20 years ago, when I was just a little bubba, the world was BLESSED with the debut album ‘Baduizm’ from the Mother herself, Erykah Badu. Life for ‘conscious’ folk & hoteps would never be the same lol
20 years later, & I finally got to see Erykah live✨
Seeing Erykah was like the fulfilment of a prophecy ✨
It was everything I ever dreamed of✨
It was like a rare sighting of a UFO, that had left behind their most prized possession ✨
(Lol why am I so extra?)
About two years ago, I had the privelage of seeing D’Angelo perform at the Eventim Apollo, just after the release of his album ‘Black Messiah’✨
After such an experience, it was essential to me that I also got the chance to see fellow Soulquarian Erykah Badu ✨
Who would have thought that I’d get to see her on the exact same stage?✨
The lead up to the day was too much for me to handle, best summoned in some of my tweets below:
Now as melodramatic as I may sound, seeing Erykah really was the fulfillment of a prophecy for me.
Music has always been very spiritual for me; a tool used to shift my awareness as a person ✨
Seeing D’Angelo when I did, sparked a huge change in my development as a person and subsequently seeing Erykah symbolised the completion of a segment in my life✨ (if you guys knew even just a smidge of what I’ve been through these past two years then you’d understand my melodrama lol)
Erykah’s music most definitely has always had spiritual symbolism to it – it’s why some love her and why some don’t take to her.
In my opinion, Erykah has always evolved with time and offered art that reflects whichever part of herself she feels to show ✨
Whether she’s talking about lighting some incense , telling her man to call Tyrone or a soft reminder that times a wastin, Erykah has always come with a poignant message with a smooth & graceful delivery✨
Baduizm was released in February 1997 and 20 years later it’s still impacting generations. It most certainly changed my life.
I’ve bopped my hips to “On & On”, cried my tears to “Other Side of The Game”, and “Certainly” picked my “Afro” to perfection listening to this album.
Hearing Erykah live and performing many of the songs that have helped me through various phases of my life, was a privilege that I cannot put into words✨
I don’t believe in idolising people; they’re human just like us.
Nonetheless, there are those among us who spark feelings of awe within us✨
Erykah most certainly does that for me and I’m sure other fans can agree✨
She taught me how to embrace the many different sides & forms of me, as a human and as a woman ✨
And I’m so grateful that I got to see her in the flesh ✨
