Here's what's written about it: 'Remember when you ventured into 'Big Ma's' room on your summer vacation as a child. Remember when you found that gentle, sweet grandma had a big shiny thing in the closet where you weren't supposed to find it. Remember thinking 'Wow, Big Ma can protect me if she has to.' Well, Erykah Badu's Mama's Gun is here in music form to protect us from all the garbage we're fed in entertainment.' Includes the hit single
Bag Lady.
Mama's Gun is the second studio album by American R&B and neo soul musician Erykah Badu, released November 21, 2000 on Motown Records. Recording sessions for the album took place from 1999 to 2000 at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. Mama's Gun encompasses such musical styles as jazz and soul, and it contains confessional lyrics by Badu, which cover themes of insecurity, social issues and personal relationships. The album has been viewed as a female companion to neo soul artist D'Angelo's second album Voodoo (2000), which features a similar musical style and direction.Klein, Joshua. "". The Washington Post: C.05. December 6, 2000. (Transcription of original review at talk page)Gill, Andy. . The Independent. Retrieved on 2010-03-30.
The album contains the single "Bag Lady", a top 10 Billboard hit, nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and for Best R&B Song. The song "Didn't Cha Know?" was also nominated for Best R&B Song. The album features substantial contributions from several members of the Soulquarians outfit, of which Badu was a member. It also features guests such as soul singer Betty Wright and trumpeter Roy Hargrove. Mama's Gun was met with great critical success and sold strongly, reaching Platinum two months after its release. Thematically the album explores topics regarding self-esteem, relationship breakdowns, and police brutality, and features a more eclectic sound than its predecessor. Rolling Stone magazine named it amongst its Top 10 Albums of 2000.
Conception
Background
After the success of Baduizm and its follow up, Live, Badu took a short break to tend to her role as a mother to her newborn child, Seven, whom she had with her partner at the time, André Benjamin. She returned to collaborating with Questlove of The Roots. The frequency of their collaborations led to her becoming a member of the Soulquarians - a collective formed of like-minded musicians, singers and rappers including Questlove, D'Angelo, Jay Dee, and Common (with whom she had previously worked in 1997). Unfortunately, by the time the songs for her follow up album had begun to materialize, her spousal relationship with Benjamin had already broken down. Badu used the experience as inspiration for several of the songs that she would write, most notably "Green Eyes". Another event, the murder of Amadou Diallo by New York City Police, serves as the basis for the song "A.D. 2000". Critics have noted that while Baduizm contained its share of cryptic lyricism, Mama's Gun is much more direct in its approach, and places the artist in a subjective position more than its predecessor.
Recording
As with other Soulquarian collaborations, the majority of the album was recorded at Electric Lady, Jimi Hendrix's personal recording studio, which was also used to create several landmark albums by David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, and John Lennon. The sessions were informal, and took place simultaneously with D'Angelo's Voodoo and Common's Like Water for Chocolate, resulting in impromptu collaborations and a distinctive sound that can be found among the three albums. Renown recording engineer, Russell Elevado, who was responsible for the mixing of all three albums, has stated that he used older techniques and vintage mixing gear in order to achieve the warmth found in older recordings. While most current recording techniques involve the use of hi-tech digital equipment, Elevado employed the use of analog equipment including vintage microphones and recording to tape.
