Brooklyn Rapper Leaf Says A Tribe Called Quest’s ‘Bonita Applebum’ Is About Her Mom

In an interview with Hot 97 published on August 22, Leafa rapper from brooklyn who collaborated with rising star Cash Cobain Last July, she shared an interesting piece of information: “Bonita Applebum” was written about her mother.

“My mom was a downtown girl like me. She grew up in Brooklyn, she was into De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest… actually, her name is ‘Bonita Applebum,’” Leaf revealed to host Nessa, though she did not reveal her mother’s name.

As the interview continued, Leaf elaborated on her mother’s connection to De La and Tribe, explaining that they grew up together and at one point, while working on projects, they both stayed in an apartment Leaf’s mother had in downtown New York.

“They would all come sleep over after the studio because it was better than going back to Brooklyn,” Leaf said, adding that they are “all still friends” and that De La’s Posdnuos is her grandfather.

But before we stray completely off topic, Nessa made sure to revisit Leaf’s “Bonita Applebum” revelation.

“Is the song named after your mother?” she asked.

“The whole song is about my mom: her measurements, everything,” Leaf replied.

“Okay, wait. So let me get this straight. I want to make sure I heard you correctly. The classic hip-hop song, the love song, “Bonita Applebum” by A Tribe Called Quest, is about your mother?” Nessa asked again.

“You have to understand that when I was little, I knew the song. But one day, she sat down in front of me and said, ‘OK, I never told you this, but this song is actually about me,’” Leaf recalls her mother telling her. “I was like, ‘Wait, what? You?’ And then I looked at her and I was like, ‘Well, I guess you have a really nice figure. I can understand, you’re gorgeous, so it’s fire.’”

Hopefully Q-Tip will confirm this at some point, but at least now we know who to thank for helping create one of the greatest songs of all time.