Dubbing the Outkast member 'one of her best friends on the planet,' the 'Bag Lady' singer reveals that the two of them never really knew each other as friends before embarking on a relationship.
- November 26, 2020
AceShowbiz - Soul icon Erykah Badu's relationship with rapper Andre 3000 (Andre Benjamin) has evolved into such a close friendship, they talk and "laugh all the time."
The "Bag Lady" singer reveals she and the OutKast star, the father of her son Seven, never really knew each other as friends before embarking on a relationship in 1995, and it's only since ending their romance in 1999 that they started to really get to know one another - and now she considers him one of her "best friends."
In an interview with rising singer Summer Walker for Rolling Stone magazine, she explains they recently spent time together in Dallas, Texas, as Badu mourned the passing of her grandmother.
"He just left Dallas, actually," Badu said. "He came down for my grandma's memorial. He's one of my best friends on the planet."
"When we became boyfriend and girlfriend in the Nineties, we didn't become friends first. We were attracted to each other first," she explained.
"We had stuff in common, but we didn't learn all of that until over the years. We have a 23-year-old son. Over these years, we've just become closer and closer as friends, as humans, as man, as woman."
She continued, "I care for him so very much, about his livelihood, his art, his feelings, and I'm a super big fan of him. I'm assuming he's also a fan of my music.
"We're really close. We laugh all the time, talk about things. It's brother and sister, it's grandmother and grandson, it's father and daughter. It's so many different things depending on what the situation calls for."
And Badu is glad their son has developed one of his father's greatest attributes. "(Andre)'s one of the most caring people that I know. Seven adopted this same energy from him," she shared. "They both have this look on their face as if they're saying, 'I hope it works for you.' No matter what it is. They're nonjudgmental people."
"We respect each other's art. We're snobs when it comes to art and literature, but I never hear him putting people down at all. He gives everything the benefit of the doubt and consideration. He wants it to work out for people."
Badu is also mum to a 16-year-old daughter named Puma with hip-hop star The D.O.C., and shares 11-year-old girl Mars with current boyfriend, rapper Jay Electronica.
