On "Appletree," Erykah Badu sings: "I have some food
for thought." This food, garnished with soulful
spices that will satisfy your musical palate, is
served on a platter called Baduizm.
No, Baduizm is not a cult, it's more a lifestyle, where
self-respect is gained not by militant, fundamentalist action, but from the subtle way we
respect our peers and our minds. Much like a
testament that contains truth-revealing parables, Badu poetically details in her liner notes who
inspired each of the fourteen tracks. For Badu,
demonstrating the power of observation and the need to
be surrounded by those peers is the key.
Where Lauryn Hill brought a sense of classic jazz to
her modern hip-hop, Badu brings hip-hop's beats to her
neo-jazz soul. There's quite an interesting balance
in the presentation of Baduizm. Badu's smooth vocals
with their hint of girlish squeal have a
carefree yet weary quality. Her resemblance to the
great Billie Holiday is striking. Badu is a modern
day chanteuse, offering the soulful "On & On," adorned
with street grooves and breaks.
This profound mix of the past and the present occurs
over much of the album. "No Love" is a hip-hop song
that claims, "How can we make love when you don't love
me," while the sound of a needle crackling on a
vinyl record makes you think
you're listening to an oldie. Badu is certainly
fascinated by times past. On a cover of
Atlantic Starr's "4 Leaf Clover," she does her best to
faithfully recreate an old-time scat delivery. On
this same album we find "Afro (Freestyle Skit)," where
Badu injects some hip-hop humor by freestyling a story
about missing a Wu-Tang Clan concert, while telling
her man "If you don't pick your afro/You gonna have
one side high."
Musically, despite the freshness of the sound, much of
Baduizm begins to sound alike as the album progresses.
Even the presence of tracks produced by The Roots
don't seem to change the tide much. However, just
hearing that silky voice makes you think you're
listening to sunshine
after a rainstorm. With grooves so mellow and funky,
Badu creates an ambiance that revives the be-bop and
hip-hop art forms she humbly borrowed from. The
messages and messenger of Baduizm are worth
remembering.
If you like Erykah Badu, check out:
Erykah Badu Live
The Roots illadelph halflife
Maxwell Embrya
Jill Scott Who Is Jill Scott?
Billie Holiday Lady in Autumn
Lauryn Hill The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Macy Gray On How Life Is
Morcheeba Big Calm
D'Angelo Voodoo
-- Pierre Stefanos
