Erykah Badu says OutKast’s ‘Ms. Jackson’ might not be about her mom: ‘People say it, but I don’t think so’

As the classic OutKast song turns 25, Erykah Badu is revealing her suspicions about who “Ms. Jackson” really is.

I’m sorry, Ms. Jackson, this song may not actually be about you!

Erykah Badu isn’t so sure OutKast’s iconic 2000s hit song “Ms. Jackson” is about her mom. The 54-year-old neo soul artist revealed her suspicions during an appearance on Wednesday’s episode of “Popcast,” when co-host Joe Coscarelli brought up the song. 

When Coscarelli noted, “So much great hip-hop has been made about you, including Outkast’s ‘Ms. Jackson,’” the “Bag Lady” singer replied, “I don’t think ‘Ms. Jackson’ was actually about me. I don’t think so, but people say it.”

She then jokingly suggested that it could have been about her mother.

She added, “Well, she thinks it was about her. She’s got the bumper sticker and the airbrush T-shirt.”

Originally released on October 24, 2000, as the second single from OutKast’s “Stankonia” album, “Ms. Jackson” quickly became one of the rap duo’s biggest hits, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning them a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. The song, which turns 25 today, remains one of the most recognizable earworms of the early 2000s.

For decades, fans have believed the heartfelt apology track, chronicling the strained relationship between a man and the mother of his child, was inspired by Badu’s mother, Kolleen Gipson. Badu and OutKast’s André 3000 (André Benjamin) dated from 1995 to 1999 and welcomed their son, Seven Sirius Benjamin, in 1997. With their relationship ending shortly before the release of “Stankonia,” and “Ms. Jackson,” there has been long-running speculation that the song served as André’s musical apology to Badu’s family.

While André has admitted the song was drawn from his personal experiences, both he and Big Boi have emphasized over the years that it was ultimately meant to honor and address all “baby mamas’ mamas,” not just one.