Erykah Badu: C /D, S&D

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Badu is great on a sound level (the voice, often matched to complementary, if not always perfect, sounds), at least interesting (if not intriguing) on a writing level, and pretty good on a persona level (she's nice and thoughtful). Baduizm seems like her 'testament' album. I like the live one a good but, maybe because the extra space in her music gets filled by some good jazzy stuff from her band (tho it's a little too smooth in sound/style), and I love the part when she raps. Mama's Gun probably has the most substance. Humble Mumble is one of my favorite Stankonia tracks, tho that's not just about her obviously. But I feel like there's always something missing just a little bit in all of her stuff. Part of her appeal is her ability to float on top of her music, but sometimes she drifts away.

gabbneb, Friday, 10 January 2003 08:26 (10 years ago) Permalink

4 years pass...

one of the best artists of the last ten years.

titchyschneiderMk2, Sunday, 18 November 2007 15:14 (5 years ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

Finally:

Erykah Badu revealed the new title of her fourth album, "Nu AmErykah," to a small room of fans in New York's Electric Lady studios last Thursday (Dec. 6). The set is due Feb. 26 via Universal Motown.

In reference to the prior provisional title, "Kabbah," Badu says that that name was never final and that she prefers to wait and title her albums once they're finished.

"I named this album 'Nu AmErykah' because I'm dealing with whatever is to come instead of what was," said Badu, decked out in jeans, a red kimono and her trademark afro. "In taking on a project like this, I'm taking the responsibility to talk for my race and my planet. I'm sure the record company will make their money and they've given me the blessing of time."

Badu's last EP, "Worldwide Underground," arrived in 2003 without much fanfare, but it still sold 609,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. "I didn't feel like doing the whole promotional circuit for that record," she admitted. "I'd just had a baby."

Making up for lost time, "Nu AmErykah" includes 18 songs that will be spread over two separately sold discs. The first single, "Honey," was produced by 9th Wonder and the '70s soul-tinged "Soldier 7" may be the follow-up track.

"We've waited almost 10 years for this album to come," said Universal executive vice president and Motown president Sylvia Rhone. "She inspires, sets trends and does music that no one's done before. Male, female, black white can listen to her and come away with something."

Here is the track list for "Nu AmErykah":

"American Promise"
"The Healer"
"Me"
"My People"
"Speech"
"Soldier 7"
"The Cell"
"Twinkle"
"Love Me"
"Honey"
"Emotions"
"Don't Be Long"
"YPOM"
"Hot Slow Jam"
"Jump Up in the Air"
"Loretta Brown"
"Dirty Dirty"
"The Healer Outro"

The Brainwasher, Monday, 10 December 2007 18:51 (5 years ago) Permalink

release date?

Jordan, Monday, 10 December 2007 18:53 (5 years ago) Permalink

Feb. 26th

The Brainwasher, Monday, 10 December 2007 18:55 (5 years ago) Permalink

awes

BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Monday, 10 December 2007 19:06 (5 years ago) Permalink

i love her.

titchyschneiderMk2, Monday, 10 December 2007 20:24 (5 years ago) Permalink

...and I still haven't fucking heard Mama's Gun. WTF?

The Reverend, Tuesday, 11 December 2007 04:53 (5 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

The Brainwasher, Thursday, 24 January 2008 17:28 (5 years ago) Permalink

that is so awesome

stevie, Thursday, 24 January 2008 17:36 (5 years ago) Permalink

I have to say, I still think she's quite high on herself and quite possibly nuts, but her music has grown on me -- and most of my favorite artists are damn high on themselves and entirely nuts anyway.

Alex in NYC, Thursday, 24 January 2008 19:13 (5 years ago) Permalink

'Otherside of the Game' is a very pretty song.

chap, Thursday, 24 January 2008 19:15 (5 years ago) Permalink

Worldwide Underground has really grown on me, I love that shit.

Jordan, Thursday, 24 January 2008 19:24 (5 years ago) Permalink

'The Healer' on YouTube.

