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As a double album, I suppose “Honey” could have substituted for Part Two’s “Turn Me Away (Get Munny)”, and maybe “Incense”, featuring Kirsten Agresta Copely on the harp, would have been the sensible opening track for the second disc, since it actually references the “ankh” in Part Two’s subtitle via the line, “This is the return to life.” You might also be inclined to add “Jump in the Air and Stay There” back in the mix, despite Badu’s decision to leave the fun-loving Lil Wayne-assisted slice of spacey dopeness for the internet. Dilla tribute “Telephone” for that matter, would have been right at home on Part Two, but their position at the end of the first set effects a gradual change from 4th World War‘s funk-against-the-machine to Return of the Ankh‘s personal intimacy.Īccordingly, these parts practically beg to be played together, in one sitting. After all, the delay between the two installments was longer than we expected, for a variety of reasons, not least of which being Badu’s pregnancy. Artistically, it is the introduction for Part Two, the canary in the tracklist that alerts us to Part Two’s shift in tone, approach, and “freak-quency”, to borrow the spelling of the latter from Worldwide Underground‘s cover art. Commercially, it gave Part One a single with a fighting chance at radio play. Given the explicit “stay tuned for Part Two” advisory that preceded it, the purpose of that song’s sweet levity should be readily apparent. There should be no confusion about why the 9th Wonder-produced bonus track “Honey” was appended to Part One. The songs go by so wonderfully and so easily, you’ll want to start over and hear it all again. It is a smoother, more delicate and accessible affair, worthy of repeated listens not only because it’s a work of art but also because it’s so much fun.
ERYKAH BADU HONEY SLOW SERIES
While Part Two, The Return of the Ankh, is just as detailed, and includes many of the same production collaborators, it’s more like a series of vignettes than a feature film. Cinematic in scope, but detailed in execution, 4th World War was intense. Dilla, Shafiq Husayn, Karriem Riggins, and James Poyser, and fusing their beat smarts with the influence of Roy Ayers, Eddie Kendricks, and Parliament-era George Clinton, Badu proved she was indeed worth the investment, as her sonic experiment paid dividends. Backed by the soulful off-center leanings of Madlib, J.
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The music dug deep into the spine of ’70s soul, and experimented with heavy doses of space-age funk, improvisational jazz, and underground hip-hop. She was carrying some hefty ideas under her afro, and it turns out the “4th World War” was a social and political struggle that manifested itself in one’s critique of the world at large while the seeds of revolution and evolution resided within the self.
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Part One of the New Amerykah set found Badu in combat mode, sporting the unflappable vibe of a righteous soul sista and backing up her attitude with more than platitudes. Back then, Erykah Badu had been on a sabbatical from studio releases following 2003’s freewheeling Worldwide Underground. That is, if you know what’s good for ya.īadu, the self-described Analog Girl in a Digital World, is back with New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh, the companion to 2008’s first installment, subtitled 4th World War. You may not want to fall in love with this 21st century siren of R&B, soul, neo-funk, or whatever-we-wanna-call-it, but chances are good that you will. Then again, she could just as well be singing to the listener. Here, Badu’s tone is serious but playful, and so gentle yet firm and carefully measured that you can’t help but wonder what type of person would stick around after hearing such caveats. The subtle irony is that “Fall in Love” samples “Intimate Friends” by Eddie Kendricks, which was the backdrop for Alicia Keys’s “Unbreakable” and, back in the ’90s, for Sweet Sable’s “Old Time’s Sake” from the Above the Rim soundtrack. With a nod to the Notorious B.I.G.’s classic line from Ready to Die‘s “Warning”, Badu lays the smack down, “There’s gonna be some slow singin’ and flower bringin’ if my burglar alarm starts ringin’.” “You’ve got to change jobs… and change gods,” she taunts. “Prepare to have your sh*t rearranged the way I say,” she warns. “See, you don’t want to fall in love with me,” drawls the inimitable Erykah Badu to her potential suitors in “Fall in Love (Your Funeral)”.