"You Got Me" is a song by American
hip hop band
the Roots
The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy F ...
, featuring vocals from
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu (), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the ...
(who sings the chorus) and
Eve
Eve (; ; ar, حَوَّاء, Ḥawwāʾ; el, Εὕα, Heúa; la, Eva, Heva; Syriac: romanized: ) is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the origin story, "Creation myths are symbolic stories describing how the ...
, then known as Eve of Destruction, who raps the second verse but does not appear in the music video. The track was released as a
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
from the band's fourth studio album, ''
Things Fall Apart
''Things Fall Apart'' is the debut novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, first published in 1958. It depicts pre-colonial life in the southeastern part of Nigeria and the invasion by Europeans during the late 19th century. It is seen as the ...
'' (1999), in January 1999.
Background
"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
MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group.
Pre-history
MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 wit ...
, who wanted a higher-profile collaboration for the album's official lead single (at the time, Scott was relatively unknown outside
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
). 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''.
The song garnered the Roots and Badu a
Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group was awarded between 1991 and 2011, alongside the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance.
The award was discontinue ...
in 2000.
Music video
The music video for "You Got Me" was directed by Charles Stone III and features cameos from rapper and actor
Common
Common may refer to:
Places
* Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
* Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts
* Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts
* Clapham Common, originally com ...
, plus Tracy Morgan as a rider on the bus.
Track listing
European maxi-CD single
# "You Got Me"
# "Adrenaline!"
# "New Year's @ Jay Dee's"
# "You Got Me" (Me Tienes Remix)
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Release history
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:You Got Me (Song)
1998 songs
1999 singles
Erykah Badu songs
Eve (rapper) songs
MCA Records singles
The Roots songs
Songs written by Jill Scott (singer)
Songs written by Scott Storch