Ned Raggett, Thursday, 24 January 2008 19:28 (5 years ago) Permalink

That's good.

chap, Thursday, 24 January 2008 19:30 (5 years ago) Permalink

Yeah. I was worried that there wouldn't be any weird/playful shit on this album, just boring "soulful" beats.

Jordan, Thursday, 24 January 2008 19:35 (5 years ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

Badu caters to the record geeks in her video for "Honey":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNJt5ADHzIY

Can YOU name all the albums?

Kevin John Bozelka, Thursday, 14 February 2008 14:23 (5 years ago) Permalink

the only ones i didnt know were the diana ross one and the rufus+chaka one.

pipecock, Thursday, 14 February 2008 22:27 (5 years ago) Permalink

nice video. she looks pretty hot doing the ohio players sleeve.

titchyschneiderMk2, Saturday, 16 February 2008 11:52 (5 years ago) Permalink

I still think she's quite high on herself and quite possibly nuts

This album will remove any doubt on the latter proposition. Whoa!

Eric H., Friday, 22 February 2008 06:53 (5 years ago) Permalink

yeah this shit is crazy. "The Cell"!!! WOW.

The Brainwasher, Friday, 22 February 2008 08:15 (5 years ago) Permalink

"Soldier" & "Telephone" are wicked as well... can't wait to buy this on tuesday.

The Brainwasher, Friday, 22 February 2008 08:16 (5 years ago) Permalink

this is hotness

BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Friday, 22 February 2008 09:02 (5 years ago) Permalink

"The Cell" and "Master Teachers" are both !!!!!!!!!!!

Eric H., Friday, 22 February 2008 18:55 (5 years ago) Permalink

Honestly, "Honey" at the end of the album after all this can't help but sound a little meh.

Eric H., Friday, 22 February 2008 18:56 (5 years ago) Permalink

dang youze guys are good at finding this stuff, I feel so old-fashioned for having to wait

Dimension 5ive, Friday, 22 February 2008 19:00 (5 years ago) Permalink

havent heard any of this new stuff aside from honey. is it in the vein of WWU aka sounds like moodymann producing it?

pipecock, Friday, 22 February 2008 19:08 (5 years ago) Permalink

It seems the total flip of WU. Both are diffuse, but that one felt relaxed and smooth and this one is some cracked avant nuttiness.

I love that "Honey" video, though. When the beat gets all militant as the "support your local record store" title flashes up and then the freaky Planet of the Apes ending?!

Eric H., Friday, 22 February 2008 19:14 (5 years ago) Permalink

there were some (relatively) hard beats on WWU! "diffuse" is a pretty good description, though.

Jordan, Friday, 22 February 2008 19:16 (5 years ago) Permalink

hmm, i cant wait to hear this shit.

pipecock, Friday, 22 February 2008 19:20 (5 years ago) Permalink

That's true (I forgot how some of the songs on WU/WWU approach near-technoid quality), but the new one has hard beats and even harder melodies/harmonies/hooks/synth lines.

Eric H., Friday, 22 February 2008 19:22 (5 years ago) Permalink

"Honey" is one of the best songs out

deej, Friday, 22 February 2008 19:22 (5 years ago) Permalink

(xpost) I love that the opening track is sort of a fake out that way.

Eric H., Friday, 22 February 2008 19:23 (5 years ago) Permalink

I was bored by most of WU, this sounds like a big return to Mama's Gun stuff, which is pretty much the apex of avant-soul to me. Yay times 20000. /raggett

Dimension 5ive, Friday, 22 February 2008 19:24 (5 years ago) Permalink

i would call WWU "atmospheric" for lack of better term. the songs all kind of flowed together, the songs seemed less "written" and more improvised. i was kind of hoping for her to go further down that route, but really with the way the recent jill scott albums have sucked and the fact that maxwell and d'angelo are nowhere to be found, it will just be good to have someone making some good soul in the limelight again.

pipecock, Friday, 22 February 2008 19:25 (5 years ago) Permalink

The irony is that this one sounds a lot MORE like a collective jam session than WWU, at first listen.

