erykah badu Archives

Erykah Badu Discusses The Power Our Phones Have Over Us (Video)

Last month, Erykah Badu released her new mixtape, But You Caint Use My Phone. The mixtape's title drew on the last line of her beloved sendoff anthem, "Tyrone," and telephones are a running theme throughout the project, from its song titles to the lyrics to many of the sounds heard... Read more

December 19, 2015 Video

Erykah Badu Details The Making of “Hello” With Andre 3000

On November 27, Erykah Badu released mixtape But You Cain't Use My Phone. The Thanksgiving week freebie is also available for online purchase. The closing song of the 11 included in the Motown Records project is "Hello," a duet with the father of Erykah's son, Andre 3000. The parents honored... Read more

December 15, 2015 Fresh

This Footage Captures the Energy of Erykah Badu’s Sold-Out Brooklyn Performance (Video)

Last night, Erykah Badu performed for an adoring, sold-out crowd in the newly refurbished Kings Theatre in the Flatbush section of New York City's Brooklyn. The venue - a classically designed theatre that looks out of place among the nearby fast-food joints and chain stores - was the perfect setting... Read more

December 3, 2015 Video

Erykah Badu’s New Mixtape Features A Duet With Andre 3000 (Mixtape)

At 12:00am today, Erykah Badu dropped But You Cain't Use My Phone, an 11-track mixtape featuring her ingenious remix to Drake's "Hotline Bling" (now called ("Cel U Lar Device") as well as its follow-up single, "Phone Down." The latest project centers on themes of communication, and while the literal references... Read more

November 27, 2015 Mixes

15 Years After Releasing “Mama’s Gun,” Erykah Badu Remains As Cleva As Ever (Editorial)

At the time of its release, Erykah Badu's sophomore album was often labeled as the sister album to D'Angelo's Voodoo, which had dropped 10 months earlier. Released on November 21, 2000, Badu's Mama's Gun was intimate, soul-baring, and one of the leaders of the Neo-Soul movement that presented an alternative... Read more

November 22, 2015 Food for Thought

Erykah Badu Makes Another Song About Phones & It’s Off The Hook (Audio)

Erykah Badu has pushed back her plans to release the But You Caint Use My Phone mixtape. While it did not release at the top of November as first reported, the presumed freebie will now be coming as a post-Thanksgiving leftover. Sometimes anticipation works in listeners' favor. Ms. Badu releases... Read more

November 9, 2015 Audio

Erykah Badu Has a New Mixtape Coming Next Week. What Will Its Future Hold?

Erykah Badu gave legs to Drake's "Hotline Bling," courtesy of her own, extended rendition. This was even before Drizzy's meme mushroom-clouding video released. As her Soundcloud page alluded, many speculated that the interpretative cover would belong to a forthcoming mixtape. In a new interview with Noisey, Ms. Badu confirms that... Read more

October 27, 2015 News

Erykah Badu’s Drake Cover Breaks New Ground & Returns Home At Once (Audio)

Preparing her alleged upcoming mixtape, Erykah Badu appears to be trying some new things. "Hotline Bling" covers Drake's recent scorcher, but on Badu's terms. From the mixtape reportedly called But U Cain't Use My Phone, Erykah offers some "Buduism" in a song co-written with her son, Seven Benjamin (Andre 3000's... Read more

October 2, 2015 Audio

The Game & Kendrick Lamar Put In Work Over a Flip of an Erykah Badu Classic (Audio)

As the October 9 release of The Game's The Documentary 2 album approaches, the excitement for the project is mounting. The Compton MC has released several songs showcasing the forthcoming double album's diversity, including tracks with Skrillex, Diddy, Drake, DJ Quik and more. One of the most anticipated songs from... Read more

October 1, 2015 Audio

Georgia Anne Muldrow Fires Up Raging Basslines In Rhythm Roulette (Video)

