Source: VALERIE MACON / Getty
Erykah Badu has been a creative force since the mid-1990s and is highly regarded as one of the most innovative vocal performers of modern times. In a new profile, Erykah Badu lets fans in on her artistic process and shares that she has a full project with The Alchemist in the works.
Badu, 54, was the subject of Billboard‘s Women in Music series as this year’s chosen icon, and she traveled down memory lane regarding her upbringing in Dallas, Texas, the early days of crafting her acclaimed debut album Baduizm, living in Brooklyn in the 1990s, and much more.
However, the portion of the profile where Badu talks about the impact of Hip-Hop music and culture was notable. The songstress explains how she’s into the music but not to the level she once was. However, her affinity for music and culture is still vibrant, as her children have all toyed with creating music themselves.
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“Rap is the people. Hip-hop is the people. It’s the folks. It’s the tribe. I have the luxury of experiencing having children who I watch grow up and love and encourage very much, and I cannot separate them when I see artists who are that age coming up,” Badu said.
Regarding the project with The Alchemist, Badu shares limited details of what’s to come and says that what she’s aiming to create with the legendary California producer and rapper is taking up the majority of her focus.
Erykah Badu performs at Camp Flog Gnaw on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024 in Los Angeles, CA. Source: Michael Blackshire / Getty
From Billboard:
She’s been hard at work on her first studio album in 15 years, which is being produced solely by The Alchemist, the hip-hop journeyman who has had a resurgence as of late thanks to his work with the Buffalo, N.Y.-based Griselda crew and artists like Larry June. Badu posted a teaser of the project on Instagram to an exuberant response from fans who’ve been damn near begging her to drop something new and show the generations of artists who’ve had her pinned to the center of their mood boards how it’s supposed to be done.
The entire profile on Erykah Badu is well worth the read. Find the full piece here.
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