Babushka Boi

Album: released as a single (2019)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • A Babushka is a type of headscarf tied under the chin, which is traditionally worn by elderly women in rural Eastern Europe. In September 2018, Rocky was cut on the face and started using the headscarf to cover his scar. During his appearance two months later at the LACMA Art+Film Gala in Los Angeles, the Harlem-born MC wore a Gucci babushka. Rocky has continued to use the headscarf, but now primarily in the name of fashion. This song was inspired by the rapper's penchant for the babushka, which he namechecks in the third verse:

    Buck fifty, my babushka

    A "Buck fifty" is slang for $150, the price of Rocky's headscarf. The term can also be used to describe a scar on someone's face that is so large, it required at least 150 stitches.
  • Rocky debuted the song live during his early 2019 Injured Generation Tour.
  • The song's music video was directed by British artist and filmmaker Nadia Lee Cohen. Her previous videos include D.R.A.M.'s "Gilligan," (which features A$AP Rocky) and Kali Uchis' "After the Storm."

    The clip tells the satirical story of Rocky and his babushka-donning crew of bank robbers. We see Rocky's squad, which includes A$AP Ferg, A$AP Nast, and Schoolboy Q, escape from police detention and successfully rob a local bank. The visual pays homage to the 1990 film Dick Tracy, which is based on the classic detective comic strip of the same name.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The Kingdom

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The KingdomSongwriter Interviews

The Bush frontman on where he finds inspiration for lyrics, if his "machine head" is a guitar tuner, and the stories behind songs from the album The Kingdom.

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")

Phil Hurtt ("I'll Be Around")Songwriter Interviews

Phil was a songwriter, producer and voice behind many Philadelphia soul classics. When disco hit, he got an interesting project: The Village People.

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The Remasters

Brian Kehew: The Man Behind The RemastersSong Writing

Brian has unearthed outtakes by Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello and hundreds of other artists for reissues. Here's how he does it.

Reverend Horton Heat

Reverend Horton HeatSongwriter Interviews

The Reverend rants on psychobilly and the egghead academics he bashes in one of his more popular songs.

British Invasion

British InvasionFact or Fiction

Go beyond The Beatles to see what you know about the British Invasion.

Chris Rea

Chris ReaSongwriter Interviews

It took him seven years to recover from his American hit "Fool (If You Think It's Over)," but Chris Rea became one of the top singer-songwriters in his native UK.