Los Angeles, California producer/MC Georgia Anne Muldrow has amassed quite a career. A Mello Music Group artist, the real-life spouse of Dudley Perkins (a/k/a Declaime) has worked on acclaimed albums such as Mos Def's The Ecstatic and Erykah Badu's New Amerykah Part One and Part Two, plus Platinum Pied Pipers' Triple... Read more

September 8, 2015 Video

DJ Erykah Badu Is The Healer. Here’s A Soul Mix Featuring James, Donny & Stevie (Audio)

Erykah Badu knows how to reach the people. As a singer, Badu has struck the hearts of many in three decades, with lyrics and sounds that touch the mind, heart, and soul of listeners. As a mixmaster, under the alter-ego DJ Lo Down Loretta Brown, Erykah does the same. Giving... Read more

July 26, 2015 Mixes

15 Years Later, Common’s “The Light” Remains a Shining Example of Hip-Hop Love

On July 18, 2000, Common released "The Light," and with it came one of Hip-Hop's greatest love songs. Along with Black Star's 1998 track "Brown Skin Lady" and The Roots' breakout 1999 single "You Got Me," "The Light" represented a focus on mutual respect, vulnerability, and a soulful approach to... Read more

July 18, 2015 Food for Thought

Erykah Badu & The Roots Perform The Ultimate Hip-Hop Medley (Video)

Erykah Badu and The Roots took the stage together at the 2015 Roots Picnic and performed the mother of all tributes to Hip-Hop. Black Thought kicked things off, ripping through "Act Too (Love Of My Life)," which segued perfectly into Badu's "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)," and... Read more

June 24, 2015 Video

Chance the Rapper & Donnie Trumpet Release a Star-Studded Free Album (Stream & Download)

Chance The Rapper along with frequent collaborator/close friend Donnie Trumpet, have been selectively putting out music through their band, The Social Experiment for some time. In that span, listeners of the experimental Hip-Hop group have been waiting for a full body of work. Today, (May 29) Donnie Trumpet & The... Read more

May 29, 2015 Audio

Raise It Up: Grasping The Entire Greatness Of J Dilla In Retrospect (Food For Thought)

On the heels of the first expanded Dilla Weekend, it is difficult to ignore the growth in posthumous fame that James Yancey (a/k/a Jay Dee or J Dilla) has accrued since passing away on this date, nine years ago. Like Amadeus Mozart's and Vincent Van Gogh's before him, Dilla's legacy... Read more

February 10, 2015 Food for Thought

Common & J Dilla’s The Light Was Part Of The Love Movement. Get The Backstory (Video)

Common's career took a tremendous turn on 2000's Like Water For Chocolate. At the perceived pinnacle of the Okay Player artist movement, Common and MCA Records made what is rarely considered the MC's best album, but may very well be his most important. Transitioning from the critical acclaim of 1997's... Read more

September 18, 2014 Fresh, Throwback

Here’s a Video Playlist of Some of the Hip-Hop & Soul Classics Touched by Bob Power (Video)

Here's a video playlist inspired by a recent interview with Bob Power, the legendary producer/engineer, who for more than 30 years has worked with some of Hip-Hop and Soul's most iconic acts. You'll see videos from A Tribe Called Quest, Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, De La Soul, Me'shell Ndegeocello, The Roots,... Read more

July 11, 2014 Throwback

Ever Heard of Bob Power? He’s Worked on Some of the Best Hip-Hop & Soul Albums Ever. Here’s His Story (Audio)

For more than 30 years, Bob Power has been one of the unsung heroes of Hip-Hop, R&B and Soul. The producer, engineer and composer has worked with many of the most respected and influential artists during that time period, including A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, Stetsasonic,... Read more

July 9, 2014 Audio

Yo! Bum Rush The News Show. Watch Erykah Badu Vid-Bomb A News Reporter (Video)

Erykah Badu's music videos are avant-garde. So is the Dallas, Texas native's daily life. While in New York City recently, Badu video-bombs a news report in Midtown Manhattan (seemingly reporting about Cage's homie, actor Shia LaBouf). She even goes as far as to attempt kissing PIX11's Mario Diaz, who does... Read more

