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Brooklyn Rapper Leaf Says A Tribe Called Quest’s “Bonita Applebum” is About Her Mom
Almost 35 years since the beloved Tribe song was released, we may finally know who inspired it.
There’s no denying that A Tribe Called Quest’s “Bonita Applebum” is one of the best hip-hop songs of all time, and arguably one of the best love songs, too.
And now, almost 35 years since it was released on the group’s debut album, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, we may finally know who inspired it.In an interview with Hot 97 released on August 22, Leaf, a Brooklyn rapper who collaborated with rising star Cash Cobain back in July, shared an interesting tidbit: that “Bonita Applebum” was written about her 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 revealed to host Nessa, although she didn’t share her mother’s name.
As the interview continued, Leaf offered some more background on her mother’s ties to De La and Tribe, explaining that they grew up together and, at some point when they were working on projects, they would both crash at an apartment Leaf’s mom had in downtown New York City.
“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, adding that they’re “all still friends” and that De La’s Posdnuos is her grandfather.
But before completely shifting away from the topic, Nessa made sure to revisit Leaf’s reveal about “Bonita Applebum.”
“Was the song named after your mom?” she asked.
“The whole song is about my mom — her measurements, everything,” Leaf replied.
“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?” Nessa asked again.
“‘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.’”
Hopefully, Q-Tip confirms this at some point, but at least now we know who to thank for having a hand in the creation of one of the greatest songs of all time.
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