Rapper The D.O.C. is forever grateful for the relationship he shares with Erykah Badu. Without their short-lived romance — they dated for a year between 2003 and 2004 — the West Coast rap legend says he would not have found his saving grace in life — their daughter, Puma.
D.O.C. has candidly spoken about losing his way following a devastating car accident in November 1989 that robbed him of his voice. After a night of partying, he fell asleep behind the wheel and struck a highway divider. He was launched from the vehicle and awoke without teeth and a crushed larynx.
The Dallas native has previously shared that he dealt with 33 years of depression coupled with heavy drinking and drug use to drown out the grief of his time on the mic being cut short right as his career was taking off. In 2015, he underwent surgery that restored some of his vocal ability.
The hip-hop veteran’s life was altered for a second time when he reconnected with Badu in 2002 at a music summit in their shared hometown, though their familiarity with each other dates back to childhood when they were both up-and-coming rappers in south Dallas.
“The Healer” songstress is known for leaving a lasting impression on her lovers, such as André 3000 and Common, and the same can be said about The D.O.C. In his March “Drink Champs” sit-down, he revealed that she had him on a strict vegan diet for two years that helped him to begin making necessary changes in his life.
On more than one occasion, he has come to the singer’s defense when others have made jokes about “the Erykah Badu effect.”
Erykah Badu & her daughter, Puma 🖤 pic.twitter.com/5ooaYsR3Ot
— MoorInfo (@MoorInformation) March 7, 2020
In the interview, the founding N.W.A. member noted that he caught wind of Cam’ron’s remarks when Harlem emcee said, “She can’t get nowhere near me with that p—sy. That s—t she be doin’ to n-ggas is crazy. N-gas be regular up until they f—k her. Then you start wearing turbans, yarmulkes, the tie-dye shirts” during a February episode of the “It Is What It Is” podcast.
“He said something about Badu, she can’t give him nothin’ ’cause everybody she touch is traumatized,” The D.O.C. told hosts N.O.R.E. and DJ Efn. “But I always … I can’t help but respect that sister because she gave me that child, and that child saved my spirit. When I couldn’t love myself, that little girl loved me so much that I had to try to straighten my s—t up you know.”
In a past “The Art of Dialogue” interview, “The Chronic” songwriter said he was first smitten with Badu because she was “fine as hell” and that one thing led to another in their whirlwind time together. He mentioned it was “an easy transition to want to be around her” and that maybe he was “hypnotized” by her.
Erykah Badu has 3 different children with 3 of the best rappers to ever touch the mic. All 3 fathers know and respect each other. All 3 fathers still love Erykah and each other’s children. Erykah Badu makes superb decisions with her vagina. Pay attention. https://t.co/Qr9aPP6PLm
— C R W N (@TheThomasCRWN) August 5, 2019
The former couple welcomed their daughter in July 2005. At the time, Badu was also a mother to her son Seven, whom she shares with André 3000. But the Grammy-winning artist is not the only member of her family who helped The D.O.C. clean up his act. He also learned a lesson from her mother, Kolleen Maria Gipson, after serving a jail sentence in connection with him being caught driving while intoxicated in Dallas in 2010.
“For like 13 months, I never called Puma once during that time, and her grandma, Erykah’s mother, when I finally came home, she cussed me out up and down, back and forth because she said, ‘Puma cried all the time because you never called.’” To this day, his bond with the 19-year-old is sacred. “Me and Puma we are, that’s my baby … I learned that I’ll kill a motherf—ker then,” he said.
Social media users found his comments about Puma and her mother to be “beautiful” and much more. One person wrote, “Non of those men that have had a healthy time with her talk bad about her they actually leveled up in some way.” While a second individual noted, “Children really do heal us.”
Though their romantic relationship ended decades ago, The D.O.C. declared his ex to be the love of his life in a 2023 interview with The Spin. Following their relationship, she briefly dated producer Jay Electronica and welcomed her third child, a daughter named Mars. The rapper later married his longtime partner Amber and welcomed two sons.
