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Erykah Badu - Worldwide Underground (SS opinion)

canonicalcanonical 2,100 Posts
edited May 2007 in Strut Central
I'm curious what the strut opinion is of this album?I never really liked Erykah, so I didn't bother checking for this release. However, I was listening to it yesterday on my way to see the clipse (road trip related) and it blew up my life world.
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  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    I'm curious what the strut opinion is of this album?



    I wasnt feelin it when it came out and I dont own it.
  • chaschas 45 Posts
    I'm curious what the strut opinion is of this album?

    I never really liked Erykah, so I didn't bother checking for this release. However, I was listening to it yesterday on my way to see the clipse (road trip related) and it blew up my life world.

    I never listened to Erykah too much either, but my girl has most of her albums. So far this one is my favorite:



    Definitely check this one out if you haven't already. I like some of the live versions better than the originals.

    chas
  • djkingottodjkingotto 1,704 Posts
    I'm curious what the strut opinion is of this album?

    I never really liked Erykah, so I didn't bother checking for this release. However, I was listening to it yesterday on my way to see the clipse (road trip related) and it blew up my life world.

    erykah is 99% dope as hell every time IMO. and terribly cute to boot....
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    erykah is 99% dope as hell every time IMO.

    Baduizm is a classic

    Live is really good featuring some excellent backround sangers + Tyrone

    Mama's Gun is good as well but she started to lose me.



    She went somewhere else w/ that Worldwide Underground joint.


    Once she got caught w/ the Dread wig I couldnt fuck w/ her. She was doin' a Marley tribute with a Rasta wig. That's some real fake bullshit. All that spiritual shit she writes/spits/kicks is suspect w/ a move like that.
  • jaymackjaymack 5,199 Posts
    I prefer Mama's Gun (dilla...dilla..beats..beats), but yeah, she's fly.
  • Birdman9Birdman9 5,417 Posts





    Her best work.

    WWU is lazy and half-baked.
  • canonicalcanonical 2,100 Posts
    WWU is on some serious gentle space sh*t. You call it lazy, but if this was private issue you would all be gripp and flip with ebay titles like "PRIVATE MODERN COSMIC NEO SOUL GRAIL"

    My description to my friend was as follows:

    "when I listened to this album I felt like I was on my porch. Except that my porch was orbiting jupitor and I felt so relaxed instead of dieing because I'm in space."

    I am feeling this album like nothing else and I know I am making myself very vunerable to the clon. However, bring the clon. I don't care because this album has blown up my life world.

    I will check the other badu joints but I don't remember ever liking them and I certainly don't remember them sound like WWU at all. I could be wrong.

    We followed WWU with Goodie Mob Soul Food and that was an excellent combo.
  • TREWTREW 2,037 Posts
    I certainly don't remember them sound like WWU at all.

    yes. WWU was an attempt at a more commercial style, which of course failed to sell. mama's gun is by far her best LP. baduizm had some good cuts but overall it's too samey sounding.
  • canonicalcanonical 2,100 Posts
    I certainly don't remember them sound like WWU at all.
    yes. WWU was an attempt at a more commercial style, which of course failed to sell.
    Hah, really? That's funny. That album has very little pop appeal and definitely no club tracks. Songs that intro with 50 seconds of heavy breathing and "doo... doo... doo... doo..." don't do well on commercial radio.
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    I certainly don't remember them sound like WWU at all.
    yes. WWU was an attempt at a more commercial style, which of course failed to sell.
    Hah, really? That's funny. That album has very little pop appeal and definitely no club tracks. Songs that intro with 50 seconds of heavy breathing and "doo... doo... doo... doo..." don't do well on commercial radio.

    "commercial style?"

    I though it was the other way around. They still play joints from her first 3 albums and nothing from WWU.
    What was the single/singles? I thought she was tryin to re-invent herself w/ WWU.

    And isnt it like 7 tracks long like some EP and shit?

    And if u never peeped her first 3 joints and WWU is an intro to her, I can see where one could be "impressed."
  • canonicalcanonical 2,100 Posts

    And isnt it like 7 tracks long like some EP and shit?
    It's technically an EP, but it clocks in at 55 minutes.
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts

    And isnt it like 7 tracks long like some EP and shit?
    It's technically an EP, but it clocks in at 55 minutes.

