My Prerogative

About this song

The song was the second single from Bobby Brown's breakthrough sophomore album Don't Be Cruel. It was nominated for a Grammy Award and reached #1 on both the Billboard Hot Black Singles and Billboard Hot 100 charts. After Bobby finished production on the album with L.A. Reid and Babyface, he wanted a more aggressive sound and brought in Teddy Riley, leader of the New Jack Swing movement, to produce it. The song became a signature hit for him and helped him move away from the bubblegum image of his former group, New Edition.

What it's about

The song is about Bobby dismissing his critics and living his life the way he wanted. It was also ranked #1 on Complex's list of the 25 best New Jack Swing songs and featured on VH1's list of the 100 greatest songs of the 80s.

Fun facts

• Sampled in 10 other songs, like “A ROCKERS INTRO by Boo Santana”.
• Covered 5 times, including “My Prerogative by Emma Nilsdotter”.
• Written by Bobby Brown, Teddy Riley, Gene Griffin, Smooth B, Aaron Hall and Timmy Gatling.
• Produced by Bobby Brown, Teddy Riley and Gene Griffin.
• Recorded at Axis Studios.