You Got Me

"You Got Me" is a critically acclaimed 1999 song by praised hip-hop band The Roots, featuring vocals by fellow neo soul artist Erykah Badu (who sings the chorus) and rapper Eve (who raps the second verse). The track was released from the successful Things Fall Apart album. The song was produced by the band's then-keyboardist, Scott Storch.

"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 Erykah Badu at the insistence of MCA, 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 song caught on quickly with radio and later MTV, giving the group a much needed boost in terms of sales and exposure. The Grammy win for the album Things Fall Apart provided a second round of success.

[edit] Music Video

The music video begins with BlackThought leaving his home after looking at a framed picture of his him and his girlfriend on the bedside table. As he leaves the apartment and begins to calmly walk through the neighborhood while rapping the first verse, lifeless bodies are shown all over the street, in laying positions such as in the seats of cars, vehicles, on the sidewalks and the park. Other group members of the band including BlackThought himself are shown to be in laying positions as well, on the sidewalk with their instruments by their side - ?uestlove is slumped over his drum set sitting down and BlackThought is on the sidewalk with the microphone still clenched in his hand. The conscious BlackThought continues to walk past them all, proceeding in the neighborhood through verse two; Eve is not in the video. Through intervals and the chorus break, Erykah Badu - who is in a building lobby, leaning and standing beside mail slots - sings her part. Fellow neo-soul artist Common makes a cameo appearance during verse two, where he is lifeless as well and on the bus. BlackThought continues to travel, entering the neighborhood park and by the end of verse three, he find his girlfriend on the park's sidewalk. He bends down trying to wake her up, then shortly after lays down beside her. At this moment, visuals skip ahead and the scene is now changed to only BlackThought laying down on the sidewalk, where his girlfriend is now shaking him and other bystander/witnesses' beside her are comforting her to what seems like a gunned down BlackThought. Many people around are fleeing the scene; audio of the street and people yelling can be heard. The band however continue to play in the original spot they were seen in the beginning, and BlackThought can be seen leaning against the fence behind ?uestlove. Erykah Badu continues to repeat the chorus while looking out of the lobby window into the pandemonium outside. The band stops playing to look at the incident, where cops have now shown up, while onlookers on the bus peer outside.