HEAUX TALES - A Self Reflective Audiobook On Accountability and Pussy Power Through Modern Day Women

Jazmine Sullivan Heaux Tales (Hoe Tales) was released on the 8th of January 2021 the day before the 6th year anniversary of her previous album ‘Reality Show’.

Like when MJ returned to the NBA in 95 Jazmine resurfaced last year in August 2020 with ‘Lost One’ and made it clear that; one she had been working behind the scenes announcing a new EP was in the works and two from her acoustic live performance her vocal ability and pen game were definitely still intact.

Hearing ‘Lost one’ at the time I thought we were getting a heartbreak themed project especially after she dropped ‘pick up your feelings’ in November staying true to Jazmine form she displayed her riffs and runs waking up the scene to ensure her anticipated returned was felt to core. Even with the glimpse of the tales I did not predict the concept of the full body of the EP would go into the direction that was concluded.

In an interview with Genius Jazmine expressed her intentions behind the concept project stating she wrote Heaux Tales to give a voice to every woman. “We’re deserving of respect whether we work as a CEO of a company or we stripping. It’s about unity. It’s about boldness. It’s about ownership and confidence and also about vulnerability and self reflection. It’s about a woman deciding how she wants to present herself to the world and not being told or influenced by anyone but her gotdamn self. It’s about women writing their own imperfect stories unashamed.” Mission successfully completed this project is empowering, liberating, thought provoking, intentional, comforting and overall pure genius.

Heaux Tales starts with ‘bodies’ which kicks off with a gospel feel and right from the intro it’s clear we’re about to go to church on ourself. Bodies explores an awakening self reflecting conversation after a night of one too many drinks and you know you’ve been fucking up but it’s time to be real with yourself.

[Lyrics]

“Gotta stop gettin' fucked up

What did I have in my cup?

I don't know where I woke up

I keep on pressin' my luck

I don't know where I woke up

Bitch, get it together, bitch

You don't know who you went home with, who you went home with again

Was he a friend? Or a friend of a friend? (Was he a?)

Was he a four? Or was he a ten? (I know)

And my mama wouldn't like it if she knew about (All my)

All my rendezvous' and all my whereabouts (I keep on)

I keep on pilin' up bodies on bodies on bodies

Yeah, you gettin' sloppy, girl”

It captures the story of a woman who is clearly distracting herself with intoxicated intercourse to heal instead of confronting her issues. It’s a place that can get familiar and we can all identify with it, it doesn’t have to be through the use of sex. It’s common for us as humans to find comfort in other things when life throws a curveball at us and if you haven’t I’m sure you know somebody who has. From consistent night outs, obsessive fitness, drugs, alcohol, gambling etc. and in this situation pointless sexual encounters used as an escape from things she’s not ready to deal with.

Throughout the project Jazmine turns the page into the next chapter through the tales (interludes) which alone creates a space for dialogue to open conversations on the various topics, genius! I can visualise tweets/clubhouse rooms/podcast debates to run wild with each tale for years to come. Topics explored include;

Anatoinette’s Tale - the idea that men can’t handle if a woman takes the same liberties as them especially in regards to sex, Ari’s Tale - being dicknotised, Donna’s Tale - the idea that regardless of marriage all women are capable of using sex as a tool to gain what they want from a man (therefore as fellow women regardless of status we shouldn't judge or throw stones at one another too), Rashida’s Tale - taking accountability and owning being the cause of destruction that breaks a relationship down, Precious’ Tale - unapologetically being drawn to the highlife, men with money and not settling for less, and Amanda’s Tale - owning your insecurities, pussy power vs sexual self sabotage.

‘Pick up your feelings’ was the second single to be released from the Ep in November 2020 and set the tone of the power and presence we get throughout the project. The song takes us on a journey with a woman who’s reclaiming her power as she’s reached her breaking point in the relationship fed up and OVER IT with no more fucks to give.

[Lyrics]

“You said that I've been actin’ different, yeah

Funny how I finally flipped the script on you

When you the one who's double-dippin', yeah

You so sloppy, how I caught you slippin’ up”

People are often quick to see the change but not their actions that lead to it. After giving her man countless chances, it’s clear she no longer wants anything to do with his bullshit and doesn’t want to listen to it either. We all have our limits and if it escalates to a point that we’ve changed our number to prevent access, we done DONE. The song reminds me of the epic scene in ‘Waiting to exhale’ during Angela Bassett monologue while she’s gathering all his things “get your shit, get your shit and get out” only this time “don’t forget to come and pick up your feelings” respectfully.

‘Put it down’ swiftly transitions from the concept of being dicknotised as expressed in Ari’s tale. The song explores some realistic and extreme possible outcomes of what women will overlook or what a man can gain if/when they put it down correctly in the bedroom.

The woman in the song is clearly on cloud nine in her situation. She doesn’t care if he lives at home with his mum, she’s happy, ready and willing to give him sex and money on demand if he asks for it. Of course this song is favoured a lot more by the male listeners championing lyrics like “I got the check if he ask me, I pay his rent if he nasty”. Opting for woman to financially treat men more often.

[Lyrics]

“My girls ask me what it is, I say, "It's the D" (D)..

.... He put it down”

Some say love can make you do some crazy things but sometimes it ain’t love, it’s that (D)ick. So although, some of the lengths she willing to go to seem outrageous if we put them to one side and we’re being completely honest I’m sure we can relate either through our own personal relationships/situationships or a member of the group chat for being a victim of the D.

