Waiting for A New Am-Erykah

Erykah Badu is a force unto her own. Though not an artist that puts out records every year, she continues to show that she’s pushing soul, hip-hop and R&B in new and interesting directions. Like her or not, you have to admit she never bores.

It seems as though she’s on a mission. She has said with her new album, New Amerykah, due out on February 26th, she’s out to save the soul of hip-hop. In fact, her website notes the release date is “Savior’s Day: Freeing the Slaves and the Slave Masters.” Saviors’s Day is a holiday for members of the Nation of Islam.

Her first single, Honey, is about being in love with someone who’s somewhat hard to pin down, perhaps a philanderer. She never asks the lover, named Slim, to be monogamous, but to simply get with her and “stick your pinky finger in my tea.”

What’s more interesting is the video, which follows Badu around a small (indy) record store, while she picks up LPs. The albums are all versions of Badu posing as many famous hip-hop and soul records (Soul Bounce.com did a break down of the classic LP’s she’s parodying. To see them, click here.).

The video is not only a nostalgic look at the experience of going to the record store and buying LPs (as opposed to sitting at your laptop and downloading iTunes singles), but also a commentary on commercialism and the loss of community space. I can hardly wait two weeks for A New Amerykah.

Tags: erykah badu, new amerykah