Singer RL Defends “Wifey” After Savannah James Says She “Hates” the Term [Video]

Singer RL is weighing in after Savannah James recently shared her dislike for the word “wifey,” a term his group Next helped cement into the culture with their 2000 hit “Wifey.”

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During an appearance on “The Kenny Burns Show,” RL addressed Savannah’s comments directly, explaining that the meaning behind the word has long been misunderstood.

“I got to say something to LeBron’s wife. Okay. She was on her podcast and she was like I hate that song because I hate that word…Why can’t it be wife,” RL stated.

According to RL, the term came from lived realities in the community.

“There were so many people in the hood that I knew that was like, you got a ring. We married, but I don’t want to mess your credit up. I got student loans. I got this,” he explained. “There was men that said, until I deserve, I’m on a level that you deserve, I don’t want to make it official because I don’t want to mess up your credit.”

He continued, “So that’s what wifey meant. It meant we married. There’s nobody.” RL acknowledged how the term can get twisted today, saying, “Sometimes it gets misconstrued.”

For RL, the legacy of “Wifey” goes beyond music.