Meaning of “’03 Bonnie & Clyde” by Jay-Z (ft. Beyoncé Knowles)
Being officially released through Def Jam and Jigga’s own label, Roc-A-Fella Records, on 10 October 2002, “’03 Bonnie & Clyde” served as the lead single to “The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse”, which by that point was Jay-Z’s seventh-studio album.
“’03 Bonnie & Clyde” marks Jay-Z’s first collaboration Beyoncé, whom of course he would go on to team up with in song countless times afterwards. However, this outing dates back to the earlier days of their romance, as the pair had begun dating in 2001 and would eventually marry in 2008.
THE ONSET OF A FRUITFUL RELATIONSHIP
As pointed out by Genius, the release of this track led to “a flurry of collaborations” in which Jay and Bey proceeded to drop four more joint tracks in 2003 alone, becoming de facto musical partners, if you will.
So the success of this outing, as well as its timing in the Carters’ respective careers, can be deemed of major significance.
For instance, it should be pointed out that “’03 Bonnie & Clyde” is only the third single Beyoncé participated on as a soloist. Prior to that, she was featured on Amil’s debut single, “I Got That”, in 2000. (To note, Amil was, at the time, down with Roc-A-Fella).
Afterwards, earlier in 2002, Knowles took part in the soundtrack to Austin Powers in Goldmember, a movie she co-starred in. Unlike the Amil joint, that track, “Work It Out”, performed admirably on music charts.
But “’03 Bonnie & Clyde” was Beyoncé’s first big hit since venturing solo, in that for instance it marks her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. And beyond that it scored within the top 10, peaking at number 4, in addition to topping Billboard’s Rhythmic chart and the UK Hip Hop/R&B Charts, besides reaching second place on the UK Singles Chart proper.
JIGGA
Meanwhile, Jay-Z’s discography dates all the way back to 1994, which is even prior to that of Destiny’s Child, the girl group which Knowles initially came out as part of.
So as noted earlier, by this time he already had a slew of albums – and associated singles – on the market, and he had appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 on numerous occasions. But “’03 Bonnie & Clyde” also marks the first time Jigga made it onto the top 10 of that list. Besides that, it charted in approximately 20 countries overall and has been certified gold in the US and UK.
“’03 BONNIE & CLYDE” SHOUTS OUT TO 2PAC
The instrumental/motif of this track was heavily influenced by that of Tupac’s 1996 hit song titled “Me and My Girlfriend“, which is acknowledged as being both sampled and interpolated into “’03 Bonnie & Clyde”.
What time has sort of forgotten but was notable at the time this track was dropped is that Jay-Z and Tupac were known enemies. In other words, in 2002 the death of Tupac Shakur, which had occurred six years earlier, was still fresh in the mind of the public.
The two emcees had a history of trading disses. Or more specifically, Jigga is the one who really started it, in a way, by referencing 2Pac on his 1996 track “Brooklyn’s Finest” in a manner that could be interpreted as a diss or even a threat (in the way that it was rendered). Also that track featured Biggie Smalls, who by that time had been firmly established as Shakur’s enemy.
And of course once Tupac deemed someone as his opponent, he had no qualms about calling them out, explicitly, in song. He most memorable did so, i.e. threatened Jay-Z’s life, on “Bomb First” (1996), the opening track from “The Don Killumanti”, which is the selfsame album from which “Me and My Girlfriend” is derived.
So in a way it can be said that relying so heavily on Pac’s track was Jigga’s way of posthumously making peace with him, in a public-recognizable manner, if you will. But that said, Jay-Z also went on to state that he didn’t take Shakur’s disses against him personally and that any animosity he may have harbored against Pac were “gone” upon his passing.
TONI BRAXTON VS. THE CARTERS
Indeed, Sean deciding to make his own version of Tupac’s classic may not have had anything to do with Shakur himself. Or, as insinuated by Toni Braxton, the instrumental/theme of “Me and My Girlfriend” is one that is genuinely poppin’, if you know how to flip it. According to the songstress, it was she who first came up with the idea to do so.
Toni did eventually drop that track, titled “Me and My Boyfriend“, about a month and a half after “’03 Bonnie & Clyde” came out and was already making major waves, such as Jay and Bey having performed it on Saturday Night Live. According to Braxton, she played her joint to the people at Def Jam and then, next thing you know, Jigga and Beyoncé’s track came out.
So the implication here is that she intended to drop “Me and My Boyfriend” as a single, but that plan was thwarted by the release of “’03 Bonnie & Clyde”.
In hindsight, no one can actually say what would have happened if Braxton’s track came out first. But interesting to note that the album it was featured on, 2002’s “More Than a Woman”, only produced one single (which is “Hit the Freeway”).
The LP itself, especially as compared to some of Toni’s earlier outings, didn’t really fare well. So with all of that in mind, she took what she perceived as a shiesty move on the part of Jigga and co. and basically called them out for behaving unscrupulously.
But Jay-Z’s answer to these allegations, besides denying that claim, is that ultimately the credit for originating the song should go to those who actually wrote “Me and My Girlfriend”.
THE TEAM BEHIND “’03 BONNIE & CLYDE”
As such all of the writers of Shakur’s piece, who are Hurt-M-Badd, Ricky Rouse and Darryl Harper alongside the late Tupac, are likewise credited as co-authors of “’03 Bonnie and Clyde”. And its other writers are all famous musicians. First is Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Secondly, Kanye West, who’s solely credited as the producer of the track, also gets writing credit. And lastly the late Prince (1958-2016) is also acknowledged, in that his 1987 song, “If I Was Your Girlfriend”, is also sampled therein.