Music
The album opens with the explosive, psychedelic, guitar-lead "Penitentiary Philosophy", which features a sample of Stevie Wonder's "Ordinary Pain", heavy drumming from Questlove, and guitar by Jef Lee Johnson. The song is an expression of what Badu sees as a state of mental imprisonment. She urges disillusionment and liberation from false beliefs: "Here's my philosophy/Livin' in a penitentiary/Brothers all on the corner/Tryin' to make believe/Turn around ain't got no pot to pee". The song features a twice-repeated breakdown section where she almost whispers her lyrics, as the music slowly builds up and launches back into the main groove. The following song, the spiritual "Didn't Cha Know", features ethnic-sounding percussion, wah-wahs, and emotive strings. The song was produced by Jay Dee with contributions from James Poyser. Jay Dee had been working with Common on his album but was yet to meet Badu, so the rapper arranged for the two to meet. She relates the song's creation:
It was the second single and garnered some unwanted attention when the source of its sample, jazz fusion band Tarika Blue, filed a suit seeking compensation for its release as thus. The case was settled out of court. The song "...& On" is a continuation of her 1997 hit "On & On" and, like that song, sees Badu waxing cryptically yet again, although she conscientiously teases her own mystic image when she sings "What good do your words do if they can't understand you? Don't go talkin' that shit, Badu". After this song, the album jumps into "Cleva", which begins with the line "this is how I look without make-up". Badu uses the song to challenge accepted standards of female values when she asks "She's cleva and I really wanna grow, but why come you're the last to know?". The issue of self-esteem is further explored on two other songs; the funk-jam "Booty", and the jazzy album version of "Bag Lady". On the latter, Badu uses the titular "bag lady" as a metaphor for a woman who carries emotional baggage over from her previous relationships and is unable to let anyone get close to her. She stresses the importance of obtaining closure when she sings: "Bag lady, you gon' hurt your back/Draggin' all them bags like that/I guess nobody ever told you/All you must hold on to is you". The controversial 1999 shooting of Guinea immigrant Amadou Diallo by the NYPD's Street Crimes Unit served as the basis for "A.D. 2000" (the abbreviation standing for Diallo's initials). Rather than singing a condemnation of the NYPD, as had most other artists who were incensed by the event, Badu chose to sing an elegy which, while noting the tragedy of Diallo's killing, also observes the furor over the circumstances, which she viewed as likely to be temporary: "No you won't be name'n no buildings after me/To go down dilapidated ooh/No you won't be name'n no buildings after me/My name will be misstated, surely". The song recalls other symbolic protest songs such as "Strange Fruit" by Billie Holiday, an artist with whom Badu has received some favorable comparisons. Mama's Gun contains two back-to-back love songs; the dreamy, astronomical ballad "Orange Moon", and the acoustic, reggae-tinged "In Love With You" - a duet between Badu and Stephen Marley.
The last song, and arguable centerpiece of the album, "Green Eyes", is a sprawling, three-part epic exploring the contradicting emotions of a woman trying to cope with a breakup. The first part, titled "Movement 1 (denial)", features piano by James Poyser, trumpets by Roy Hargrove, and sounds akin to the effect of being heard through a 1930s gramophone record player. It sees Badu singing in a soft bluesy baritone comparable to Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. In this section of the song, Badu denies feeling hurt when she finds out that her former lover has a new partner. She sings: "My eyes are green/Cause I eat a lot of vegetables/It don't have nothing to do with your new friend". The second movement, dubbed "acceptance", features bass guitar, flutes, and piano and is a lot jazzier, featuring brush-stroke drums by Questlove. In this section she sings: "I can't remember the last time I felt this way about somebody/You've done something to my mind/And I can't control it/But I don't love you any more/Yes I do, I think/Loving you is wrong". In the third section, she finally succumbs to her emotions and reveals at once, feelings of regret, abandonment, and unfulfilled promises, as well as a yearning to rekindle an affair which almost certainly consumed her, and which she has yet to move on from: "Don't you want be strong with me?/You told me we could have a family/Want to run to me when you're down and low/But times get tough and there you go/Out the door, you wanna run again/Open your arms and you'll come back in/Wanna run cause you say you're afraid". Because of her highly publicized involvement with André Benjamin, many assumed that she was referring to their break-up in the song and also on her song "Tyrone", however both parties have stated that there is no animosity between them and that they are on good terms, and speak regularly (it is worth noting that "Tyrone" was recorded in 1997, while the pair were still an item). Benjamin responded to the rumors in the song "A Life in the Day of Benjamin André (Incomplete)", from the 2003 Outkast album, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.
