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You Got Me (The Roots song)

1999 single by the Roots featuring Erykah Badu and Eve From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"You Got Me" is a song by American hip-hop band The Roots, featuring vocals from Erykah Badu (who sings the chorus) and Eve, 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 from the band's fourth studio album, Things Fall Apart (1999), in January 1999.

ReleasedJanuary 25, 1999 (1999-01-25)
Length4:19
Quick facts from the album Things Fall Apart, Released ...
"You Got Me"
Single by the Roots featuring Erykah Badu and Eve
from the album Things Fall Apart
ReleasedJanuary 25, 1999 (1999-01-25)
GenreNeo soul[1]
Length4:19
LabelMCA
Songwriters
Producers
The Roots singles chronology
"Adrenaline!"
(1998)
"You Got Me"
(1999)
"The Next Movement"
(1999)
Erykah Badu singles chronology
"One"
(1998)
"You Got Me"
(1999)
"Southern Gul"
(1999)
Eve singles chronology
"You Got Me"
(1999)
"Girlfriend/Boyfriend"
(1999)
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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, who wanted a higher-profile collaboration for the album's official lead single (at the time, Scott was relatively unknown outside Philadelphia). 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 in 2000. In 2011, the Roots, Badu and Scott all performed the song together at VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul.[2]

In 2026, after 26 years of the Grammy win, The Recording Academy and The Black Music Collective, fixed a technicality at the 2026 Recording Academy Honors by awarding Eve the Grammy Award for her contribution to the song. The award was presented by Harvey Mason Jr. In Eve's acceptance speech, she acknowledges that "what is yours, never can miss you" and credited radio personality Ebro for not giving up about the issue, placing it at forefront.[3][4]

Music video

The music video for "You Got Me" was directed by Charles Stone III[5] and features cameos from rapper and actor Common, plus Tracy Morgan as a rider on the bus.

Track listing

European maxi-CD single[6]

  1. "You Got Me"
  2. "Adrenaline!"
  3. "New Year's @ Jay Dee's"
  4. "You Got Me" (Me Tienes Remix)
  5. "You Got Me" (Cris Remix) bka Cris Prolific

Charts

More information Chart (1999), Peak position ...
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Certifications

More information Region, Certification ...
Certifications for "You Got Me"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[22] Gold 15,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[23] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

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Release history

More information Region, Date ...
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref(s).
United States January 25–26, 1999 MCA [24][25]
United Kingdom February 22, 1999
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
[26]
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References

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