Project 1001: Mama's Gun by Erykah Badu
When incense burns, smoke unfurls / Analog girl in a digital world
Neo soul is an exciting genre. And being that I was a huge fan of 70s soul, I have to confess that I have not kept up with neo soul in the 21st Century; probably to my own detriment. After spinning this gem, that will change.
This album is often spectacular and never dull. Badu has a beautiful voice and she knows how to get the most out of it. I enjoyed this record a lot more than I thought I would and I’m super-glad it popped up in today’s rotation.
Some review reaction….
“Meandering, occasionally impenetrable... yet a masterpiece nonetheless.” And, “With its sometimes fiery but often beautiful vibe, Mama’s Gun is a remarkably assured work that has aged well. Bag Lady was its hit and the album went platinum, but it didn’t have the lasting impact of Baduizm. But for those who found Baduizm a little too sweet, this is a fabulous, ever-evolving work by one of the most dazzling artists of the past two decades.”1
“Badu’s second studio album was long overdue (which might justify the disc’s 72-minute running time). In the past couple of years hip-hop and R&B music has become about as much of a packaged, mass-produced commodity as your average pop/rock offering. With Mama’s Gun, Badu reintroduces her fresh hybrid of organic grooves, live instrumentation and the latest recording technology. As she herself says on the track “…& On:” “Wake the fuck up ‘cause it’s been too long.” Too long, indeed. She’s an “analog girl in a digital world,” but she still finds a way to make it flow.”2
In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, Robert Dimery wrote:
“Naked, affecting, and exquisite, (Green Eyes) is a sublime closer to a most sublime album.”3
Charts
• Peak on Billboard album chart: #114
• Singles on Billboard charts: Big Lady #65
• RIAA certification: Album: Platinum | December 19, 2000, Gold | December 19, 2000
Released on November 21, 2000. Here’s what else was happening:
Pop Culture
• Number one song: Independent Women Part I by Destiny's Child6
• Number one album: The Dynasty: Roc La Familia by Jay-Z7
• Number one movie: How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Ron Howard8
• Most watched TV program: ER9
• NYT bestseller, fiction: The Last Precinct by Patricia Cornwell10
• NYT bestseller, non-fiction: The O’Reilly Factor by Bill O’Reilly11
Other albums released that month
• Origin by Evanescence
• Forever by Spice Girls
• Genesis Archive 2: 1976–1992 by Genesis
• Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars by Fatboy Slim
• The Color of Silence by Tiffany
• El Cancionero Mas y Mas by Los Lobos
• Hits+ by Kylie Minogue
• The Mark, Tom, and Travis Show: The Enema Strikes Back by blink-182
• Pure by Gary Numan
• The Seventh Song by Steve Vai
• TP-2.com by R. Kelly
• War to End All Wars by Yngwie Malmsteen
• 1 by The Beatles
• Familiar to Millions by Oasis
• One Night Only by Elton John
• Lovers Rock by Sade
• The Collection: Volume Two by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
• Conspiracy of One by The Offspring
• Didn't See Me Coming by Keith Sweat
• Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) by Marilyn Manson
• My Favorite Headache by Geddy Lee
• Sound Loaded by Ricky Martin
• Black & Blue by Backstreet Boys
• A Day Without Rain by Enya
• Flashback by Electric Light Orchestra
• Greatest Hits by Tim McGraw
• Mass Romantic by The New Pornographers
• Songs from an American Movie Vol. Two: Good Time for a Bad Attitude by Everclear
• Things Falling Apart by Nine Inch Nails
• The W by Wu-Tang Clan
• Tomorrow Comes Today by Gorillaz
• Catch the Wind by Donovan12
Sport
• Nov 1 Pat Riley becomes only 2nd coach in NBA history to accumulate 1,000 regular season victories; Lenny Wilkens is first to achieve the mark.
• Nov 20 52nd NASCAR Winston Cup Series: Bobby Labonte wins.
• Nov 25 Federation Cup Women's Tennis, Las Vegas, Nevada: Lindsay Davenport beats Conchita Martínez of Spain 6-1, 6-2 to give US an unassailable 3-0 lead (ends, 5-0) and record extending 17th title.
• Nov 26 CFL Grey Cup, McMahon Stadium, Calgary: BC Lions defeat Montreal Alouettes, 28-26; Lions, first team ever to finish with regular season record below .500 and win Grey Cup.13
Notable Births
• Nov 21 Isabel May, American actress (Katie Cooper-Alexa & Katie; Veronica Duncan-Young Sheldon), born in Santa Monica, California.14
Historical Events
• Nov 2 The first crew arrives at the International Space Station.
• Nov 5 Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie is laid to rest 25 years after his death after a funeral procession through Addis Ababa.
• Nov 7 US presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore is inconclusive.
• Nov 7 Hillary Clinton is elected to the US Senate, becoming first US First Lady to win public office and while still the First Lady.
• Nov 7 The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration discovers one of the country's largest LSD labs inside a converted military missile silo in Wamego, Kansas.
• Nov 11 155 skiers and snowboarders die when a funicular railway catches fire in an alpine tunnel near Kaprun, Austria.
• Nov 16 Bill Clinton becomes the first U.S. President to visit Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam War.
• Nov 17 Alberto Fujimori is removed from office as President of Peru.15
Notable Deaths
• Nov 5 Jimmie Davis, American singer and songwriter ("You Are My Sunshine"), dies at 101.
• Nov 14 Robert Trout, American newscaster (ABC), dies at 91.
• Nov 16 DJ Screw [Robert Earl Davis Jr.], American hip-hop DJ and rapper (Screwed Up Click), dies of codeine overdose coupled with mixed drug intoxication at 29.
• Nov 16 Joe C. [Joseph Calleja], American rapper (hype man for Kid Rock), dies at 26.
• Nov 22 Emil Zátopek, Czech distance runner (4 x Olympic gold 1948, 52), dies of a stroke at 78.
• Nov 28 Henry B. González, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Texas (1961-99), dies at 84.
• Nov 29 Lou Groza, American football placekicker & offensive tackle (9 × Pro Bowl; 4 × First-team All-Pro; Cleveland Browns), dies from a heart attack at 76.
• Nov 30 Scott Smith, Canadian rock bassist (Loverboy - "Working for the Weekend"), drowns in sailing accident near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco at 45.16
Enjoy and listen without prejudice. Cheers!
Prime Playlist: 117. Mama's Gun Erykah Badu
full playlist: You're Welcome 117; Mama's Gun Erykah Badu
Easlea, Daryl, Erykah Badu Mama’s Gun Review
Chick, Stevie; 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, ed by Robert Dimmery, p. 866.
Ibid.
Ibid.