By 2002, Philly-bred emcee Bahamadia was already established among the hip-hop elite. After jumpstarting her career as a DJ, she caught Gang Starr rapper Guru’s attention for her work on the Funky Vibes EP. Her 1996 debut, Kollage, landed on the Billboard 200 and peaked at No. 13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, anchored by three singles: “Total Wreck,” ”Uknowhowwedu” and “I Confess.” Her follow-up, BB Queen, arrived in 2000.
Meanwhile, Erykah Badu had delivered her neo-soul masterpiece, Baduizm, in 1997 and returned with the brilliant Mama’s Gun in 2000. A year later, she recruited Bahamadia, Queen Latifah, and Angie Stone for “Love of My Life Worldwide,” which would live on her third studio album, Worldwide Underground, an eclectic amalgamation of hip-hop, soul, and funk.
Released September 16, 2003, Worldwide Underground debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, selling more than 140,000 copies in its opening week. With the help of The Roots bassist James Poyser, who provided keyboards on the track, “Love of My Life Worldwide” functioned as a reimagining and extended sequel to “Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip‑Hop)” featuring Common, explicitly paying homage to The Sequence’s pioneering 1979 single “Funk You Up.”
Stone, a former member of The Sequence, served as the historical bridge between early recorded women’s rap and the neo‑soul era, while Queen Latifah delivered female-empowering lyrics akin to “U.N.I.T.Y.,” and Bahamadia rhymed with an otherworldly confidence. She begins her verse with, “Taurus is the bull/My name’s Bahamadia and can’t a chick in the game get it going like me.”
As the song approaches its 25th anniversary, Bahamadia looked back on the creation of the song and how Angie Stone’s sudden death in March 2025 changed the way she hears it.
A Quick Rewind
I’m always in a creative mood but around that time I was starting to become a little disconnected with the culture, just a little exasperated because of different changes. I was excited to participate in the project and on the song in terms of the concept and stuff. I was told that we were just going to be rocking like we do, just do like a freestyle type of vibe, and that’s what it turned out to be. It was cool.
Electric Ladies
Erykah had her manager at the time, Michael Knight, contact us. He was like, “Hey, you need to jump on this remix.” What was really exciting though is we recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, so that was real dope. Common came to the session. It was so dope. I was based in Philly, so I drove with my cousin. When we got to the studio, they had the song, verse, music, and everything up, as well as my space to go in. We just went in, I listened to it for a little bit, jotted things down, then went in there and rocked it or whatever. They gave me my space and Erykah was cool with what I did. We hung around for a little while and then I was out. I wanted to be professional, you know?
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
It was a vibe. It was candles this particular day. But one thing about her and everybody else that’s in the community, they all know that I’m introverted. They’re all aware of how my energy is. They respect my space. They know I don’t drink or smoke or do none of that, so when I go there it’s strictly business. I love that I’ve always been afforded the liberty of relaxing and it just becoming a space where I’m invited. Sometimes you can go and if you don’t have a rapport with different artists that you’re working with or don’t have a relationship with them, the energy is just different.
Setting the Tone
I was going off of the energy that was the traditional thing with The Sequence, that era. That’s when I heard the track and Erykah was rapping on it. Her cadence and style was more like a pioneering flow so I was like, “Oh they must want that kind of energy.” That’s why the lyrics were like that because I’m like, “OK, I want to compliment whatever she already had,” because she had already set the tone. I think Angie and Latifah had laid their vocals as well. They were already done when I got there.
The fact that Erykah was rhyming on it, I was excited about that because normally she sings, and you rarely hear her rhyming. The fact that she actually rhymed on that…she’s a B-Girl at heart. The world knows now, but back then, there was more focus on her soul element. She’s a hip-hopper, but they focused on her singing.
