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Erykah Badu's guinea pig has an awesome rap name

Erykah Badu has two pets, including one named Young Tonya, revealed the Dallas-based singer in an interview with Vogue.

The magazine is doing a running feature about how celebrities are sleeping these days. Apparently we aren't the only ones having trouble counting sheep.

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The pets, however, are one thing that conversely keep Badu up at night. She's constantly worrying if she remembered to feed Young Tonya, the family guinea pig. Daughters Puma and Mars also have a bird -- though Badu would rather not have any pets at all, she tells the magazine.

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"My kids have a bird and a guinea pig, neither of which I approve of. I don't believe animals should live like that, in cages, but they were both gifts," she said.

Where did the name Young Tonya come from?

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"The day they got her I was like, 'No ma'am, No ma'am.' And then Mars goes ahead and names her Young Tonya," said Badu.

"If she didn't have that name, I wouldn't have been attached to her like that. But it's such a good rap name."

A couple of Badu's tips for sleeping are listed below, for those interested. You can read the full interview at Vogue.com.

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  • Badu is team hemp sheets all the way. "They feel really soft and they're relaxing," she said.
  • The singer sleeps with eight pillows -- no more, no less and some are filled with lavender.
  • One thing she thinks every girl should go to bed with: a good hardback book.

Badu also recently made an appearance on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Check her tribute to afrobeat artist Fela Kuti below: