Audio By Carbonatix
Miles Davis is often credited with reinventing jazz five different
times in such a way that his never-heard-before re-imaginings
influenced music as a whole. Arguably, the same case can be said of
contemporary soul songstress Erykah Badu. True, her relatively short
recording career spans only 12 years, but it’s an accomplished one
that’s sent ripples across such genres as 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,
gangta-y Worldwide Underground and the esoteric, hip-hop-heavy
New Amerykah, Pt.1: 4th World War, the 38-year-old winner of
multiple Grammy Awards totally deserves the “First Lady of Neo-Soul”
label (though, in our opinion, y’all can drop the “neo” part). And like
her ever-revolving changes in 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 chances are good
that she’ll make it a trifecta.