Eric H., Friday, 22 February 2008 19:28 (5 years ago) Permalink

There's a lot of skippable experimental shit on WWU, but there are some pretty tight tunes on there too (the track w/Dead Prez, Danger, the Funk You Up remake, Back in the Day).

Jordan, Friday, 22 February 2008 19:29 (5 years ago) Permalink

I loved it when I first bought it, but I can only stand one (1) song about the glory of marijuana on an album and that one had like seven it seemed like.

Dimension 5ive, Friday, 22 February 2008 19:30 (5 years ago) Permalink

I should add that there are a couple other, um, traditional neo-soul tracks mixed in here. "Soldier" for sure, and "Me" is pretty straight up Mama's Gun stuff.

Eric H., Friday, 22 February 2008 19:30 (5 years ago) Permalink

WWU had "Bump It" then "Back in the Day" then "I Want You" = stone cold classic.

Eric H., Friday, 22 February 2008 19:32 (5 years ago) Permalink

Lyric from "Me": "I salute you Farrakhan, 'cause you are me."

Eric H., Friday, 22 February 2008 19:35 (5 years ago) Permalink

UH OH

Dimension 5ive, Friday, 22 February 2008 20:00 (5 years ago) Permalink

lol

Eric H., Friday, 22 February 2008 20:05 (5 years ago) Permalink

The change in "That Hump" ... wau!

It's at this point that I disclose I'm not to be trusted on matters Badu. I am as blinded by fandom as Badu and I are both w.r.t Chaka Khan.

Eric H., Friday, 22 February 2008 20:06 (5 years ago) Permalink

what the hell is the point of being all objective about E.Badu -- or Chaka Khan really either? they fine, they weird, rara aves, let 'em fly

Dimension 5ive, Friday, 22 February 2008 21:21 (5 years ago) Permalink

"Got love for my folks/ Baptized when the levee broke."

Oh man "Soldier" is so righteous.

The Brainwasher, Friday, 22 February 2008 22:14 (5 years ago) Permalink

...and I still haven't fucking heard Mama's Gun. WTF?

-- The Reverend, Tuesday, December 11, 2007 4:53 AM (2 months ago)

you should definitely do this now if you haven't already.

The Brainwasher, Monday, 25 February 2008 07:15 (5 years ago) Permalink

The change in "That Hump" ... wau!

-- Eric H., Friday, February 22, 2008 8:06 PM (3 days ago)

Yes! this song is incredible.

I'm so in love with this album OMG.

The Brainwasher, Monday, 25 February 2008 07:15 (5 years ago) Permalink

I don't see how New Amerykah Pt. 2: Return of The Ahnk (out in July) can top this.

The Brainwasher, Monday, 25 February 2008 07:16 (5 years ago) Permalink

this album is so great

deej, Monday, 25 February 2008 07:17 (5 years ago) Permalink

local club shows doing Baduizm and Mama's Gun sold out so quick. grrrr

curmudgeon, Friday, 22 February 2013 15:20 (3 months ago) Permalink

Her birthday blow-out is next week but I have to work a show across town. Grr.

EZ Snappin, Friday, 22 February 2013 15:23 (3 months ago) Permalink

She hasn't played London in months. Grr.

SOYLENT GREEN IS SHEEPLE (stevie), Friday, 22 February 2013 15:55 (3 months ago) Permalink

I live nowhere close to anywhere she plays ever grr

harvester of lols (Drugs A. Money), Friday, 22 February 2013 16:47 (3 months ago) Permalink

(that might not actually be true)

(grr)

harvester of lols (Drugs A. Money), Friday, 22 February 2013 16:48 (3 months ago) Permalink

mama's gun in full wow

schlump, Friday, 22 February 2013 17:30 (3 months ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

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