BIGGER THAN RELIGION

Mama’s Gun is one of the sexiest albums I have in my CD collection. I know, it’s a little strange. The album deals with horrific, unsexy nightmares and things like police brutality (Amadou Diallo), mental imprisonment (plus, the high rate of incarceration for black males). A large chunk of the album tackles self-esteem issues and breakups. Anyway, Miss Badu’s music is not always joyless and serious/militant/political. In fact, she’s more playful and introspective than most hiphop singers.

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This one is haunting and amazing. Produced by Madlib, it is from her new album New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) – Only Badu can present something like national delusion in such a phunky manner (“Amerykahn Promise”).

dead prez said it’s bigger than hiphop. Killah Priest said all religion ever did was divide… Erykah sez hiphop ain’t dead yet, regardless of what Nas said. hiphop is alive, uniting cultures, races, all around the world. While I don’t think hiphop could ever be bigger than religion, she might be onto something with the government part, and her gospel in general that together the ants can conquer the elephant.

& coming soon, New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)

7 Comments

  1. big tune. I really like madlibs beats w singers. It suits his vibe real well. Dunno if hiphop is bigger than religion tho really, it’s big… but I heard like 90% of people on earth are into some kind of organized religion, which is what 5 billion people? Not that many hiphop fans yet.

  2. the whole album is insanely good. I like my hiphop with millenial aspirations. all aboard the sky-boat (well all aboard everyone who likes boats – I’m sure the boat’s course doesn’t have to be the sky all the time).

  3. Matt – Yes, Dudley Perkins debut was superb, and here the combo of Madlib and Erykah is also fire, plus this is an ode to hiphop, and and we can appreciate n dig that, and also a Dilla tribute.

    wtc – Two listens, and I was hooked… got it on nonstop…the layers and textures on this are just exquisite.

    Rupture – what is so great about “Honey” being the first single (relegated to a bonus/unnamed track on the disc) and video, it’s like bait that lures you in to spiders web. Surprise, surprise.

    quieto – why do you think people are surprise to find that out she’s from Dallas? Is it the head wrap, her singing, her African-retention style? I knew she was from the South– Georgia, I thought. She’s mentioned it, that she’s from South Dallas, in several songs tho.

  4. hi lamin!

    probably because she doesn’t emphasize the native-local throughout her aesthetic (and artistic and business network) as much as most texas rap and hip-hop artists do.

    and she probably doesn’t listen to a ton of screw or other texas stuff. maybe ugk. . .

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