Squirrel Gang
On Black Friday in 2015, Erykah Badu released her mixtape But You Cain’t Use My Phone, the title being a riff on her 1997 live single “Tyrone.” She collaborated with local talent (Dallas’ Zach Witness was a key producer) and an old friend (Andrè 3000 appears on the track’s closer, “Hello”), reminding us that the new school and the old school are both a matter of perspective.
Across the project, she reworked her own songs and telephoned-themed tracks from the past 40 years, including “U Don’t Have To Call, “Mr. Telephone Man,” and “Hotline Bling.” The rollout also included literal facetime with fans—if they could accurately piece together the phone number hidden across the album art and give it a dial, they’d find Badu on the other line.
The mixtape was given a high rating on Pitchfork and has become a crowd favorite.
As we sit with the cultural impact of But You Cain’t Use My Phone, we’re excitedly rolling out our Squirrel Gang collection. It’s inspired by “Hello,” and will include tees, tanks, zipped hoodies, jackets and socks; just in time for the chilly weather. The line continues the theme of connecting with Dallas’ innovators, as it is a collaboration with DJ Sober.