It’s a G.O.D. Thing
I had no fear, no insecurity in me about my talent and skills. I was appreciative to be included. I hold all of them in high regard. Angie Stone, that was my heart, man. A lot of people don’t know the type of relationship or friendship that we had for a long time. I’ve been chosen by G.O.D. For real, that’s what it is. But yeah, that was so fun to be in. It was a dream state for me though. It became a reality to be on tracks with people that have inspired me. Erykah’s not included in any equation because she came after the thing, but for Angie Stone and Queen Latifah—I remember Sequence was one of the first female groups that I had ever saw live. When I got into hip-hop, video wasn’t out. People’s faces weren’t even on their 12-inch at the time. You had to actually go to the shows to see. When we got there, we were like, “Wow, they’re adults,” because it’s youth oriented, but that explains why there was so much substance and stuff in the music back then. To be a supporter of these artists and then now you’re a colleague or a musical peer to them, I still never get over that.
(Credit: Gie Knaeps)
A Pinch-Me Moment
It was emotional. I remember what I had on, too. I had to use the restroom because it hit me and I was overwhelmed. I get moments like this time, still. I had on jeans—and love Peanuts—so I had on a red hoodie with Snoopy on the front of it, a furry Kangol cap, my signature hoops and everything, glasses and little sneakers. When Erykah was coming out she was like, “Look at you, Snoopy.” We was laughing. She asked me if I was OK. She was so sweet, and we just was chilling for a little bit. Then I was like, “I’m ready to go.” I started getting tired [laughs].
I don’t expect to not be affiliated with quality music and projects. It felt like second nature. I wasn’t even totally surprised. I just look at the people who were on it and when I’m doing stuff, I don’t really bask in what the impact will be or this and any other. I’m in the moment just doing it and history happens.
Why No Video?
All these women are pillars of the music community. It was actually going to be a single from the album, and then something happened with the publishing or something like that, so they kind of pulled it, but they were going to do everything for it, to my understanding, including a video. Something happened with the publishing, and some business stuff happened, and then it just wound up being an album cut. I think that was a part of the plan and then suddenly it didn’t happen.
RIP Angie Stone
After I recorded it, I never performed it. I haven’t heard the song in a long time. But if I do listen to it, any memory that I had is always good. If anything it’ll make me think at first, like, “Oh wow she’s [Angie Stone] transitioned,” but the last time we saw each other in real time it was really a good experience. One thing I want people to leave with is like, “How did you treat them when you got the opportunity to show them love?” If you did that, you were really solid with these people and honest and real with these people, you won’t have too many sad times. You’ll have more times to reflect on the times that were great, when you were in the present. That’s how I look at everything. I look at all the people like that.
U-N-I-T-Y
It added another quality milestone to my discography and in terms of career-wise, I feel.
Creatively, it made me just embrace the concept, like it was more about women coming together. So in that aspect, I felt like I wasn’t alone. I felt welcomed and I guess there’s something it did for me spiritually.
A Reflection
Young Bahamadia was always old Bahamadia, grown Bahamadia. The things that needed to be instilled in me was instilled from factory equipment from my upbringing, number one. Number two, I was a grown woman. The thing that I probably would have taken away from it is, relax more and know that there will be a difference. It just happens in spurts. I would tell myself to relax and be welcoming, and be open to the possibility of something great happening. Don’t guard it.
If There Was a 25-Year Anniversary Celebration….
I would come out for that, because you know I don’t like coming out, but I would come out for something like that. A lot of people aren’t even aware that I was never an underground artist. That’s a misconception. I was always on a major label prior to me transitioning to independent. Insiders know, but a lot of people, especially current generations, they’re not aware of this. When they hear me on certain things, a lot of people, they’ll say things like, “That’s great. I’m glad to see you.” And it’s like, “What you mean you’re glad to see me? These are my creative peers.” It’s just I’m not as visible because I don’t have a team. There’s politics, there’s relationships, all of that, you know what I mean?
PERIOD.
I’m at a point where I couldn’t care less about what people think of me these days. Just understand that I’m unique. I’m an authentic creator that you need to know.
