Indie Soul icon Teedra Moses has shocked fans by revealing that rapper Nas inspired one of her biggest hits, “Be Your Girl.”
Teedra Moses opened up about her deep-seated admiration for rapper Nas and how her feelings for him led to the creation of the soulful, seductive anthem, which was released in 2004.
Teedra shared the backstory on stage before her performance: “I had been fantasizing about him so much in my head like I was so tapped into him. His mother had just died, and my mother had just died.”
She revealed that she formed a deep emotional bond with Nas, even if it was only in her mind, because of their shared grief and admiration for his artistry.
“I was listening to his music constantly. Like his album, Didn’t Matter, was so freaking amazing,” Teedra explained her admiration for the rapper went beyond music. She was infatuated with him and envisioned a future together. “We were going to be together. So I decided to write this song. It was like an open letter to Nas.”
“I was so tapped into him,” Teedra Moses confessed. “I thought that if I wrote this song, he would marry me.” She envisioned a grand gesture, complete with a music video and a public proposal, to win his heart.
Teedra kept the true story behind the song a secret for years, claiming it was about a generic “guy.” But now she is finally telling the truth. “I never told anyone, but I always tell them that I wrote this about a man. You don’t want to come across as a side girl.”
Teedra Moses’ confession deepens the meaning of “Be Your Girl,” which has struck a chord with many listeners as a song about longing and unrequited love. The fact that it was written as an open letter to one of hip-hop’s most iconic figures intensifies its poignancy.