‘On It’ which I see as an extension of Ari’s tale is one of my personal favourites from the project and honestly I don’t know if it’s the lockdown but dammnnn I felt it deeply.

The song explores a sexual cravings to please your partner but making them work for your efforts. The moment I heard the beat before they even spoke I was hooked.

[Lyrics]

"I want to sit on it

So tell me why you deserve it

Come on and prove (Prove)Why I should move

Spit on it

I need more than a text message

You gon' have to pull off somethin' impressive

Curves got you drivin' reckless

Take this water and hydrate, bitch"

Jazmine has expressed a few times she had hesitation around the song initially and it almost didn’t make it on the project as the lyrics pushed boundaries outside of her comfort zone. Both Ari Lennox and Jazmine sound amazing on the record the harmonies are out of this world. This is definitely the baby making song on the project.

'Price tag' feat Anderson .Paak taps into the concept that has been magnified in this generation by the city girl era where money will make the pussy talk, maintain the interest and “keeps the pussy wet”.

[Lyrics]

"I can be a freak, throw it back, let you toss it

Spend a few stacks, keep a bad bitch happy

Real niggas know what make a bitch get nasty

Flashy, that's how I dress if you ask me

Pass me, you broke niggas can't catch me"

As Cardi B says “broke boys don’t deserve no pussy”. This song follows a woman who’s strictly about the bag, who will take what she can get from a man regardless of the price tag in fact she doesn’t even look at it “If he want the pussy first he gotta CashApp me”. The more money provided the better to keep her attention, make her happy and she takes no shame in using her sex appeal to get it.

'Lost one' another favourite progresses from Rashida’s tale taking accountability for the pain that has been caused and reflecting on a lesson learned the hard way. The song is centred around a strange parallel between knowing that something is over due to the damage of your own actions but still not wanting anyone else to take your place.

[Lyrics]

"You know when you lost one

A good one, you know when you lost

You go out and fuck different people

To cope and ignore all precautions

You drink and you drink and get faded

You feel like that's your only options

(Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh)

And if it's too late, I understand

Sometimes it's too late, to make amends

Just hear me out, before, you let it go

There is one thing, I need, for you to know

Just don't have too much fun without me"

Similar to bodies there’s the use of sex as a distraction to try get over the heartbreak and it’s clear although they don’t want to, they know they have to accept it’s over and let go but also don’t want to be forgotten. Selfishly, they don’t want them to move on and find love or happiness in full effect without them in the picture. Borderline toxic yet Jazmine made it sound so beautiful.

'The other side' is a fun filled declaration to proclaiming more for yourself unapologetically and out of life. The fantasy packed lyrics explore the concept of being a lady of luxury living with no worries. A lead up from Precious’s tale a woman who grew up like many through a struggle and wanting more out of her adult life. A hard working woman who can hold her own financially and won’t accept anything less from her partner willing to put money over love.

[Lyrics]

"I've got dreams

to buy expensive things (I know, I know)

and I know he's somewhere near

so where's my millionaire

I just wanna be taken care of

'Cause I worked enough, commas over love

I just wanna lay back, spend my baby money in his Maybach

I deserve that life"

Before I divulge into 'girl like me', I have to shade light on Amanda’s tale my personal favourite of them all for the stripped vulnerability. Living and loving through this generation where everything seems to be heighten by the accessibility provided by social media it's easy to get drawn into a comparison.

[Lyrics]

It's a little hurtful that I can't just be confident and...

In being with one person

That I gotta look over my shoulder

Looking at these girls on Instagram and...

It's hard sometimes because, I don't have all that that they have

And the sex has become my superpower

It's like sex is where I, I'm finding my worth

You know it's, that's the one thing that I know

I can make you keep coming back to me

But at the end of the day

Even if you don't really want me, I know you gon' want that

In one way it's empowering, in another it's, it's sad

I feel moments of sadnеss knowing that, you know

Just me alone and who I am is not enough

Understanding and accepting insecurities is something many struggle with especially when acknowledging the power or lack there of with the opposite sex. Pulling back each layer within yourself to come to terms with why and how you find yourself caught up in a situation. Battling with yourself mentally to decipher if it is the power of the pussy or are you just sexually sabotaging yourself and powerless?

Girl like me uncovers the inner thoughts of a woman who finds herself at a crossroad unwanted after giving everything and still losing at the battlefield of love to another more favourable woman to society.

[Lyrics]

"Knew it was real when you blocked me

Now I sit at home judgin' my body

Wondering what I did to lose you (What I did to lose you)

Why in the hell you ain't choose me?

Why you don't love me no morе? (Yeah)

And I don't even know what for (Nah, ah-ah)

You must've wanted somethin' different

Still don't know what I was missin'

What you asked I would've given

It ain't right how these hoes be winnin'

Why they be winnin'? Yeah (Why they be? Why they be?)

No hope for a girl like me, how come they be winnin'? Yeah

(Why they be? Why they be?)

And I ain't wanna be

But you gon' make a hoe out of me"

It’s an unwritten disney story we’ve all featured in before when good just ain’t good enough but there’s no clear cut reason why things didn’t unfold as we would have intended. Healing and overcoming the end of an era without any closure so you find your own conclusions. They say good guys finish last and in this scenario neither do women.

Listening to the album on rotation leading back into 'bodies' feels like a full circle heading back to the problematic healing zone after 'girl like me'.

Over a month later and I'm still loving this EP keeping it in rotation almost everyday. This has become my favourite project by her as I enjoy the overall growth and transitions expressed through the multiple women represented through the Heaux Tales.

https://www.jazminesullivanmusic.com/