    Some ole stretched out funk shit.
  • Birdman9Birdman9 5,417 Posts
    WWU is on some serious gentle space sh*t. You call it lazy, but if this was private issue you would all be gripp and flip with ebay titles like "PRIVATE MODERN COSMIC NEO SOUL GRAIL"

    My description to my friend was as follows:

    "when I listened to this album I felt like I was on my porch. Except that my porch was orbiting jupitor and I felt so relaxed instead of dieing because I'm in space."

    I am feeling this album like nothing else and I know I am making myself very vunerable to the clon. However, bring the clon. I don't care because this album has blown up my life world.

    I will check the other badu joints but I don't remember ever liking them and I certainly don't remember them sound like WWU at all. I could be wrong.

    We followed WWU with Goodie Mob Soul Food and that was an excellent combo.

    Hey, even though I think it's lazy and half-baked, I still like a track or 3 on there, but the one I liked was just a remake of The Sequence's 'Funk You Up'.

    I don't know how much 'neo-soul' (or whatever catch phrase you wanna use for that most maligned of genres, maybe OkayplayerSoul or something), but there is nothing about WWU that distinguishes it from a half-dozen other records out around the same time, except it was notably sloppy for Ms. Badu. There was no cohesion, no hooks that grabbed you like shit off her first 2 LPs (like 'Bag Lady', or 'Next Lifetime' or 'On and On'), and even the best material, like 'Back in the Day' was a direct throwback to those on her prior LPs, or were straight covers ('Funk You Up' and an admittedly nice rendition of 'Think Twice').

    Let's re-phrase it....if a NEW artist had put out that LP/CD as their debut, you never would have heard a second. Personally I am waiting for a full project from Badu that delivers more quality stuff with some real effort behind it.
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    I don't know how much 'neo-soul' (or whatever catch phrase you wanna use for that most maligned of genres, maybe OkayplayerSoul or something), but there is nothing about WWU that distinguishes it from a half-dozen other records out around the same time, except it was notably sloppy for Ms. Badu.

    At the time Neo-Soul was being questioned. And I think WWU was an attempt to get beyond the clones.
    Sista friends of mine still repped WWU but it was more out of loyalty than real artistry.
  • TREWTREW 2,037 Posts
    I certainly don't remember them sound like WWU at all.
    yes. WWU was an attempt at a more commercial style, which of course failed to sell.
    Hah, really? That's funny. That album has very little pop appeal and definitely no club tracks. Songs that intro with 50 seconds of heavy breathing and "doo... doo... doo... doo..." don't do well on commercial radio.

    "commercial style?"

    I though it was the other way around.

    yeah, honestly it's been a minute since i listened to it but there was that cut 'danger' that had a commercial r&b styled beat, plus the funk you up cover.. it all seemed calculated to be more R&B radio friendly than her other lps imo. 'bump it' is my cut though.
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    it all seemed calculated to be more R&B radio friendly than her other lps imo.

    Her first 3 joints had Kedar funneling crazy singles to the radio/BET when they were out.

    I dont recall the radio playing from WWU after the leadoff single.
  • Birdman9Birdman9 5,417 Posts
    it all seemed calculated to be more R&B radio friendly than her other lps imo.

    Her first 3 joints had Kedar funneling crazy singles to the radio/BET when they were out.

    I dont recall the radio playing from WWU after the leadoff single.

    I even remember Badu guesting on some special on BET where they played all her videos, it was like a super-promo for her Live CD. The funny thing was, she seemed semi-uncooperative with the whole thing, and answered a lot of questions with what seemed like very short or one-word answers, or flipping that and getting all faux-scientifical and 5%er on the host.

    WWU was met with a deafening silence from the industry and marketplace at large.
  • canonicalcanonical 2,100 Posts
    there is nothing about WWU that distinguishes it from a half-dozen other records out around the same time, except it was notably sloppy for Ms. Badu.
    Please to recommend some titles, especially ones that are very minimal and low on the pop appeal.

    I am the littlest of dudes in this genre.
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    there is nothing about WWU that distinguishes it from a half-dozen other records out around the same time, except it was notably sloppy for Ms. Badu.
    Please to recommend some titles, especially ones that are very minimal and low on the pop appeal.


    I am the littlest of dudes in this genre.

