Once upon a time, around spring 2014, Drake used to make Erykah Badu’s hotline bling often. So often, that he even showed up to her house late one night when he needed her advice on Rihanna; she made tea for him, they “talked about love and what life could really be” for him, and the rest is history. (Or so that’s the story Drake sold on his “Days in the East” freebie.)
Over a year later, Miz Fat Belly Bella has presumably heard about Drake’s latest woes, as expressed in his latest ode to an ex who’s moved on. For Drake’s sake, she’s still sipping her tea, now in the form of a remix to “Hotline Bling,” the song that’s quickly become the sleeper hit of his career — it currently sits at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has already been covered by Sam Smith with Disclosure and Kehlani with Charlie Puth. Badu’s expectedly soulful mix doesn’t just cover the Dram erasure, but puts her own spin on it.
She switches up the chorus to read “he used to call me on my cellular device at night,” and adds a new verse, including an entire interlude on the appropriate times to make Erykah’s hotline bling. Example: “If you’re calling to wish her a Happy Birthday, Kwanzaa, MLK, Black History Month, Juneteenth, or Hanukkah, press 2.” “If you’re calling to beg for some shit in general, press 4.” “If you’re calling to ask for some free tickets in a city near you, and know she don’t really fuck with you like that, press 7.” In even better news, Badu has announced a new mixtape, BUT U CAINT USE MY PHONE, to be released whenever Drake’s done spilling his tea.
