What happens to a deferred call?

That’s what happened once we called Tyrone.

A broken baller

“I’m sick of her shit,” Tyrone begins. “She didn’t even buy me anything.”

Tyrone Lamont Saunders is a legend. People who know him from his highschool and college days consider him a possible first-round NBA draft pick. Among those that know him today, Tyrone is a successful businessman and a loving father. To the underprivileged children of Baton Rouge, LA, he is solely “Coach You” – a passionate mentor who’s all the time willing to share his wisdom about basketball and life. The list goes On and on.

“He always liked helping people,” explains Damian Johnson, 19, who played on Saunders’ AAU basketball team. “I never understood why my mother called him a stingy, spoiled, poor rough.” I do not even know what “peeling” is – it looks as if 90’s slang. But for some reason in my neighborhood I hated Coach Ty. Then someday, after practice, he finally allow us to hear the song.

“The song” is “Tyrone“, Erykah Badu’s 1997 hit that turned Saunders into an unwitting black music legend.

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Released because the lead single from Badu’s second album “Live,” this fun track was written from the attitude of a girl who’s fed up along with her frugal, financially unstable and immature boyfriend. Although the song achieved only moderate mainstream success, it quickly became one of the beloved songs in black music, remaining at the highest for six weeks 1 on Billboard’s R&B/hip-hop charts and stayed on the list of essentially the most played songs on Radio Black for six months.

“This song isn’t even about me,” Tyrone explained. “That’s the first thing we need to clarify. If you listen to the lyrics, she was talking about her, Dexter. Now ask yourself, “Why didn’t she name the song after Dex?” Was it because she knew she would have to pay him royalties? She all the time thought so Ceva. Well where is mine bag, lady?”

According to Ty, the artist wearing the ankh never asked for permission to use his name, but additionally distorted many essential facts within the song. She especially objects to Badu lumping him in along with her boyfriend’s broke buddies who “don’t have cars” and “hang out at bars.” Admitting that he and Dexter were friends, Tyrone insists that he doesn’t eat alcohol. It still holds the title to the 1989 Isuzu pickup truck he was driving when the song was released, together with a canceled check for $87.26 – greater than Tyrone’s share of the bill for the infamous night in town when Badu claims she will need to have “arrived to in her purse” to pay her bill.

“The five of us played basketball together in college, along with Dex’s buddy Pras T. Toot,” explained Jim, who declined to use his last name because he “didn’t want that smoke” from black women. “We just wanted to spend time together because, despite Erykah’s claim that we ‘always stop by’, we didn’t hang out very often because it was always clear that Erykah never liked us. So why should we ask her to pay us?”

While these details could seem inconsequential, the dispute is at the guts of why an innocent celebration with the crew generally known as the “Grambling Five” changed into a three-decade conflict stuffed with crushed egos, ruined friendships and one broken jaw.

So what really happened?

Crossed lines

Tyrone first met Badu during his sophomore 12 months at Grambling State University. She was a freshman whose artistry and sweetness attracted the eye of everyone on campus, including Saunders. He was “Tyrone the Terrible,” the large man on campus who was destined to play within the NBA. After meeting Badu at a poetry slam, the star immediately fell in love with the eclectic theater major.

On the opposite hand, Dex T. Toot was crucial player on the team. Known to his teammates as “Dexter Sexster,” his potential as a quarterback took a backseat to his status as a campus lothario. So when Badu began showing up at games to support Dex, Tyrone’s teammates told him there can be loads of Erykahs when he made it to the NBA. Tyrone tried to persuade them that his attraction to Badu was temporary.

“No one was convinced,” said Paul, who spoke on the condition that only his first name be used because “the Badu vibes are too strong.”

Each member of the Grambling Five stated that it was obvious that Ty was devastated by Badu and Dexter’s relationship. Some even speculate that Tyrone’s infatuation ruined his basketball profession. “He was a sure NBA lottery pick until he injured his knee,” James said. “People think he got injured while dunking in the 1993 NCAA tournament, but he actually sprained it when he turned to make sure Erykah was cheering.”

Anyway, Dexter and Erykah moved in together after college. She pursued music while Dex continued his studies in highschool. On the night of the 1996 Grambling Five reunion, Ty was running a non-public basketball academy and Badu was a global singing sensation dating her college sweetheart, a struggling graduate. It was clear that Badu was not completely happy. There were even rumors that she was dating the Atlanta rapper. Everyone on the crew believed the connection was coming to an end…

Except Dex.

“You could see Erykah had him beat,” Tyrone said. “She traveled the world meeting celebrities, and Dex was broke, jealous and in love. Dex all the time had this suspicion that I used to be still in love with Erykah. But I reminded him that Miss Badu all the time comes for real; we knew the deal. It all got here to a head that night when she frolicked with us.

According to many accounts, the Grambling Five, Dex’s cousin, and Badu met at Fogo de Chao. Dex got here back from the salad bar and heard Badu telling Tyrone concerning the latest Outkast album. Dex immediately became suspicious and said, “Andre 3000? He cannot even rap that good.” Badu and Ty burst out laughing, sending Dexter right into a jealous rage.

“He was so passive-aggressive that I decided to leave,” Tyrone explained. “I was halfway home when I realized I hadn’t paid. I thought one of the guys would support me and I would repay them. Later that evening, Dex called me and asked if I was trying to steal his girlfriend,” Tyrone continued. “I had no idea what was occurring, but I heard Erykah within the background saying, ‘Call him.’ Suddenly I heard the sounds of struggling. Erykah then shouted, “I didn’t let you use my phone!” The line wasn’t working, so I ran to Erykah’s house.

From conversations with neighbors who wished to remain anonymous because Badu “might know magic or something,” Dexter accused Badu of getting a bootleg affair with Tyrone, shouting, “I knew he always wanted you!” Tyrone’s arrival seemed to confirm Dex’s suspicions and a fight broke out.

“He kept accusing me of sleeping with his girlfriend,” Tyrone said. “When I denied it, he simply asked why Erykah was so adamant that she had to specifically call me. I attempted to explain that neither Jim, James, Paul, nor his cousin had a truck, but he hit me.

Tyrone knocked out Dexter.

“Erykah was able to clear up the confusion on the spot,” Tyrone added. “She didn’t even try to break up the fight.” As Tyrone wrote Badu a check for dinner, Erykah stood over her college sweetheart, lying within the ruins of a ruined friendship and a broken relationship, turned to Tyrone and said:

“So… Will you help him sort himself out?”

This was the last time Tyrone saw Dexter and Badu.

Disconnect

1. Renovation: Ty is in search of a 30% retroactive cut of his royalties – 10% to be used of his name, 10% for defamation and 10% for the pain and suffering brought on by 27 years of defending him.
2. Withdrawal: Tyrone asks for a remix to explain that Tyrone refunded her money for the meal. He also wants a verse to clear up any misconceptions that he was a broke alcoholic who couldn’t afford a automotive.
3. Apology: From Badu and Dexter for dragging him into this whole mess.

However, the previous footballer admitted that he would surrender his list of demands in exchange for one thing.

A date with Erykah Badu.

When asked if he would consider rekindling his friendship together with his old friend, Dexter paused, rubbed his healed jaw and replied,

– Are you actually asking me to call Tyrone?

“Y’all know she’s an artist, so she’s sensitive about her bullshit.”