June 30, 2014 Fresh, Video

Check Out The Ultimate Unofficial Erykah Badu Mixtape, Featuring Rarities & Unreleased Remixes (Mixtape)

For 17 years, spanning five LPs and one live effort, Erykah Badu has helped change Soul/R&B music forever. The Dallas, Texas native approached her genre with a keen appreciation for Hip-Hop all along, and found Everywoman (and Everyman) subject matters to breathe organic life into her field at a time... Read more

June 3, 2014 Audio, Fresh, Mixes

10 Years Later, Dave Chappelle Brings His Block Party Indoors, And Who’s He Sharing The Stage With?

A decade ago, Dave Chappelle famously held his "Block Party" in Brooklyn, New York. Held for free at a secret location, the event was the subject of a Michel Gondry-directed film. The Ohio comedian/actor curated a concert, sharing the stage with an extremely rare reunited Fugees performance, in addition to... Read more

May 28, 2014 Fresh

Erykah Badu Traced Her DNA to Determine Her Ancestry. Here’s What She Found (Video)

Erykah Badu took a DNA test to get a better sense of her full ancestry. OkayPlayer accompanied her on her journey and it yielded some fascinating results. Not only did Ms. Badu come away with a deeper understanding of her roots, she also learned that some of the things that... Read more

May 21, 2014 Video

Rakim, Q-Tip, Erykah Badu & Brian Eno Are Among Those Who Discuss Creativity In This Red Bull Music Academy Documentary (Video)

The Red Bull Music Academy may be one of the all-time best examples of arts and entertainment sponsorships. The energy drink's dedication to music education far surpasses most of what Heads see, but simply treating people like Rakim, Mannie Fresh, and El-P as the artistic luminaries they are on video,... Read more

February 19, 2014 Fresh, TV/Film, Video

Kendrick Lamar Performs at the BET Awards (Video)

Kendrick Lamar had a BIG look at the BET Awards last night, being the only performer to hit the stage 3 times. Check out his performances of Problems with A$AP Rocky & 2 Chainz, How Many Drinks with Miguel, m.A.A.d. city and B*tch, Don't Kill My Vibe with the one... Read more

July 1, 2013 Video

Kendrick Lamar Talks About Dealing With Fame (Audio)

Will we ever get that joint album from Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole? Only time will tell. In the meantime, here are some thoughts that Kendrick laid down as a lead up to the release of Cole's Born Sinner album. Kendrick talks about how his parents introduced him to hip-hop,... Read more

May 14, 2013 Audio

Kendrick Lamar Speaks With Erykah Badu

Kendrick Lamar was recently interviewed by Erykah Badu, one of his biggest influences, for Interview magazine. Check out the photo gallery and article here. Related: Kendrick Lamar discusses his musical influences (Video)... Read more

May 9, 2013 Food for Thought

Janelle Monae – Q.U.E.E.N. ft Erykah Badu (Video)

Janelle Monae and Erykah Badu dropped a red hot collabo last week called Q.U.E.E.N. Here's the brand new video for the song and it is just as funky fresh. This is the definition of super soul sistas. Check it out. Related: Ghostface Killah & Sheek Louch – Drivin’ Around ft... Read more

May 1, 2013 Video

Janelle Monae – Q.U.E.E.N. ft Erykah Badu

Janelle Monae is back with some new material and she brought out her big sis Erykah Badu. The result? A badass guitar and synth-driven jam that is reminiscent of some of Prince's funkiest joints from the early 80's (think Dirty Mind and Controversy). This joint is red hot! Check out... Read more

April 27, 2013 Audio

Ghostface Killah & Sheek Louch – Drivin’ Around ft Erykah Badu

Ghostface Killah & Sheek Louch vibe out on a super soul sample accompanied by the vocals of Erykah Badu. Check out Drivin' Around. Related: Ghostface Killah & Sheek Louch – Crack Spot Stories ft Raekwon & Jadakiss (Audio)... Read more