    Could u be more specific before this turns into the private mind garden garage sale of neo-soul.

    Minimal/under the radar/albums from "fading" Neo-Soul era?
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    it all seemed calculated to be more R&B radio friendly than her other lps imo.

    Her first 3 joints had Kedar funneling crazy singles to the radio/BET when they were out.

    I dont recall the radio playing from WWU after the leadoff single.

    I even remember Badu guesting on some special on BET where they played all her videos, it was like a super-promo for her Live CD. The funny thing was, she seemed semi-uncooperative with the whole thing, and answered a lot of questions with what seemed like very short or one-word answers, or flipping that and getting all faux-scientifical and 5%er on the host.

    Haha.

    i remember when her first Lp had dropped Rachel from BET did an interview w/ Badu.
    Futon,inscense,headwrap and all. Shit was next level at the time.

    WWU was met with a deafening silence from the industry and marketplace at large.

    Exactly.
  • canonicalcanonical 2,100 Posts
    there is nothing about WWU that distinguishes it from a half-dozen other records out around the same time, except it was notably sloppy for Ms. Badu.
    Please to recommend some titles, especially ones that are very minimal and low on the pop appeal.


    I am the littlest of dudes in this genre.

    Could u be more specific before this turns into the private mind garden garage sale of neo-soul.

    Minimal/under the radar/albums from "fading" Neo-Soul era?
    I like sparse production with minimal asthetics. And I don't like pop sensibilities. Do you need more?

    And yes, I don't want this to turn into neo-soul circle jerk. Perhaps we should take this to the PM.
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    there is nothing about WWU that distinguishes it from a half-dozen other records out around the same time, except it was notably sloppy for Ms. Badu.
    Please to recommend some titles, especially ones that are very minimal and low on the pop appeal.


    I am the littlest of dudes in this genre.

    Could u be more specific before this turns into the private mind garden garage sale of neo-soul.

    Minimal/under the radar/albums from "fading" Neo-Soul era?
    I like sparse production with minimal asthetics. And I don't like pop sensibilities. Do you need more?


    And yes, I don't want this to turn into neo-soul circle jerk. Perhaps we should take this to the PM.

    Pop can be sparse as well, especially in Neo-Soul. "Pop sensibilites" is a very broad description.

    To tha PM...
  • hogginthefogghogginthefogg 6,098 Posts
    I really liked "Danger" off of WWU. And I used to play "Puff" and "Back In The Day" in my early warmup neo-soulful kuficient sets.

    But she definitely did not give a damn on that record, seeing as a few cuts were about 7 minutes long.
  • MorseCodeMorseCode 1,516 Posts
    My fav track of hers is still "The Other Side of The Game" from the first LP, but I really dug WWU a lot. I guess it was moreso 'cause of the Poyser arrangments. I bumped "Back In The Day' on repeat when it dropped, sounded like some Mizell bros type joint. I guess that's what they were aiming for what with the Think Twice cover. But yeah overall I am not mad at WWU.
  • Kno_KaneKno_Kane 2 Posts
    Badu fans might like this..

    Rebel Clique - Unique Connection (2005)

    german r&b soul sensation, amleset solomon vocals + Fat Jon behind the boards..

    good mix of electronica, hip hop and R&B/nu soul
  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    Rebel Clique - Unique Connection (2005) + Fat Jon behind the boards..


  • rootlesscosmorootlesscosmo 12,848 Posts
    and terribly cute to boot....

    NO.

    you ever seen her up close -- without the wig?
  • dreas_heardrumsdreas_heardrums 686 Posts
    mama's gun is her best imo, i have listened to this entire album all the way through many times. baduizm was great when it came out too.
  • noznoz 3,625 Posts
  • TREWTREW 2,037 Posts
    it all seemed calculated to be more R&B radio friendly than her other lps imo.

    Her first 3 joints had Kedar funneling crazy singles to the radio/BET when they were out.

    I dont recall the radio playing from WWU after the leadoff single.

    yeah total commercial failure. but i hear you, she may have had more sucessful singles on the 1st three joints but the r&b market in early 00's was far removed from the 'next lifetime' market (dope vid btw) and it was as though she was trying to be more 'urban' than 'badu' if that makes sense..

    either way, after giving WWU another listen today, it ain't all bad. i remember when i first heard it though, and thinking that she had changed.
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