Reception
Commercial performance
The lead single from Mama's Gun was the "Cheeba Sac" mix of "Bag Lady", which, with its colorful, artsy music video, shot to #1 on the R&B charts, and also into the Top 10 on the billboard charts. This remix of the song contained a sample from the Dr. Dre song "Xxplosive". The popularity of the song landed the album at #11 in the national charts when it was released four months later in October, 2000. This was a noticeable drop from Baduizms peak chart position of #2, although the album sold strongly and had reached Platinum by late December the same year. Despite this, there were only two more singles released from the album, the latter of which received no music video and barely any promotion, although Badu herself did direct a rare video for "Penitentiary Philosophy", which was not released as a single.
Critical response
Critical reactions to the album were largely positive. "Bag Lady" was nominated for the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and for Best R&B Song, while "Didn't Cha Know" was nominated for the 2002 Grammy Award for Best R&B Song. Rolling Stone magazine listed it among their Top 10 Albums of 2000, applauded her for taking "chances the way Stevie Wonder or Nina Simone did in their prime" and went on to say "she has taken her art to the next level." Entertainment Weekly called the album a "'70s soul homage featuring live musicians and a smooth-funk sound that wouldn't be out of place on a CTI record". CMJ included it in their Best Of The Year roundup and called it "a sultry concoction of mild jazz and soft '70s marked by an all-around reverence for 'retro'....demonstrating her true artistry." In his review for PopMatters, music critic Wayne Franklin wrote:
The A.V. Clubs Keith Phipps praised Badu's lyrical themes and the album's "deceptively simple arrangements, a lovely breakup suite ('Green Eyes'), and near-infinite replay value".Phipps, Keith. . The A.V. Club. Retrieved on 2010-03-30. Noted music critic, Robert Christgau (of the Village Voice), gave the album a rating of "A" and commented that "maybe her sources are autobiographical, but she’s here to inspire all black-identified women and the men who admire them." Noting the relatively lukewarm reception of the album when compared with Baduizm, Bill Meyer wrote for Ink Blot magazine that "it's everything we say we want in music: gutsy, introspective, innovative, bold, real in a way that few other albums even try to be--and yet nobody was talking about this record at the end of the year." Meyer was particularly vocal in his praise of Badu's artistry, boldly lauding Mama's Gun as an album that is "as good and important as all those soul and rock albums my friends say aren't made anymore: Talking Book, Court and Spark, Curtis, Darkness on the Edge of Town, What's Going On, Maggot Brain, all them." In closing he called Badu "the most important American musician working today". The New York Timess Jon Pareles named it the fifth best album of 2000.Pareles, Jon. . The New York Times. Retrieved on 2009-08-09.
Personnel
* Jon Adler – Assistant Engineer
* Erykah Badu – Vocals, Vocals (bckgr), Producer, Art Direction
* Chris Bell – Engineer
* Leslie Brathwaite – Mixing
* Earle Brown – Engineer
* Tom Coyne – Mastering
* Russell Elevado – Mixing
* Chris Gehringer – Mastering
* Leonard "Doc" Gibbs – Percussion
* Larry Gold – Cello, String Arrangements
* Mark Goodchild – Recording
* Roy Hargrove – Trumpet, Horn Arrangements
* Pino Palladino – Bass
* Emma Kummrow – Violin
* Bray Lon Lacy – Overdubs
* Steve Mandel – Mixing Engineer
* Shaun Martin – Keyboards
* Roy Ayers – Vibraphone
* Robert Maxwell – Cover Art
* Shinobu Mitsuoka – Mixing Engineer
* Vernon Mungo – Production Facilitator
* Peter Nocella – Viola
* Charles Parker – Violin
* James Poyser – Producer
* Tom Soares – Mixing
* Erik Steinert – Sequencing, Pro-Tools
* Gregory Teperman – Violin
* Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson – Drums
* Don Thompson – Photography
* Kierstan Tucker – A&R
* Mike Turner – Assistant Engineer
* Michael Whitfield – Art Direction, Design
* James Dewitt Yancey – Producer
* Geno "Junebugg" Young – Vocals (bckgr)
* Yah Zarah – Vocals (bckgr)
* Krystof Zizka – Assistant Engineer
Chart history
Chart positions
Album - Billboard (North America)
Singles - Billboard (North America)
Chart procession and succession
References
This text has been derived from Mama's Gun on Wikipedia and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License 3.0Artist/Band Information
Erykah jazzreggae2009.jpgthumbBadu performing at the Jazz Reggae Festival, 2009
Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), better known by her stage name Erykah Badu (), is an American recording artist, record producer and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical stylings and sense of fashion. She is known as the "First Lady of Neo-Soul" or the "Queen of Neo-Soul".
