“You Got Me” is a song by the hip hop band The Roots, featuring vocals by Erykah Badu (who sings the chorus) and Eve, then known as Eve of Destruction, who raps the second verse but does not appear in the music video. She is often thought to be the female that Black Thought lays next to on the concrete at the end, but said figure was merely just a resembling female. The track was released as a single from the band’s fourth studio album, Things Fall Apart (1999).
“You Got Me” was co-written by musician Jill Scott, who recorded vocals for the song’s chorus and bridge. Her part was subsequently re-recorded by Badu at the insistence of MCA Records, who wanted a higher-profile collaboration for the album’s official lead single (at the time, Scott was relatively unknown outside of Philadelphia). When the group later went on tour, Scott joined them during performances of the song. The original version was later released on the 2005 compilation Home Grown! The Beginners Guide to Understanding the Roots, Volume One.
Tag: R&B
Mariah Carey – Honey
“Honey” is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her sixth studio album, Butterfly. It was released as the lead single from the album on August 26, 1997. The song was written by Carey, Puff Daddy, Q-Tip and Stevie J, all of whom served as the song’s producers as well. It samples “Hey DJ” by the World’s Famous Supreme Team, and “The Body Rock” by the Treacherous Three. “Honey” was a re-defining song in Carey’s career, pushing her further into hip-hop world. The song’s lyrics describe the feeling the protagonist feels towards her lover, and compares the sensation to honey, and its overbearing sweetness.
Beyoncé and Shakira – Beautiful Liar
“Beautiful Liar” (Spanish: Bello embustero) is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé and Colombian Latin pop singer Shakira. It was written by Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Ian Dench, and Stargate members Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, and produced by Stargate and Knowles for the re-release of Knowles’ second solo album, B’Day (2006). The mixing of the song was done by Gustavo Celis. “Beautiful Liar” was released on March 14, 2007, by Columbia Records as the first single from the deluxe edition of the album. A Spanish and English mixed version of the song was produced and titled “Bello Embustero”.
Joe Cocker – Unchain My Heart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pALWIj9ketA
“Unchain My Heart” is a song written by Bobby Sharp (1924-2013) and recorded first in 1961 by Ray Charles and in 1963 by Trini Lopez and later by many others. Sharp, a drug addict at the time, sold the song to Teddy Powell for $50. Powell demanded half the songwriting credit. Sharp later successfully fought for the rights to his song. In 1987, he was also able to renew the copyright for his publishing company, B. Sharp Music. The song was a hit for Charles when released as a single in late 1961. Accompanied by his Raelettes, Charles sang about wanting to be free from a woman “who won’t let (him) go”. It was also accompanied by his longtime saxophonist, David “Fathead” Newman and other members of Charles’ band. The song reached number nine on the pop singles chart and number one on the R&B singles chart and was the working title of Charles’ 2004 biopic Ray.
Leona Lewis – Bleeding Love
“Bleeding Love” is a pop/R&B ballad recorded by British singer Leona Lewis, from her debut album, Spirit. Co-written by Jesse McCartney and Ryan Tedder (and produced by Tedder), the song is the album’s lead single (Lewis’s official second single following “A Moment Like This”), released in the United Kingdom and Ireland in October 2007. Debuting at number one on the UK Singles Chart, “Bleeding Love” became the best-selling single of 2007 in the United Kingdom. Since the single’s release, it became a major international hit, and was the best-selling single of 2008 worldwide.