November 24, 2012 Audio

Erykah Badu DJs at Boiler Room in Los Angeles (Video)

Lo Down Loretta Brown (aka Erykah Badu) has been getting her DJ on for a minute. Her set is typically very eclectic and consists of everything from new hipster music to underground hip-hop to her own classics (and lots of sound effects). Here's a 30-minute video of a recent set... Read more

October 14, 2012 Audio, Video

Robert Glasper – Letter to Hermione ft Bilal & Black Milk + Afro Blue ft Erykah Badu & Phonte

Here are 2 more dope tracks from Robert Glasper's Black Radio Rediscovered EP. First is Letter to Hermione featuring Bilal and Black Milk. Next is Afro Blue featuring Erykah Badu and Phonte (Prod. 9th Wonder. Check out both below. Related: Robert Glasper - Black Radio (Remix) ft Yasiin Bey (Prod.... Read more

October 5, 2012 Audio

Here’s a playlist featuring some of the incredible (neo) soul sisters in the 90’s. You’ll hear music from Jill Scott, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Zhane, Angie Stone, Amel Larrieux and many more (Audio)

Check it out below. Related: Do What U Gotta Do (Video)... Read more

July 29, 2012 Audio, Playlists

Mother’s Day Playlist

Shout out to all the mamas out there. Here's a playlist for you. Happy Mother's Day from Ambrosia For Heads. Related: Hip-Hop & Love Playlist Mamas by Parfit on Grooveshark... Read more

May 13, 2012 Audio, Playlists

There is often a lot of backlash when R&B infiltrates hip-hop but what about when hip-hop infiltrates R&B (and not just featured verses)? Here’s a playlist of some dope R&B and soul (Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, TLC, Aaliyah and more) made by some of hip-hop’s finest producers. You’ll hear music produced by Madlib, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Dr. Dre, J Dilla, The Ummah, Kay Gee, Organized Noize, The Neptunes, Kanye West and more. Click below to listen.

Tracklist and production credits are below. Hip-Hop and R&B by Parfit on Grooveshark Here's the tracklist: My Soul Ain't For Sale - Raheem Devaughn (Prod. DJ Jazzy Jeff) The Healer - Erykah Badu (Prod. Madlib) Devil's Pie - D'Angelo(Prod. DJ Premier) Waterfalls - TLC (Prod. Organized Noize) Bullshittin' (Remix) -... Read more

March 3, 2012 Audio, Playlists

M*Knight – KnightVision Vol 2 (Video Mix)

Here's another incredible video mix from M*Knight. This one features a lot of current music from Kendrick Lamar, ElZhi, Stalley, Dom Kennedy, David Dallas, Freddie Gibbs, Pac Div, Murs, tabi Bonney, Curren$y, J*Davey, Erykah Badu, Black Milk and more (see below for the full tracklist). Once again, it's a true... Read more

October 29, 2011 Audio, Video

Kendrick Lamar interview by LRG (Video)

Here's an interview of Kendrick Lamar where he discusses some of his current musical inspirations. He cites artists like Bilal, Floetry, D'Angelo and Erykah Badu as influences on his melody and general sound. That shows in the soulfulness that is heard throughout Section 80. Check out the interview below as... Read more

October 10, 2011 Food for Thought, Playlists, Video

Here’s a Playlist of Some of the Best Chappelle Show Performances (Video Playlist)

Chappelle Show gets its much deserved props for its place in sketch comedy history, but it does not get enough recognition for its role as a major platform for showcasing hip-hop and soul performances. In addition to having impeccable taste in acts, the show had a knack for presenting artists... Read more

September 22, 2011 Playlists, Video

Here’s a video playlist inspired by the Rock The Bells festival. You’ll find videos from Nas, Raekwon, Ghostface, Black Star, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Cypress Hill, Souls of Mischief, Common and more. Check it out.

