“Babushka” is Russian for “grandmother” or “elderly woman,” and it’s also a type of Russian headscarf tied under the chin, traditionally worn by women from Eastern Europe. In November 2018, A$AP Rocky appeared at the LACMA Art+Film Gala in Los Angeles, wearing a $495 Gucci babushka.

Rocky revealed more details about the fashion choice—and the inspiration for the song—in January 2019. Apparently, the decision stemmed from a desire to hide a cut on his face, which he touches on throughout the song’s lyrics, referencing the classic 1983 gangster film Scarface. In January 2019, he told GQ magazine:

[The song] was inspired by a situation I had where my face got cut, and I started walking around with a babushka to cover it. It was about last September. It started with a yellow one when I was on Trevor Noah’s show. I actually did a Vogue shoot the day after I got my face slashed.

Rocky first previewed “Babushka Boi” during his 2019 Injured Generation tour.