Otherside of the Game

"Otherside of the Game"
Single by Erykah Badu
from the album Baduizm
A-side	"Otherside of the Game (Acapella)"
Released	July 28, 1997
Recorded	1996
Genre	Neo soul jazz soul
Length	6:33
Label	Kedar Records
Songwriter(s)	Erykah Badu, Questlove, James Poyser, Richard Nichols
Producer(s)	The Roots, Richard Nichols
Erykah Badu singles chronology
"Next Lifetime" (1997) "Otherside of the Game" (1997) "Tyrone" (1997)

"Otherside of the Game" is a song by American R&B singer Erykah Badu. It is the third single from her 1997 album Baduizm. The song effectively showcases Badu's debt to jazz as well as soul. It is a ballad with lyrics that tells the story of a conflicted woman in a troubled relationship. She is expecting a baby with her husband, so she feels she must stand by him despite his apparently illegal activities.^[1]

Release and reception[]

"Otherside of the Game" was released as a single following "Next Lifetime". Although it failed to chart on Billboard's Hot R&B Songs chart, it peaked to #14 on the R&B Airplay chart in August 1997.

Music video[]

The music video starts with the title 'a story by Erykah Badu'. It then shows Badu waking up her husband, played by her then boyfriend André 3000, as the two are being playful, affectionate, and loving toward each other. As the couple lounge around the house, Badu glances through a kitchen window and notices a police car parked outside. Moments later, André answers the door and a pair of cops greet him, dropping off an envelope filled with money, likely from illegal activities. As the couple count the cash, André receives a message on his pager and quickly gathers his things and leaves the home. Badu sits on her bed, concerned and frustrated.

Charts[]

References[]

External links[]

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics