916. Erykah Badu - Mama's Gun (2000)

Track Listing

1. Penitentiary Philosophy
2. Didn't Cha Know
3. My Life
4. ... & On
5. Cleva
6. Hey Sugah
7. Booty
8. Kiss Me On My Neck (Hesi)
9. A.D. 2000
10. Orange Moon
11. I'm In Love With You
12. Bag Lady
13. Time's A Wastin'
14. Green Eyes

Review

If you mix Funkadelic, Stevie Wonder (in his good phase), Hip-Hop and modern R&B you will get something like this. Fortunately Erykah manages to do it very well indeed. This is a very fun album.

It does take a little bit to sink in but when it does it really rocks your boat. It starts off quite strong with the first track but the rest of the album does not disappoint in the least.

Erykah changes shifts midway through the album when she changes slower more emotional songs, this keeps your interest and they are so well done that it really doesn't make you sad that the first part is over, she manages to be equally proficient with both registers. A great album to end a very good streak... although my opinions on Coldplay might surprise you.

Track Highlights

1. Green Eyes
2. Penitentiary Philosophy
3. Bag Lady
4. Orange Moon

Final Gade

9/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:


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 Goin' On, Maggot Brain, all them." In closing he called Badu "the most important American musician working today".

Bag Lady: