Have you ever been driving, and upon arrival at your destination you were reluctant to leave the car because you didn’t want to stop listening to the music you were playing?
That happens to me quite often. So I figured out a way to get around it. Just drive REALLY slow. You can call me ol’ Featherfoot, cuz I drive slower than your granny ever could. Don’t worry, I won’t get in your way… I’m
considerate of others on the road and I don’t want to annoy anybody.
Anyway, that’s how I was driving this morning, listening to Erykah Badu’s NEW AMERYKAH Part II. It’s so effin’ raw that I have to use a lot of expletives to convey my true feelings for the album, and I get a little aggressive. Whenever someone tears a song up, my cousin Briana says, “Ooooh, I’ma throw a shoe at him/her!” Sorry, Erykah, but that’s how I feel about this one. I mean, I’d never actually throw a shoe at you, but believe me, I thought about it.
New Amerykah Part II: Return of the Ankh, How do I love thee? Let me count the ways:
1. Window Seat (NEVER get sick of this song. And I’ve played it 100+ times already.)
2. AG-I-TA-TION!! (This little small gold nugget of a song… My only complaint is that it’s TOO SHORT! So I just play it on repeat. OMG, the GENIUS, Sheer GENIUS!!!)
3. TURN ME AWAY (Get MuNNY) (This is my JAM!!)
4. Gone Baby, Don’t be long (This is my OTHER jam!)
5. Umm Hmm (Heavy-hitter after heavy-hitter. Keeping the ball rolling.)
6. You LOving Me (OMG, so short but sweeter than Stevia.)
7. Fall in Love (your funeral) (No words…)
8. Out My Mind, Just in Time (I’m a recovering undercover over-lover.)
Erykah, you are a true ARTIST. We must be related, or we grew up in the same church in another life, cuz I’m feeling you on a whole ‘nother level; like we share the same spiritual DNA or something. Or maybe it’s the water element since I’m a Cancer; I dunno. Ain’t nothin’ new, though… I feel that way everytime I hear a new album of yours. Always inspired.
I would also like to acknowledge the other artists on the album. The music you made is just BEAUTIFUL! James Poyser, Shafiq Husayn, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Karriem Riggins, Ta’Raach, Madlib, J. Dilla, ?uestlove, and everyone else. Including the artists that were sampled (Roy Ayers, David Sancious, Paul McCartney, etc.)
p.s. I’m gonna try hard not to play this one out too quickly. That’s what I normally do. But I want every time I hear these songs to be like the first, so I’m gonna keep the hits on the repeat button to a minimum.
At least I’ll try…
p.p.s. R.I.P. to my teacher, my Guru, who was born on this day. Artistically, I will strive to reach the level of excellence that you did with each musical masterpiece you created. I don’t know much about the great Renaissance painters, but I do know I want to follow in the footsteps of one of the greatest Music-makers that ever lived – Mr. Marvin Pentz Gaye, Jr.