Early in her career, Badu was recognizable for wearing very large and colorful headwraps. For her musical sensibilities, she has often been compared to jazz great Billie Holiday. She was a core member of the Soulquarians, and is also an actress having appeared in a number of films playing a range of supporting roles in movies such as Blues Brothers 2000, The Cider House Rules, and House of D, she is also very prominent in the documentary film Before the Music Dies.
Life and career
Early life
Erykah Badu was born Erica Abi Wright in South Dallas, Texas, on February 26, 1971. Her Nigerian mother raised her and her brother and sister alone; their father, William Wright, Jr., had deserted the family early in their lives. To provide for her family, the children's grandmother often helped looking after them while Erykah's mother, Kolleen Maria Gipson (Wright), performed as an actress in theatrical productions. Influenced by her mother, Erykah had her first taste of show business at the age of 4, singing and dancing with her mother at the Dallas Theatre Centre.
By the age of 14, Erykah was free-styling for a local radio station alongside such talent as Roy Hargrove. In her early youth, she decided to change the spelling of her name from Erica to Erykah, as she firmly believed her original name to be her slave name. The term 'kah' signifies the inner self. Badu is also an African name for the 10th born child used for the Akan people in Ghana.
Upon graduating from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Badu went on to study theater at the historically black college Grambling State University. Concentrating on music full-time, she left the university in 1993 before graduating and took on several minimum wage jobs to support herself. She taught drama and dance to children at the South Dallas Cultural Center. Working and touring with her cousin, Robert "Free" Bradford, she recorded a 19-song demo, Country Cousins, which attracted the attention of Kedar Massenburg, who set Badu up to record a duet with D'Angelo, "Your Precious Love," and eventually signed her to a record deal with Universal Records.
Music career
Baduizm, Badu's highly acclaimed debut album, was released in early 1997 and debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts. Lead single "On & On" reached #12 on the singles charts in both the U.S. and UK. Badu received notice for her introspective lyrics and jazzy, bass-heavy sound, and was hailed as one of the leading lights of the burgeoning neo soul genre. Her particular style of singing drew many comparisons to Billie Holiday.;) Baduizm eventually went triple platinum and, along with "On & On," won Grammy Awards at the 1998 ceremonies.
During that year, Badu became involved with rapper André 3000 of OutKast, with whom she had a child, Seven, who was born in 1997. Their relationship ended sometime in the late 90s. Badu recorded her first live album, Live, while pregnant with Seven, and the release of the recording coincided with the birth of her child. Live reached #4 on the Billboard charts, selling double platinum, and spawned another R&B hit single in "Tyrone", a song chiding a selfish, cheap, and inattentive boyfriend. Badu also collaborated with the Roots (who had previously handled production duties on a number of tracks on Baduizm) on their breakthrough 1999 release, Things Fall Apart. She was featured on the song "You Got Me", co-written by Jill Scott, which hit the top 40 and won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
After taking some time off to raise her child, Badu returned in 2000 with Mama's Gun, an album more organic in sound than her previous studio album, and primarily produced by the Soulquarians and noted bassist Pino Palladino. A remix of one of the album's songs, "Bag Lady", was issued as the first single and topped the R&B charts for seven weeks. The album was well-received, with the lyrical content winning notices from many publications who found some of her lyrics hard to decipher on her initial releases. Despite not charting as high as her first two albums, Mama's Gun was another platinum-selling success, and "Bag Lady" was nominated for a Grammy Award.
ErykahBadu2.jpgthumb200pxrightBadu performing Dec. 21, 2005
By 2000, Badu was in a romantic relationship with fellow Soulquarian Common, and "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)" was released as a collaboration between the two on the Brown Sugar soundtrack. "Love of My Life" hit #9 on the pop charts, topped the R&B listings, and Badu was awarded her fourth Grammy Award for the song in 2003.
