Erykah Badu is my first musical mother. My actual mother introduced me to her music in elementary school, and ever since then I don't think I've gone a day without listening to her. Badu's album Worldwide Underground was part of a staple of about a half-dozen or so albums that mom kept in rotation in her truck throughout my K-5 years: The Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready to Die, Steely Dan's The Definitive Collection, Eric B. & Rakim's Paid in Full, Eazy E's Eazy Duz It, The Beatles' 1967-1970 and Jill Scott's Who Is Jill Scott? - Words and Sounds, Vol. 1. Worldwide Underground was my favorite. And because of that album I fell completely in love with music, and with Erykah Badu: her voice, her aura, with everything Badu. But especially her song, Back In The Day.
Back In The Day has some of my favorite drums of all-time. They're soulful, funky and filled with life. Even when I heard the track as a kid, the drums resonated with my soul. Those kicks, those claps struck deep within me. They helped shape the make-up of who I am. It is specifically this song that made me fall in love with the production side of music. Back In The Day's beat made me want to purely listen to instrumentals. That twitchy wavy funk rhythm guitar was beautiful. The sonics of the keys are gorgeous. They're airy, they levitate me above the clouds. The sound took me to an era that I never existed in. And I have to thank the genius of Erykah, the genius of legendary producers James Poyser (of the legendary Roots crew) and Rashad Ringo Smith for that. In my opinion the beat has so much love, so much reflective passion in it to match Erykah Badu's lovely vocals that it puts this song past the stratosphere for me.
Speaking of Erykah Badu's vocals, let's discuss them, shall we? Her singing is in a class by itself. Her voice is so trance-inducing. From Ms. Badu's hook, to her verse, to the bridge. I become lost in the moment she's reminiscing about. It makes me start reminiscing myself. How she expels so much power with her voice, but still maintains such a soft, inviting tone is remarkable. This song awakens the warmest memories I have and it always will. Erykah Badu is a special talent. She's the world's spiritual mother; she is my musical mother and I have to love and appreciate Back In The Day and the queen. I wouldn't be half the man I am or have the interests that I do without her music. So thank you, Erykah Badu. I hope this puts into perspective how much I love what you create.
Listen to Back In The Day below.
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