the roof. He has trouble keeping track of all the holes. Big Boi goes up to try and fix the holes in the roof.
The light goes out in the house, creating yet another problem for Andre. He runs about trying to fix it. Big Boi, in a yellow raincoat, is on top of the roof and getting considerably more annoyed.
The light eventually bursts into life. Big Boi joins Andre in helping with the rainwater, but the storm, after destroying the roof, clears almost instantly. The two stare up into the bright blue sky, with the shining sun. It seemed some unearthly force was at work here, most likely Ms Jackson's spirit of some sort, upsetting things for them as a sort of punishment. At the end, they are forgiven.
Covers
- Australian garage rock band The Vines released a starkly-different acoustic cover version of "Ms. Jackson" as a B-side on their 2002 single "Outtathaway!". The rap verses are not sung, leaving the song consisting mostly of the chorus and bridge.
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See also
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