Baduizm, Erykah Badu’s debut album, which breathed new life into a genre and introduced the world to a real visionary, was released 20 years ago this month.
The anniversary has opened the floodgates for retrospectives and stories on Badu’s legacy and the creation of an epochal album. The best of these, and I’m not just saying this because I typically sit within spitting distance of the author, is Zac Crain’s feature for the February issue of D Magazine, part history of Baduizm, part meditation on what it means to share a city with someone as special as Badu—fantastic original photography is a bonus. I would also direct you to this oral history for Billboard, this brief reckoning for Pitchfork, and this piece, which has other artists talking about the influence of Baduizm. I’m probably missing some good ones.
Of course, if you’d like to take your celebration of Badu off the internet, the Bomb Factory will host her traditional birthday show this Sunday. Guests announced for this year’s bounce so far include the great Pete Rock and Talib Kweli, but Badu and her band, that who’s who of Dallas musicians known as the Cannabinoids, could play three hours by themselves and I don’t think anyone would complain. Badu’s birthday parties rate pretty highly as unforgettable events.
Now, though, is a great time to quibble over which Badu album is the best (it’s New Amerykah Part One) and to look up old videos on YouTube. For the 20th anniversary of Baduizm, let’s go back 19 years, to the Feb. 3, 1998 episode of Sesame Street, because Badu, like Wu-Tang, is for the children.
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