The Rock the Bells festival inspired the Reebok Classic Albums by Classic Artists series and it has inspired this playlist. This year's festival has an insane lineup of Nas, Cypress Hill, Black Starr, Mobb Deep, Souls of Mischief, Raekwon, Ghostface, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Common and many of today's up... Read more

August 31, 2011 Video

Erykah Badu – The Interview (Video)

Here's a really good interview of Erykah Badu. She goes deep on lots of topics, including family, music and the controversial filming of the Window Seat video. There is also a lot of great concert footage. Check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghc9jTEBt_E&feature=player_embedded Though she's labeled as Neosoul, her influences are steeped in... Read more

August 26, 2011 Food for Thought, The Bridge, Video

Tyler the Creator put together a pretty ill Summer Mix.

As you might expect, it's pretty heavily Pharrell-influenced, but there are some cool surprises, as well. Here's what Tyler had to say about it: Hi. I’m On A Big Tour In Europe Right Now, Pretty New To This. I’m Used To Spending Summers Not Doing Anything Productive With My Friends.... Read more

July 5, 2011 Audio

This week’s Soul Cooking mix features newer soul…but let’s not call it Neo.

If you dig artists like Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, Maxwell, Jill Scott, India.Arie and Lauryn Hill, this one is for you. Put this one on with the BBQ and let it marinate.... Read more

May 29, 2011 Audio

Trademark Da Skydiver and Young Roddy riff on Erykah Badu’s Window Seat track with Pilot Seats.

It's a good look, especially if you like Ms. Badu's version. Curren$y's JETS crew is starting to come up. Click here to download. The original and remix versions of Window Seat were 2 of the doper videos from last year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hVp47f5YZg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmIOSRmplsc... Read more

March 2, 2011 Audio, The Bridge, Video

There is NO WAY I could let this day go by without a tribute to the late, great J. Dilla. Here’s a playlist with some of my favorite Dilla joints.

37 years ago today was his born day and, to the HUGE loss of the hip-hop community, the anniversary of his death is on 2/10/06. In the short time he was with us, he left an indelible sonic imprint on the hip-hip, R&B and general music landscape. Here's a playlist... Read more

February 7, 2011 Audio, Playlists

I slept on Show Tufli a bit, but better late than never…Check out the video for 1st Class Ticket.

Show Tufli has an interesting story. When he was 17 he had a stroke and was paralyzed for 40 days. He overcame that and is now trying to conquer the rap game. The song he spit over this chopped up sample of Erykah Badu's Window Seat is a nice start.:... Read more

December 6, 2010 The Bridge, Video

Freddie Gibbs put his spin on a classic Dr Dre beat (really Isaac Hayes) on his latest song Something New and did it real justice.

Check out the video showing a bit of the making of the song and click below for the download. Closed Sessions: Freddie Gibbs http://vimeo.com/14194755 Click here to download Something New. Also, check out a few other uses of the sample by Dr. Dre, as well as the original by Isaac... Read more

August 26, 2010 The Bridge, Video

Check out Erykah's new video for Window Seat (remix ft. Rick Ross) and Turn Me Away (Get Munny) while it lasts…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmIOSRmplsc... Read more

August 9, 2010 Video

So Soulful

Listening to Rick Ross talk about his soulful musical influences inspired this playlist. It features Curtis Mayfield, Mary J. Blige and others cited by the Teflon Don. Tracklist below. Summer Madness - Kool & The Gang I Can’t Help It - Michael Jackson Give Me Your Love - Curtis Mayfield Holding... Read more

June 13, 2010 Audio, Playlists, Video

Meditations on Hip-Hop, Vol. Too

Think of this as hip-hop for chilling, sitting back and relaxing or just marinating. It’s hip-hop for a rainy day. Just hit play, sit back and let it ride. Tracklist is below. Kick it to the Beat – J-Live The Lights – Nicolay & Kay Do You Think About Me... Read more

June 13, 2010 Audio, Playlists, Video