Ms. Jackson

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"Ms. Jackson"

Single by OutKast
from the album Stankonia
Released	January 16, 2001
Genre	hip hop
Chart positions
#1 (US Billboard Hot 100)

"Ms. Jackson" is a number-one hit song by OutKast, from their 2000 fourth album Stankonia. It topped the U.S. charts for the week of February 17, 2001, and won a 2002 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. It was just as successful internationally, reaching number one in Germany and number two in the United Kingdom, held from the top by Atomic Kitten's "Whole Again".

The titular "Ms. Jackson" is the real-life mother of Erykah Badu. Erykah is André 3000's ex-girlfriend and the mother of his son Seven. The song discusses the problems break-ups, separation, and divorce can bring on the former couple, and the animosity a woman's mother can have for her daughter's former boyfriend or husband.

The single helped sell the album following the mixed reaction to the lead single "B.O.B.," which only reached #69 on the Billboard Hot 100. [1]

The well known tune from the Bridal Chorus from the opera Lohengrin by German composer Richard Wagner (also known as "Wedding march") is played on piano (partly slightly altered).

Writers: Andre Benjamin, Antwan Patton, David Sheats
Producers: Earthtone III

1 The Video
2 Covers
3 Parodies
4 See also

[edit] The Video

The video for "Ms. Jackson" features the two members of Outkast in an old house. Big Boi is cleaning a car, and Andre is making home improvements. The house is overrun with pets, mostly dogs, a few cats, and an owl that, at times, seems to contribute to the song. Through camera effects, the pets are made to nod their heads to the song.

Soon it begins to rain, spoiling Big Boi's hard work. The light rain rapidly turns into a storm, lighting strikes the car and it explodes. Meanwhile, Andre attempts to keep the house, which has a roof littered with leaks, dry with the use of buckets. Big Boi attempts to climb the roof and fix the holes in the rain.

The lights go out in the house, creating yet another problem for Andre, who runs about trying to fix it. Big Boi, in a yellow raincoat, is on top of the roof and getting considerably more annoyed with his inability to complete the repairs.

The lights however, eventually return. Big Boi climbs down and joins Andre, helping with the rainwater. But the storm, ironically, clears almost instantly. The two stare up through a ceiling hole torn open by the storm, at the bright blue sky and shining sun.

The video works as a possible metaphor for the two artists' "stormy" relationships with the mothers of their children and their families (themes expressed by both artists in the song). The storm theme is alluded to in the song, particularly by Andre 3000:

Me and yo' daughter have a special thing going on

you say it's puppy love...we say it's full grown

hope that we feel this...feel this way forever

you can plan a pretty picnic but you can't predict the weather

[edit] Covers

Australian garage rock band The Vines released a starkly-different acoustic cover version of "Ms. Jackson" as a B-side on their 2002 single "Outtathaway!". The rap verses are not sung, leaving the song consisting mostly of the chorus and bridge.

[edit] Parodies

The FOX sketch show MADtv parodied the song as a music video about Jesse Jackson (played by Aries Spears) getting divorced over news about his love child.
Adam Spencer and Wil Anderson, former breakfast radio presenters in Australia on Triple J, wrote an alternate version called "Sorry Matt Hayden" apologising to the Australian Cricketer for not believing that he could play well on a tour of India.
Styles P and Jadakiss of D-Block released a version of the song dissing rapper 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson.

Preceded by "It Wasn't Me" by Shaggy featuring Ricardo "Rikrok" Ducent	Billboard Hot 100 number one single February 17, 2001	Succeeded by "Stutter" by Joe featuring Mystikal
Preceded by "I Wish" by R. Kelly	Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs number one single December 16, 2000	Succeeded by "Independent Women Part I" by Destiny's Child
Preceded by "Danger (Been So Long)" by Mystikal featuring Nivea	Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs number one single February 3, 2001	Succeeded by "Stutter" by Joe featuring Mystikal