I love music. Sometimes I think it is in my DNA. My dad told me that when I was in my mother’s womb he would zone out with his favorite artist and put the earphones to her belly so I could hear the music. And I guess it’s been on ever since because my love for music has always been truly unconditional. Which brings me to a pertinent question that Marvin Gaye asked when he released his misunderstood classic “Here My Dear” in 1978, when did you stop loving me and when did I stop loving you? Although he wasn’t talking about music, it makes me wonder when people stopped loving music. Don’t think they’ve stopped? Turn on the radio and listen for about ten minutes and I guarantee you won’t hear any love or passion in today’s pop culture sound. There is no variety and clearly no respect of people’s differences of musical taste.
Is this all a sign of the times and the change to come? Times are changing. People’s musical tastes are changing. Is this how groups like The Moments felt when the disco era hit full swing in the latter part of the 70s? How do you manage to stay relevant without losing your artistry? When does quality matter over quantity?
Well I still care. I still care about lyrics, the music, and the overall experience. And I’ll be using this platform to share some of my favorite albums ( Marvin Gaye’s “I Want You”), albums that changed my life (Lil Kim’s “Hardcore”) , new albums that were simply dope (Amerie’s All I Have”), and artist on the verge of changing the format of the current state of sound (Vikter Duplaix). So come with me on this journey of rediscovery.
Every so often, you’ll come across an artist who isn’t afraid to push the envelope and continue to introduce a new perspective…
New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
Ms. Badu releases her third studio LP (excluding World Wide Underground) during a time of musical uncertainty. Records aren’t moving major units and major labels aren’t really supporting the creativity of the artist but opting instead for catchier, sure-to-win dance tracks. Enter New Amerykah, a breath of musical fresh air. This album sounds like nothing we’ve heard from Ms. Badu or on the radio (b.k.a mainstream America). The beauty of Badu’s body of work is her ability to capture universal moments in life. Take for example in WWU she captured a “feel good vibe” reminiscent of the “P Funk Mothership era”. This album battles the ideals of modern society while taking you on a journey of self evolution. This album is very now!
Tracks like “Me” and “That Hump” find Badu reflecting on the trials and tribulations of life and evoking the same passion as she did throughout Mama’s Gun. “The Cell” one of my personal favorites, is one of the only up-tempo tracks on the album. If you’re like me and enjoy Erykah’s storytelling then this song will definitely move you. “Telephone” the tribute to J. Dilla, is by far the mellowest track on the album. You can really hear Dilla’s influence throughout the track, which was inspired by a conversation with Dilla’s mom about his last days. During his final days, Dilla often had conversations with fellow deceased artist. Perhaps this can be interpreted as Dilla knew he was nearing his death. This one in particular was a conversation with the ODB about which bus to catch to heaven. It almost feels like Badu is having a conversation with Dilla. Nonetheless, this track is very reminiscent of the Mama’s Gun sound that most have come to love her for.
This may not be Erykah’s best selling album or even deemed a commercial success but one thing that this album should be noted for is Ms. Badu’s unwillingness to dumb down her artistry for instant financial gratification (i.e. ringtone sales) the only bottom dollar for her is the music. This album takes us on another voyage through Erykah’s thoughts. Some may not understand this album until years later because the album went in a more futuristic direction in terms of how the music was delivered and sounds (i.e. distorted messages in the background). I would definitely recommend adding this to the collection if you’re looking for something new and different, experiencing a self revolution, or just love Erykah’s music.
And
This
IS
K. Fresh signing off….
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Gr8 job, keep it up looking forward to more….btw you should check out Marvins In Our Lifetime…
Later K
J good lookin on the Marvin album I will def check it out and perhaps do a write up about it. Being from the DC metro area, Marvin is my G.O.A.T. soo I try to have every recording his vocals have ever blessed.
Make sure you keep tuning in because I’ve started to up the ante on my record collection and eventually I’m going to start doing reviews on things that aren’t even in production anymore.
I applaude the author in allowing the world to see music from their perspective, I feel that ones love for music is heavily influenced by upbringing, culture, and state of mind. The author is no doubt putting her spin on such a vast spectrum that can’t be defined the same from one person to the next, I look forward to seeing through her eyes on what music means to her and following her on the “journey to rediscovery”….
Interesting article… I need to check out the E. Badu album, I’ve been hearing mixed reviews (yours is the first positive review I’ve read… but I did notice it debuted at #2 with like 130,000 units sold…).
Leah,
Beware!!! it is not like her other albums. If you’re expecting to hear recreations of her previous efforts you won’t find it on this album. This album is more left field on so many different levels. I say approach with an open mind.
why is that album on my zune right now!? i listen to it everyday . . . talk about evolution of Badu! why should k fresh have been the lead in Love and Basketball not Sanaa? I knew it was you from the first words (how i fell in love with music:) and didn’t know who the author was KUDOS on a job well done!