Ms. Jackson (3:33)

“Ms. Jackson” is a song by OutKast and the second single from their fourth album Stankonia. It topped the U.S. charts for the week of February 17, 2001, and won a 2002 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. It also reached number one in Germany and number two in the United Kingdom, held from the top spot by Atomic Kitten’s “Whole Again”.

The titular “Ms. Jackson” is the real-life mother of Erykah Badu, André 3000’s ex-girlfriend and the mother of his son Seven. The song discusses the problems that break-ups, separation, and divorce can have on a couple, and the animosity that a woman’s mother can have for her daughter’s former boyfriend or husband.
The single helped sell the album following mixed reaction to the lead single “B.O.B.”, which, despite nearly universal acclaim from critics, failed to chart on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and only reached #69 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
The song samples “Strawberry Letter 23” by The Brothers Johnson (with pitch shifting and reversing) and features an altered version of a tune from “Bridal Chorus” from the opera Lohengrin by German composer Richard Wagner (also known as the “wedding march”), played on piano.