The cinematic music video to “’03 Bonnie and Clyde” was helmed by Chris Robinson, who went on to have a notable presence in the history of hip-hop as far as such visual media is concerned.
True to the theme of the track, the clip has Jay-Z and Beyoncé taking on the role of Bonnie and Clyde, two real-life robbers of the early 20th century. And it features a couple of professional actors in Jonathon Schaech and the late Lance Reddick (1962-2023), the latter of whom was concurrently co-starring on The Wire (as law enforcement, as in Jay-Z’s video) and further went on to make a name for himself with a recurring role in the John Wick movie franchise.
THE SONG (“’03 BONNIE & CLYDE”)
The real life Clyde Barrow (1909-1934) and Bonnie Parker (1910-1934) were extremely dangerous criminals. But in the eyes of American pop culture, one which puts a premium on bucking authority, they have become timeless anti-heroes.
Or viewed from a different angle, i.e. within the context of a song like this, Bonnie and Clyde were the extreme epitome of the romantic couple-against-the-world trope. Or yet from another angle, they literally died for each other, in a manner of speaking.
VERSE 1
So near the beginning of the first verse, we find Jigga re-establishing his playa character. In other words, the rapper had dropped quite a few songs prior to this one which allude to him being a womanizer.
But now, as implied, Hov has found someone whom he feels is worthy of settling down with. That’s an understandable sentiment since at the time, Beyoncé was more or less considered to be the prettiest girl in hip-hop/R&B (or as Jay-Z put it in another song, “the baddest chick in the game”).
Moreover, even though Knowles’s solo career was just starting and that of her former bandmate, Kelly Rowland, got off to a better start, everyone knew that it was going to be a successful one. For example that aforenoted Austin Powers gig was a big one, in that you don’t commonly come across musicians, especially one like Beyoncé who had limited acting experience at the time, co-starring on a major-motion film alongside a bona fide Hollywood A lister.
So it can be said that the purpose of this verse is twofold. First, it established that Jay-Z and Beyoncé’s relationship was indeed one which both participants were thinking long-term instead of just in the moment. And secondly, it can be gathered that the two did have a joint-professional goal. Or let’s say that they have vowed to hold each other down holistically, both professionally and personally, if you will.
CHORUS
The chorus that follows is a minor rewording of that of “Me and My Girlfriend”. In Tupac’s piece, his “girlfriend” was his gun. But as for Jigga, he’s speaking of a literal girlfriend, one whom he ‘needs’ to navigate through “this life of sin”.
And likewise Beyoncé, portraying such a role, verifies that she is indeed “down to ride ’til the very end”. That’s a poetic way of saying that whatever her “boyfriend” goes through, she unwaveringly has his back.
“All I need in this life of sin is me and my girlfriend (me and my girlfriend)
Down to ride ’til the very end, is me and my boyfriend (me and my boyfriend)
All I need in this life of sin is me and my girlfriend (me and my girlfriend)
Down to ride ’til the very end, is me and my boyfriend (me and my boyfriend)”
VERSE 2
Interestingly, the second verse also begins with Jay-Z alluding to his womanizing ways. But this time around, in context, it’s as if he’s indirectly offering a bit of advice to likeminded dudes. That would be something along the lines of being able to differentiate between the woman you want to marry and those you’re just having sex with and treating the former accordingly. So as implied, Jigga knows that he has found the one and therefore is not going to drop the bag.
As such, even though he “ain’t perfect” and has practiced a lifestyle as noted above, he promises Beyoncé that she’s never going to catch him slippin’, i.e. fooling around with another woman. And by and large that has proven true throughout their relationship, even to this day. Rumors of Jigga cheating or even having permanent sidepieces are quite common. But he has never been caught red-handed like that, if you will.
Afterwards, he begins to close out the verse by promising to make Beyoncé right financially. That’s actually a common theme of love-rap songs, i.e. the artist promising to lavish his sweetheart with expensive gifts.
But Jay-Z doesn’t really harp on the matter like that. Or let’s say that he’s stating a fact, that if Beyoncé is patient with him he will reward her monetarily, not trying to woo her or tout his wealth per se. And finally he closes out the verse by alluding to the notion that the two of them will do “anything necessary” for each other, making that assertion in sort of a threatening way, as in letting people who can rightfully interpret these lines know that he fully has her back.
THIRD VERSE
After another rendering of the chorus comes the third verse, which is held down by Beyoncé. It starts off with her utilizing the aforementioned Prince sample, which is in tune with the thesis sentiment of the song at large.That would be the vocalist stating a commitment to the other party, if they too are down for the cause.
This verse is really quite interesting, especially in hindsight, because it basically features Knowles pledging her lifelong dedication to Jigga. In fact, these particular lyrics read a lot like marriage vows, the type that any man would be appreciative to willingly receive from his significant other. So it’s almost as if in a way, Jay-Z and Beyoncé got married in song years long before they tied the knot officially.
CONCLUSION
And that would be a proper note upon which to conclude this lengthy post. The lyrics of “’03 Bonnie and Clyde” have a general applicability in that neither vocalist ever mentions the other by name. But looking back now, some decades later, it’s as if, in terms of the relationship between Jay-Z and Beyoncé, this song has proved prophetic.
That is to say that within these past two decades, we have seen so many other relationships, celebrity and otherwise, come and go. But even as of this writing, it doesn’t appear as if the marriage between Carter and Knowles is in any type of danger whatsoever.
In fact the Carters recently bought the “most expensive home ever in California”, at a whopping $200 million, a move which isn’t indicative of a relationship that may be in peril. Or let’s close by saying that their marriage has withstood the test of time and A+ list celebrity status. And it has seemingly done so based on the selfsame ideology that is being inferred in this song.
