“Fly Girl” by Queen Latifah
Back in the day, referring to a female as “fly” was basically another way of saying that she is physically attractive. And as a premise to “Fly Girl” Queen Latifah is acknowledging her own flyness, shall we say. However, her musical career was not like that of the popular female rappers we have come to know in the 21st century.
Thus Latifah doesn’t use the fact that dudes are attracted to her to brag about or take their money. Instead she takes more of an analytical and conscious approach to the matter at hand, such being indicative of the fact that she was one of the first intellectual female rappers in hip-hop.
The Story
And the story begins more like a typical dance song being relayed by a young lady. The Queen is in “the mood for a party”, so she decides to “go out to a club”. And while there, once again due to her looks, she becomes a center of attention for the “guys in the house”.
So the refrain that follows the first verse has her interacting with a typical representation of one of these dudes who proceeds to try to pick her up. And what she is telling him is that she’s “not the type of girl” to just entertain any and every guy. Then he proceeds to attempt to lure her with his wealth. However, Latifah counters by asserting that she is not in need of his money.
So his next strategy is to pull out the big guns of flattery by professing his love for her. However, she thinks he’s “mad” for taking it there. Or put alternatively, she’s not stupid, as in she doesn’t even know this dude “from a can of paint”. In other words she does not know his true character, regardless of what he says. Then on top of that, as put forth earlier she’s not the type to just hook up like that. So it’s like basically she has turned her random admirer down.
Verse 2
Indeed judging by the beginning of the second verse, the rapper generally feels that guys just stepping to her out of the blue is kinda disrespectful. For example, she doesn’t like being called by the term “baby”. She’s the type that if someone does decide to approach her in a romantic fashion, she expects him to do so with the “respect… a lady” like herself deserves.
So don’t come to her with none of that “yo, baby” c*ap. The Queen is not into random hookups. Rather the type of guy she’s looking for is someone “with class” akin to a soulmate. She is not the kind of one-night lover you commonly come across in nightclubs.
Chorus
Then the chorus is actually led by a male vocalist. And what he is doing is portraying the role of one of the aforementioned suitors. And his message to the vocalist is two-fold. First is that she is in fact physically appealing. And secondly, if she does entertain his advances, he won’t do anything to harm her.
What this whole interaction is supposed to represent, more or less, is your average instance of male trying to pick up a female he doesn’t know. In other words, the female is being cautious and hard-to-get. And the male is assuring her that not only does he truly like her but also that he is not anyone dangerous.
Verse 3
So the lady uses the third verse to further express what it is she is looking for from someone she actually decides to take it there with. And what she desires is a partner who is a friend as well a lover. Moreover he should be monogamous, not dating her and “two or three others” simultaneously.
So it isn’t a case of someone being able to buy or seduce her. Rather the one that is truly dedicated is also the one she will give her love to. And even though he may not be around at the moment, she is confident that “someday” she will “find him”. And when she does, she also knows that he’s not going to use the same cheesy pickup lines as illustrated earlier in refrain and chorus.
Verse 4
So in the fourth and final verse, we see that Latifah’s confidence is manifested by her chillin’ at home, taking things easy. When she does get aroused, if you will, instead of doing anything rash she calls her mother for advice. And mom lets her know that undoubtedly she will have frustrating “days like this”. So she is able to once again gain her composure, looking forward to meeting her soulmate, which she is sure to transpire in the near future.
What Queen Latifah’s “Fly Girl” is all about
So conclusively, this is the story of a lady who may be romantically frustrated to some degree. Yet she is not privy to giving her love to someone whom she perceives as a playa. Rather she believes the right mate will come eventually. So regardless of how many guys try to pick her up in the meantime, she will turn them away and wait for her dream date to materialize.
Did Queen Latifah write “Fly Girl”?
Yes, she was one of the writers of the song. She co-wrote it with a musical duo known as Soulshock & Cutfather. The duo also produced it.
Anyone born after the turn of the century may recognize Queen Latifah as more of an actress and television personality. But she actually got her foot in the door via rapping, in fact being one of the first rappers to transition from music to Hollywood. And this track is from her second album, which is entitled “Nature of a Sista’”. Moreover, Tommy Boy Records released it as the lead single from said album on 3 September 1991.
Success of “Fly Girl”
This track appeared on a couple of Billboard charts, breaking that top 20 of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs listing. And it also charted in New Zealand and the UK.
