Who is A Tribe Called Quest’s ‘Bonita Applebum’ About?
Emerging from New York City in the late 1980s, A Tribe Called Quest is undoubtedly one of the most influential – and, let’s be honest, coolest – musical groups in hip-hop history. The five-man group brought a unique sound to the already established hip-hop scene, fusing gangster rap with jazz and Afrocentric themes for what is today taken for granted as jazz rap.
Appearing as early as their debut album People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, ‘Bonita Applebum’ is a particular favourite amongst fans and critics: Rolling Stone listed it on their 20 essential A Tribe Called Quest tracks 25 years later.
In a catalogue of fantastic albums and brilliant singles, ‘Bonita Applebum’ particularly stands out for its jazz facing production and melodic, if not even perhaps hypnotic, beat. Using samples from RAMP’s ‘Daylight’, Rotary Connection’s ‘Memory Band’, Eugene McDaniels’ ‘Jagger the Dagger’ and ‘Fool Yourself’ by Little Feat, the song is both utterly sultry and, lyrically, somewhat tongue-in-cheek silly. It’s a timeless track that really encapsulates the soul of A Tribe Called Quest.
And yet who is it about? With lyrics that start off with “Do I love you / do I lust for you” and include “Being with you is a top priority / Ain’t no need to introduce the authority / Chairman of the board, the chief of affections”, it’s a real celebration of the fun of having a crush on someone attractive. Heck, even the title itself is a ride; bonita means beautiful in Spanish, while applebum is old school slang for, well, a big bum.
Allegedly, the single, which remains a hip-hop classic even today, is about Brooklyn rapper Leaf’s own mother.
“My mom was kind of a downtown girl like me. She grew up in Brooklyn, she was around, like, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest … she’s actually ‘Bonita Applebum,’” Leaf said in an interview with Hot 97 radio.
“They would all just crash at her place after the studio ‘cause it was better than going all the way back to Brooklyn,” Leaf said. She also added that they’re “all still friends”.
The radio host, Nessa, pressed Leaf further on this revelation. “OK, wait. So let me get this right. I want to make sure I heard you correctly. The classic hip-hop song — the love song — ‘Bonita Applebum’ from A Tribe Called Quest, is about your mom?”
“‘Cause you got to understand, when I was growing up, I knew the song. But then she sat me down one day, and she was like, ‘OK, so, I never told you this, but this song is actually about me,’” Leaf recalled her mother telling her. “I was like, ‘Wait, what? You?’ Then I was looking at her and I was like, ‘Well, I guess you do have a really nice shape. Like, I could understand, you are gorgeous, so this is fire.’”
The song is fire from a seemingly never-ending match. Its legacy extends beyond its reputation; heavily sampled, it can be heard in other songs, including B.o.B’s ‘Put Me On’, Monica’s ‘So Gone’ which also features Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot and Tweet, and also – perhaps most famously – the Fugees’ cover of ‘Killing Me Softly With His Song’. Nice going, Leaf’s mum!