Andre 3000’s verse on Outkast’s tune Mrs. Jackson is more of an ode to the On & On singer than an apology to his former Erykah Badu’s mother. The single from Outkast’s studio album Stankonia would prove pivotal in giving birth to the legend that is Erykah Badu.
Since Mrs. Jackson, a slew of rappers and vocalists have made references to the Texas native in one form or another on their tracks, most notably by a certain someone named Drake on the sloppy Days In The East.
Unlike Andre, the first of the Neo-Soul singer’s three child dads, Drake had no romantic ties with Erykah. She is held in such high regard by the males of the music industry.
The fact that Erykah is still relevant at the age of 47, with several children, is a credit to her vocal abilities as much as it is to her feminine charms.
Three children, three different fathers: none is a husband
The very feminine charms that keep her relevant now are the same ones that drew the attention of superstar rapper Andre 3000.
The year 1995 was a milestone point for Erykah. It was not just the year she signed her first professional contract, but it was also the year she met Andre 3000. In 1997, after two years of dating, the couple welcomed their first child, Seven Sirius Benjamin.
She and the Wheels Of Steel artist dated for another two years before calling it quits. Unlike other estranged lovers, they appear to be very supportive of one another. In a 2014 Vibe Magazine interview, Andre compared Erykah to a sister.
He said that after her divorce from her first child’s father, Erykah began dating fellow Soulquarian Common. She and the I Used To Love Her Rapper dated for two years, from 2002 to 2004, before splitting up.
According to his 2018 address at The University of Colorado-Boulder, her ex-boyfriend Common seemed to have felt the most about their breakup two. The Chicagoan revealed:
“When we did break up, one of the most important things I discovered was that I was scared to wear my greatness. I was afraid to wear my greatness, which meant, I could be in a relationship and dim my light for others.”
Erykah continued her tendency of dating rappers when she began dating famed West Coast artist D.O.C, little than a year after splitting from her ex-boyfriend Common.
Puma Sabti Curry, her first daughter, and second child, was born shortly after, making D.O.C her second baby father. The 47-year-old vocalist, like her first baby father, would not “spouse” the father of her elder kid.
Mars Merkaba Thedford, Erykah’s youngest daughter, and third child, was born in 2009 as a result of her relationship with her then-boyfriend Jay Electronica. This relationship, like her previous ones with her baby fathers, ended after five years of dating.
When it comes to unrequited love, it appears that Erykah and her most recent boo Carl Jones have called it quits. Perhaps the Baduizm Soulstress has too many responsibilities with her developing children to commit to a partnership.
More about Erykah Badu’s Children
Erykah, true to her motherly instincts and free-spirited temperament, did not accept a husband as a companion and instead dedicated herself to raising her three children.
Erykah, who grew up in an artistic household, ensured that her children, who were all home-delivered, would grow up in a similar atmosphere by homeschooling them.
In a May 2018 interview with The Guardian, she discussed her experience homeschooling her 21-year-old son Seven. She cracked a joke:
“With my first baby, I was trying to do everything right and put everything in his brain that I thought should be in there. He was the three-year-old walking around knowing how many planets there were and how many moons they each had.”
Her instruction appeared to have worked wonders for Seven. Or how else would you explain her son’s acceptance to four colleges?
The Case The lady hitmaker intends to pass on her experience to her daughters Puma and Mars. Above all, she wishes for her daughters to grasp the art of communicating in languages other than English. According to The Guardian, she stated:
“Languages are very important. They’re very important in social evolution. Puma speaks French and Mandarin; Mars is speaking Spanish and starts French in the summer.”
According to Erykah, Mars, the Badu children’s middle child, could be the one to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Her youngest daughter, on the other hand, is more interested in athletics than the arts.
May Erykah’s children pass on all of their mother’s wisdom to their children and grandchildren!
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