First Lady of Neo-Soul

Miles Davis is often credited with reinventing jazz five different times in such a way that his never-heard-before reimaginings influenced music as a whole. Arguably, the same case can be said of contemporary soul songstress Erykah Badu. True, her relatively short recording career only spans twelve years, but it’s an accomplished one that’s sent ripples across genres like mainstream hip-hop and radio-ready R&B. From her higher-consciousness debut Baduizm and the lyrically militant Mama’s Gun to the freaky-deaky, gangsta-y Worldwide Underground and the esoteric, hip-hop-heavy New Amerykah, Pt.1: 4th World War, the 38-year old, multiple Grammy Award-winner totally deserves the “First Lady of Neo-Soul” moniker (though, in our opinion, y’all can drop the “neo” part). And like her ever-revolving changes of sound, you never know what you’re gonna get with a Badu gig. She’s torn up Celebrity Theatre twice before with her mic posturing and a group of kickass musicians, so good chances are that she’ll make it a trifecta.
Sat., May 30, 8 p.m., 2009