After the release of Mama's Gun and "Love of My Life", Badu went through a period of writer's block. She hit the road throughout 2002 and much of 2003 on what she dubbed the "Frustrated Artist Tour", in search of inspiration to write and perform new material. The conclusion of the tour saw Badu head back to the studio with new material, and in September 2003, the Worldwide Underground album was released. More jam-oriented than any of her prior releases, Badu was quoted as saying that the release was designed to serve as one continuous groove. Worldwide Underground reached #3 on the Billboard charts and was certified gold not long after its release, and Badu received four further Grammy nominations for the album.
Badu also contributed to Zap Mama's album Ancestry in Progress (2004), adding her vocals to the track "Bandy Bandy."
After almost four years and the birth of a daughter, Puma, it was revealed in 2007 that Badu had three albums in the works over the course of 2007 and 2008. "Honey", a new single produced by 9th Wonder, was leaked online in November 2007, and the new album, titled New Amerykah Part One (4th World War), was released on February 26, 2008. According to Nielsen Soundscan, New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) has sold 359,000 copies in the United States http Erykah Badu performed at the 10th annual Voodoo Experience in New Orleans the weekend before Halloween 2008.
Erykah Badu released her fifth studio album, New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) on March 30, 2010.
An "Icon" CD series of Badu was released on August 31, 2010. It features 12 of the most favorable hits from different albums of Erykah Badu.
Musical style
Badu's lyrics challenge listeners with their highly personal, emotional, philosophical, and political content. She weaves disparate musical influences together creating a rich texture of sound. References to old school rappers and songs add a general hip hop sensibility to her music. In addition, much of her songs are influenced by jazz, and can thus be categorized as acid jazz as well.
Some music journalists have labeled her nu soul or neo soul, often comparing her to Billie Holiday in lyrical delivery and grouping her with D'Angelo in musical genre. An eclectic collaborator, she has performed with artists from many different genres and backgrounds, among them roots reggae musician and singer Burning Spear.
In the May 2008 Peach Magazine issue, Badu reflected on her change in genre and former practice of wearing headwraps. Having been dubbed the "Queen of Neo-Soul" in the 90's, she found the label inaccurate and meaningless, saying:
But she states she definitely knows who she is today.
A producer and director of her own videos and stage shows, Badu stated:
On Sesame Street, she sang "We're All Friends" with Elmo, Baby Bear, Rosita, and Zoe. (EKA: Episode 3712) circa 1997.
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Personal life
Badu splits her time between Dallas and Brooklyn, NY in her Fort Greene apartment. Badu has three children. Her eldest child is a son named Seven Sirius, born in 1997, with ex-partner André 3000 of OutKast. From 2000 to 2002, she dated rapper Common. On July 5, 2004, Badu gave birth to a daughter, Puma Sabti, in her Dallas home; Puma's father is West Coast rapper The D.O.C., who is originally from Dallas, Texas. On February 1, 2009, Badu gave birth to her third child at home, a girl named Mars Merkaba, with her boyfriend of five years, rapper Jay Electronica. In attendance were her two children, Puma and Seven.
After her performance at the 2010 Soul Train Awards, pregnancy rumors swarmed around her heavier appearance and her concealing attire. It was said that Badu was pregnant for a fourth time, now by the police officer that allegedly arrested her during the production of her Window Seat music video. Badu quickly dispelled the rumors via her Twitter account December 1, 2010 as she proclaimed "everyone knows I was NEVER ARRESTED for the window seat VIDEO nor put on probation.I only got A TICKET in the mail. and I am NOT PREGNANT," "not pregnant . just chubby."http
Badu also remains an activist in her hometown of South Dallas. Her charity organization, Beautiful Love Incorporated Non Profit Development (B.L.I.N.D. 501c3), provides community-driven development for inner-city youth through music, dance, theater and visual arts. In the publication VegNews Magazine, July–August 2008, Ms. Badu stated: "Vegan food is soul food in its truest form. Soul food means to feed the soul. And to me, your soul is your intent. If your intent is pure, you are pure".
