Zack: Most of my prior exposure to Erykah Badu
consisted of listening to Things Fall Apart by The Roots over and over and over
again. As much as I love her in that song, I really wasn’t in the mood to
listen to a neo-soul album at the time, especially a 71 minute one. But I
sucked it up and now I sort of wish I hadn’t. I liked Mama’s Gun, but it just
felt so long. Like they could have cut out a whole chunk in the middle and it
would have been so much better. It was just too hard to stay focused for the
entire time, especially when I didn’t recognize any of the songs to begin with
like I did for other artists, like Lauryn Hill. I plan on going back and
listening to some songs over again to see if my apathy was earned or sentenced,
but I’m definitely not promising to do so with the entire album. I’ve got a
life to live.
Favorite Tracks: Penitentiary Philosophy; Bag Lady; Green
Eyes
Emily: I don't really know much about Erykah Badu besides her penchant for wearing brightly colored African hair wraps, and that she has a son with Andre 3000 named Seven (yes, like the number). With a quick scan of Wikipedia, I learned that she also has a daughter named Puma (yes, like the animal and/or sneaker) and another daughter named Mars (and yes, like the planet). All celebrity fun facts aside, I also spent the last hour listening to Mama's Gun, one of Badu's most critically acclaimed albums. I agree with Zack that it was overlong, and that a few songs in the middle could have been taken out with no impact on the quality of the music. However, despite it being a lengthy undertaking, Mama's Gun is a beautifully modern soul album. Badu's voice has a classic quality to it, less Aretha and more Billie Holiday. Mixed with modern subject matter and smooth rhythms, the album is both unique and timeless.
Favorite Tracks: Penitentiary Philosophy; ... & On; Bag Lady
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