Soul Sister, Street Soldier, Groove Goddess, Funk Empress, Esoteric Thespian- all these tags and many more apply when you’re referring to the always regal, Ms. Erykah Badu. All through her career, from the amazing soul swirl of “On & On” featured on Baduizm – her stunning debut LP-  to, her triumphant resurgence with last year’s New Amerykah Part One, she continues to stand alone in a field filled with endless numbers of musical clones.  She effortlessly channels the spirit of greats like Nina Simone and Billie Holiday and siphons it so soulfully through funk, hip-hop, jazz and rock to create a sound that’s uniquely hers. On a fine afternoon in late June, ChinaShop was granted some special one-on-one time with Ms. Badu where she fielded questions about her life, music, community outreach and the songs currently in heavy rotation on her I-pod.

Badu’s Soulful Alchemy:
The first topic of discussion is her new album that drops later this year. This is her second album in two years, and that’s a rarity in itself.
EB: It’s a continuation of [last year’s] record. I recorded it all at the same time – and just split it into two projects. This new one, Amerykah Part 2, is the right brain counterpart to the first one whereas last year’s was the left brain expression of where I am right now. This new project is for the emotional man and Part 1 was for the thinking man.

She goes on to explain the meaning behind the phrase, “Return of the Ankh” added into the title of the upcoming project –[the Ankh being the ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic character that symbolizes eternal life.]
EB: It’s a rebirth of consciousness for us all,” she intones, “for the slaves and for the slave masters alike. It’s the beginning of a new thought process, a healing for our planet. That’s what I see in my mind right now.  I’ve felt it for a while now, and as I grew more into adulthood I felt it more. I feel people are moving towards a state of more physical, mental and spiritual health.

One would think Erika would be feeling immense amounts of pressure dropping a fresh project after last year’s critically-lauded opus. Perhaps all the adulation for Amerykah Part 1 was because the fans hadn’t heard from her  in so long, or maybe it was the buzz generated by interest in her personal  life (even in her musical absence, the rumor mills were going strong about her May-December romance  with rapper Jay Electronica). Regardless of what the underlying factors were, it’s a fact that damn near everyone loved her new stuff. Amerykah’s first single “Honey,” produced by 9th Wonder , was lovingly embraced,  and music reviewers and journalists from both  high and low brow publications sang the praises of Erykah’s return. When it came time to rank the top releases of 2008, influential DJs and radio personalities (including the UK’s well-revered Gilles Peterson) placed it at the very top of their lists. So yeah, there must have been some anxiety on her end …

EB: I didn’t feel any pressure making last year’s album, and I don’t feel any now. I feel honored and grateful because I worked really hard to get this project done, but musically, spiritually it’s effortless because that’s how they made me … and put it like this, I don’t take it for granted at all. It fills me up and it’s enough to go on and finish this other part. I’ve never underestimated the people’s ability to feel where I am in life.

Musically, the same sonic chefs from last year’s LP are serving the instrumental textures for her pending release.

EB: On the new one, I’m sticking with the same producers. Mad Lib, Sa-Ra, Kareem Riggins, Jah Born, James Poysner, Mama’s Gun crew and the Worldwide Underground crew. We are all avid music collectors and music historians and it all just works perfectly together. This album will also include a J. Dilla track that didn’t make the first release.

Staying on the topic of music collecting and connoisseurship , Erykah and I jump into a lightning round session about who she’s bumping in her I-pod as well as other random musical topics.

As far as what she’s listening to presently:
EB: Lightning Hopkins , an old blues singer, he’s one of the founders of what we know as rock guitar playing, Sa-Ra Creative Partners,  Janelle Monae … Of course, I really like Hip-Hop in its realest form:  Funky  Four Plus One, The Cold Crush Brothers, The Roots album, Do You Want More?!!, Cody Chestnutt– his whole album, “The Headphone Masterpiece” is just wonderful.

About what song by any other artist she wishes she’d written, she replies quickly without the least bit of hesitation:
EB: Jill Scott’s – A long Walk in The Park.

Regarding whose opinion she values above all others when it comes to her music:
EB: That would have to be my Mother. She’ll tell me when a song is whack and she’ll be like,  that’s not it, go back in and work on that.

Concerning what the closing song would be on the soundtrack of her life:
EB: It would have to be the whole suite of Dark Side of The Moon by Pink Floyd.

On her creative musical process:
EB: It comes when it comes. It’s like this, if the sun is out, it’s out – if it’s not, it’s not. That why my albums are so far in-between and check this out … it’s easier to write for someone else because I don’t put so much judgment on it – I just do it freely.

Each One Reach One:
Even though her music dominates almost all her daily interactions, Erykah realizes  there is much more to life than just recording studios and live sets. The concept of giving back to the community is extremely important to her, so she started a non-profit organization called B.L.I.N.D. which stands for “Beautiful Love Incorporating Non Profit Development.”
EB: Our motto [for the non-profit] is Love Is Blind and we operate in different areas of art, science and education. We reach out to different races, cultures and ages to put art back into those communities. It’s been a hard but rewarding struggle. We started in 1999, but in 2003 is when we really came into our own and started cooperating with different organizations and groups.

When the last question is posed about whether  she’d want to revisit and change any period in her past, the 38-yr-old mother of three (her kids’ names are Seven, Puma and Mars) gives an answer that’s undeniably Badu.

EB: I would never choose to go back. I experience every day of my life to the fullest. If it’s a pleasant thing or a sorrowful thing I am completely there.  I’m aware of the great things I’ve accomplished and I know the places I have yet to go and things yet to do.

Stay tuned for Erykah’s next full-length concerto, and in the meantime, the Soul Quest goes on.

Words by Geo Hagan

http://www.erykahbadu.com/