Acting career
Badu appeared in the films Blues Brothers 2000, The Cider House Rules, House of D, Before the Music Dies, and Dave Chappelle's Block Party. She is reported to have a leading role alongside Mos Def in the upcoming indie film, Bobby Zero, which tells a story of a struggling couple who hit rock bottom after Mos Def's character gives up his dream of artistic aspirations to pursue a advertising corporate job to make ends meet. She also appeared in scenes of the music video of Miko Marks' 2006 recording "Mama" and Common's video for "The Light" as well as making a special appearance on the sitcom Girlfriends. She was named the latest muse to fashion designer Tom Ford in 2008 as the face of his White Patchouli fragrance. Ford, also long time friends with Badu, considered her the best choice for the campaign. “I have always considered her a true beauty … she just fits”, says Ford.
Controversy
Erykah Badu 2008.07.14 002.jpgthumb220pxrightBadu in 2008
On March 13, 2010,Hauk, Hunter. DallasNews.com. 29 March 2010. Erykah Badu shed her clothes as she walked along a Dallas, Texas, sidewalk until she was nude at the site where President Kennedy was assassinated. Suddenly, a shot rang out as the song ended; Badu's head jerked back and she fell to the ground. The result was a controversial video for her song "Window Seat", which Badu wrote on her Twitter feed "was shot guerrilla style, no crew, 1 take, no closed set, no warning, 2 min., Downtown Dallas, then ran like hell." Kwtx.com. 30 March 2010. Children with their families could be seen nearby as Badu stripped without any permission in Dealey Plaza, a popular tourist spot since Kennedy's 1963 assassination. Myfoxdfw.com. 29 Mar 2010. When asked about stripping nude in the presence of minors, Badu said "I didn’t think about them until I saw them, and in my mind I tried to telepathically communicate my good intent to them. That’s all I could do, and I hoped they wouldn’t be traumatized". Badu also explained on The Wanda Sykes Show on April 3, 2010, that it was not her intention to insult the memory of the late President Kennedy, saying "My point was grossly misunderstood all over America. JFK is one of my heroes, one of the nation's heroes. John F. Kennedy was a revolutionary; he was not afraid to butt heads with America, and I was not afraid to show America my butt-naked truth."Hanek, Joel. MTV.com. 5 April 2010. Coodie and Chike, directors of the Window Seat video, admitted they had bail money ready during filming if Badu was to be arrested. Badu said the video was a protest against “groupthink” and was inspired by Matt and Kim's music video Lessons Learned. Badu has also said she has "no regrets."
On Friday, April 2, 2010, Badu was charged with disorderly conduct, a class C misdemeanor, in relation to the music video. "Sgt. Warren Mitchell said Friday the decision to cite Badu for disorderly conduct — a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500 — came after witness Ida Espinosa, 32, of Vernon, offered a sworn statement to police Thursday . Espinosa declined to comment to The Associated Press on Friday." On April 28, 2010, Badu challenged the disorderly conduct charge by pleading not guilty rather than paying the fee by mail. On Friday, August 13, she pleaded, deferred adjudication, meaning that the final judgment in the situation has been deferred until a later time and paid the $500 ticket.
Discography
Studio albums
* Baduizm (1997)
* Mama's Gun (2000)
* Worldwide Underground (2003)
* New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) (2008)
* New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) (2010)
Live albums
* Live (1997)
Tours
* Baduizm Tour (1997)
* Mama's Gun Tour (2001)
* Frustrated Artist Tour (2003)
* Worldwide Underground Tour (2004)
* Sugar Water Festival Tour (2005)
* Summer Tour (2006)
* The Vortex Tour (2008)
* Jam Tour (2009)
* Out My Mind, Just In Time Tour (2010)
Filmography
* Blues Brothers 2000 (1998)
* The Cider House Rules (1999)
* House of D (2004)
* Before the Music Dies (2006)
* Dave Chapelle's Block Party (2006)
* Yo Gabba Gabba! (2009)
See also
* List of awards and nominations received by Erykah Badu
References
This text has been derived from Erykah Badu on Wikipedia and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License 3.0
