Apparently your girl decided to come back in a big way, because three albums in one year is no small undertaking.
Absent since 2003s Worldwide Underground, Erykah Badu hit the studio hard in 2007. Her efforts gave way to an abundance of new material, the kind of theme-driven work a scrapping record company like Universal couldn’t turn a cold shoulder on.
The end product is a three-piece concept record, New Amerykah, which will be released individually in the spring, summer, and fall of ’08.
The first chapter of New Amerykah is titled 4th World War, and unlike a potential Van Halen reunion record that could easily boast a similar name, the album title is justified by the content of the disc.
New Amerykah: Part One (4th World War) is a record that’s consistent with the urban-progressive sound of its creator, Erykah Badu.
A general classification of “urban-alternative” is laughable when addressing all the sounds and styles on New Amerykah, and a genre categorization like jazz-hop would be more appropriate in describing the records sound.
The intro track, “Amerykahn Promise,” is a clipping funk-jam with direction from legendary all-jazz man Roy Ayers.
A booming big-brother voice quips about the over-consumption and materialism of the American Dream, as Badu asks for new lips, hips, and legs.
It’s a harsh reminder of how gluttony in this country regularly overshadows great American opportunity.
On “The Healer” the listener is exposed to a call-and-response between a healer and children.
Naturally, Badu plays the healer, exclaiming, “Hip-hop is bigger than religion/hip-hop is bigger than the government.”
The intention is that the children represent the “lost ideals” that once made up hip-hop culture. Badu’s vision gets lost among the frequent generalizations of our socio-political mindset. The efforts and the truths are all present on the record, but I felt myself digging for something more specific in terms of a message.
Maybe the message wasn’t something that should have concerned me, because stripped down to its instrumentals New Amerykah: Part One is a truly sweet sound.
Badu’s decision to use lesser-known conscious rap production from the likes of Madlib and Shafiq Husayn pays off in the form of stark finger-cymbal rhythms and gushy R&B bass lines.
The tracks “Me” and “My People” showcase the album’s solid instrumental arrangements in opposite ways.
On “Me” Badu carries a luscious soul groove with vocal dexterity, finding room for her signature sound on an otherwise freshly-foreign record.
The album’s second single “My People” is another minimal production that has the Dallas native chanting over spooky drums and multiple sound effects.
New Amerykah’s ultra-slick hit single “Honey” is included as a bonus track as well.
Badu is a known opponent of creating songs specifically to sell records, so it makes sense that she would stick it on the end instead of adding it into the album lineup.
The second installment of New Amerykah, titled Part Two (Return of the Ankh) is tentatively scheduled for a July release. The album is rumored to have more radio-accessible tracks for summer airplay, stepping back from the deep content that is featured on 4th World War.
While her return effort should be considered a success solely for the fact that Erykah Badu is making music again, there is still plenty of room to impress come installment two of New Amerykah. A tighter record message, coupled with the booming Middle Eastern influences of the Madlib-produced cuts, should make for another solid effort come summer.

Contact Jack at
JCChandl3168@winona.edu