Erykah Badu: C /D, S&D

Erykah Badoulah

idk, i welcome this phase, that you could term the mixtape/beat tape phase, and yes i am including nu amerykah in that, but i do hope it doesnt last too much longer. id like to hear her get back to writing 'straighter' songs again. if she can tear herself away from her phone that is. in some ways id prefer if she just became a luddite.

My favorite twenty, and I could swap half of it for another gathering of awesome.

That's an awesome list. "The Cell" is such a good intro choice. Dre's remix of Bag Lady is all time FWIW.

I feel the gauntlet laid down.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08g47rk

thought this was pretty shambolic and solipsistic (how much do i need to care about how this affected gemma cairney? or at least, i can care, but not when its the bulk of her insight on the album, and despite the numerous times she talks about how influential the album and erykah are, we never hear from these artists she influenced, or learn much of the context around the album at the time), like something that should be on 1xtra (ie for a younger audience) than the old indie dads listening to 6music.

baduizm is def not her best album btw.

Definitely not. New Amerykah Part One is the clear winner. I prefer Mama's Gun and New Amerykah Part Two as well.

Mamas Gun/New Amerykah Part One (4th World War), Worldwide Underground, Baduizm, New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh).

i need to spend time with her more recent stuff.

NuAm Pt. 1
Mama's Gun
NuAm Pt. 2
Baduizm
Worldwide Underground
But You Cain't Use My Phone

She really needs to make more albums.

Eric and I have finally something in common besides lenses and artichokes.

A milkshake?

A salted peanut.

https://www.facebook.com/erykahbadu/videos/10155152043886554/

world tour = no Bay Area dates FUCK THIS SHIT

So, for whatever reason, I never checked out But You Caint Use My Phone. Listening first time now, and wow, it's pretty great.

are any of her albums as good as the first? I love the first one but I've never given the rest enough time

Well then I know what you damn well need to do with your weekend, friend.

And the answer is a resounding yes. As good and even better. She's amazing.

Yup, there's not a bum album in the whole lineup. (I might not be the control group on this question tho.)

Mama's Gun is fantastic. It's probably on my shortlist of all time favorites, honestly.

The only one I'd say is an outright misfire would be Worldwide Underground. But I haven't listened to it in a decade, so my mind could be changed on the matter.

It's not a misfire, but it's her most ephemeral (i.e. I look at song titles and don't remember how they go).

I still love WU and looking at the titles brings back instant hooks (esp. Back in the Day, The Grind, Danger, and especially the jam that is Love of My Life Worldwide).

are any of her albums as good as the first? I love the first one but I've never given the rest enough time

This is legit one of the most baffling ILM questions I've ever read. I don't mean to yell but YES THEY ARE, LISTEN TO THEM

Her debut is still only her third or fourth best.

Weather Underground meanders, but it's worth it for "Back in the Day" and "I Want You" alone.

oops

lol

Yeah, I'd wager the general consensus is that Worlwide Underground is the least essential but it's still pretty damn good.

When I heard Wings' "Arrow Through Me" a decade ago, a friend and I wondered who the first R&B or hip-hop act would sample its magical hook.

uh, it came out garbled, but you know what I mean

I still haven't warmed to the mixtape tbh, but I know someday it'll click like the rest.

Mama's Gun is fantastic ... The only one I'd say is an outright misfire would be Worldwide Underground.

^^this

Worldwide underground is a lot of fun.

Top 3 imo

NA PT 2 - mamas gun - NA 1

i LOOOOVE the Caint Use My Phone mixtape!

All her albums are brilliant. Even WU has I Want You, which is sublime

i've been listening to NA 1 and 2 nonstop recently. "Gone Baby, Don't Be Long" hasn't been mentioned in 6 years ott, somehow. it is one of the best songs OF ALL TIME

i really liked But You Can't Use My Phone a lot, i should listen to it more. great rainy night album.

there've been surprisingly few Erykah polls it seems.

My top 3: amerykah pt. 2, amerykah pt. 1, worldwide underground

Probably the #1 artist in the world who needs to make more music

Amerykah Part 1 is probably the best album of the 2000s that isn't Voodoo imo.

Worldwide Underground is her party album, which means that from some angles and in certain contexts it’s actually her best album.

love of my life IS a party jam

erykah hasn't released a bad album or even one that's less than great iirc

but you can't use my phone is great

It probably shouldn't (because its sentiments have never not applied really) but 'Twinkle' does feel tangibly more prescient nine years later.

Worldwide Underground is a bit of a step down from the rest of her discog, but everything else is straight-up classic, particularly the New Amerykahs.

Cain't Use My Phone was awesome, if a little slight, with more obvious filler than any of her proper albums. But the great stuff was totally amazing.

I've always thought D'Angelo was a bit overrated (still great!) and Badu consistently underrated. Particularly, yes, the two New Amerykahs. People lose their shit over Voodoo, but these albums are just as ambitious and successful. And Mama's Gun, for that matter.

oh I'll say it:

Badu >>>>>>>>>>>> D'Angelo

That said, I saw a Badu show once where she spent an eternity rolling around on a pilates ball.

I don't see that as a mitigating factor

Badu = Bjork >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> anyone else, basically

Say what u must. Dialogue is cool . I invite it. But please do me a favor if you can , Black & Jewish Twitter, just don't use the word "problematic " any more. 😂Y'all using that too much . 🙄.. oh and read the article.

— ErykahBadoula (@fatbellybella) January 24, 2018

erykah otm