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So… Teedra Moses Wrote “Be Your Girl” For Nas

blame it on Meka January 24, 2019

Word to Phonte, if y’all don’t know about Teedra Moses

Anyways, in 2004 Teedra released her debut album Complex Simplicity, which has since been considered one of the most underrated R&B albums of the decade. Seriously, the album is jam-packed with grooves like “Backstroke,” “You’ll Never Find (A Better Woman)” and “No More Tears” (the latter of which samples OutKast’s “SpottieOttieDopaliscious“). However, her most popular song has remained the album’s opening track, “Be Your Girl,” thanks in part to producer Kaytranada‘s 2013 remix.

But, who the hell knew it was originally about Nas?

A guest on Issa Rae‘s online series “pieces of…,” Moses revealed how the song was created sharing a story that she wrote the song about a married man that she had “just a silly crush on” at the time; in 2004, Nas was engaged to Kelis.

As it turns out, “Be Your Girl” also utilized the same Ahmad Jamal sample Nas used in his rather obscure track (how obscure? Remember that terrible Street Fighter movie with Jean-Claude Van Damme? It was on the soundtrack) “One On One.”

I know what I’m about to spin at my next gig now (I say this as if it’s not already in my regular rotation).