Categories : Music Reviews, Rap + Hip-Hop.
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Rating: 4.5 / 5 Reviewer: Garth Paulson |
The difference between the first and second parts in Erykah Badu’s unimpeachable New Amerykah series can be found in their subtitles. Part one billed itself as the 4th World War while part two announces the Return of the Ankh. So war vs. life, basically. It’s not surprising then to find the militancy and political outrage of part one largely absent on its sequel, but that’s not to say that Return is any less of a masterpiece than 4th World War.
On first listen, however, the album might seem like a much slighter listen than its predecessor. Featuring songs largely concerned with love, a smoother musical backdrop and frequent clips of Badu and company goofing off in the studio, Ankh initially feels like a bit of a victory lap after the career-defining manifesto that was 4th World War. Closer listening though, reveals the album as every bit an equal successor.
Though her lyrical concerns aren’t quite as barbed or pointed here, Badu still manages to proudly wave her freak flag, even during seemingly innocuous love songs. ‘Window Seat’ hears her proclaim that she “don’t want to time travel no mo’.” On ‘Turn me Away (Get Munny)’ she assures her subject that she’ll be his “robot girl” after proclaiming “I love your follicles.” On ‘Fall in Love (Your Funeral)’ she warns potential suitors to “prepare to have yo’ shit rearranged” and then drops a Notorious B.I.G. quote. The subject matter may have changed, but this is still the fiercely weird version of Badu who announced herself to the world by saying that “hip hop is bigger than religion” on 4th World War’s ‘The Healer.’
The music on Return of the Ankh keeps up with Badu’s silky smooth, but slightly nasally siren admirably. At first, it too seems like a retreat from the ambitious territory of 4th World War to the “neo soul” of her earlier work. Like the lyrics, the music’s underlying oddness slowly reveals itself. While it’s undeniably more laidback and groove focused than last time around, Badu and her collaborators (who include Madlib, the late J. Dilla and 9th Wonder among others) load the album with sonic curlicues, oddball samples and next level ideas. The results are a further elaboration on the brazen melding of soul, R&B, hip hop, funk and pyschedelia evidenced on 4th World War that sounds simultaneously like it comes straight from the ‘70s and the future at the same time.
For those still uninitiated to Badu’s reinvention, New Amerykah Part One is probably still the best place to start, but its sequel is no mere afterthought or companion piece. After undergoing the destruction of war and now the return to life the next logical step for Badu is growth, and if the first two installments in the New Amerykah series are any indication, it’ll be a very exciting development that sounds like nothing else.
