“I don’t vote”: interviewing Erykah Badu
I interviewed Erykah Badu back in March for the New Statesman’s NS Interview series. It’s spent five months in ~limbo~ and at this point everyone’s just admitted it’s not going to run, so I’m putting it up here; it’s too tailored to the NS format to be of use to any other publication (also a bit dated) (spot the stock NS questions!).
This was the disconcerting interview where, due to the magazine’s focus, I established several times prior to the interview that my questions would have a strong political slant, only for Badu to claim ignorance of this 10 minutes in, and tell me that if she’d known it would be political, she wouldn’t have agreed to it. That definitely sticks out as one of the most fun moments of my career to date.
——————————————————————————————————-
Your new album, Return Of The Ankh, is the second part of your New Amerykah trilogy, a title the entwines your name with that of your country. What does America mean to you?
I’m so much part of what that country is. I’m a product of its teaching, of its thinking, of its isms, of its religion, of its education. I am conditioned, raised and developed by America; I am America. And as it changes, my thoughts also change. Because no matter what I believe, what the powers-that-be believe will affect me.
The first part of the trilogy, 4th World War, was the “left-brain” instalment: logical, analytical, socio-political commentary. Return Of The Ankh is the “right-brain” counterpart, emotional and sensual. To what extent do you believe that the personal is political?
It takes both to have passion. There has to be some kind of analytical thought pattern plus some kind of deep-felt attachment to a thing in order to form a political statement.
Is the new America here yet?
It’s developing, yes. I see us becoming more conscious as a people. We have no choice, really. One reason is because of the natural disasters that are upon us right now. We need to embrace each other with more compassion, with a more loving response. I don’t see that as a trend; I see that as an evolution. We’re evolving.
When you last performed in London in 2008, in the run-up to the US presidential election, you talked about the importance of Barack Obama as someone who, even if he had not won the election, had an immense impact on American society by catalysing individuals into realising their own potential.
Oh, definitely. He definitely has a role to play in the big changes that are to come. He has changed the face of what we can be as a nation. He has encouraged people who may not have known anything about who the mayor of their city was to go out and find out those things; to go out and research what’s going on in their neighbourhoods. You know, he made us get involved, and I think that’s a major, major step for a lot of people of colour, and for a lot of poor people. I do not say that this is necessarily more important than the policies he enacts, but I do want to recognise that part of it.
How would you assess his first year in office?
It’s too soon to say. That’s too short of a time to correct all the stuff that was wrong with America. The most damaging division in our country was that of black and white, rich and poor. We have no compassion for one another at all. It’s going to take a while to change that outlook. You’re talking hundreds of years of a class system being set up. Even poor people are selfish. You know, that’s bad - when you ain’t got nothing for yourself. There’s a sense of entitlement that people have.
Do you vote?
I don’t vote. For many reasons, that I’d rather not say on tape. I trust the political system to be what it is. It’s a structure to keep the country running, a boat to get us from one side to the other, and it has the country’s best interests at heart. Not the people’s.
Throughout your albums, a recurring theme has been the cycle of violence from father to son. The hustler on “The Otherside Of The Game” (1997), seen through the eyes of his partner and baby child on “Danger” (2003); that child growing into the “Soldier” (2008), the encapsulation of Mama’s Gun (2000).
I see it metaphorically and directly. We’re just like the forefathers of our country in the USA; we’re actually taught to be that way. Taught to use our intelligence to hustle for as much as we can get, by any means necessary. I see that as a total negative. We need it in our country to survive, but to be in pursuit of it as a means to happiness is a mistake. Because you’re gonna hit a dead end, and it’s not going to be lasting. On my new album, “Turn Me Away (Get MuNNY)” is about a woman who will do anything for money. Anything. She’s representative of many people in our society. But not me.
Are we all doomed?
At one point or another. But we are all bound for greatness too. It’s a duality. We experience the consequences of our thoughts and judgments as a nation, as individuals, as a family, as a society.
You have a reputation as a control freak, and the amount of creative control you have would seem to be unusual for an artist on a major label. Was it a struggle to get to this point?
I don’t see anything freaky in controlling one’s image and how people see you. It wasn’t a struggle, no. When I did Baduizm in ‘97, I came to the label with a completed album. I was the CEO of my company. My agenda is to put my art in the best frame, and I see the label as the frame holder. And our agenda together is to sell units. I’ve had a wonderful ride and we don’t misunderstand each other very much. They respect my space as an artist and my ability to deliver quality.
Is there a plan?
I would like to think there is. We have to be doing this for something.
Do you see yourself as a feminist?
I’m a humanist. I think the woman doesn’t really have a seat in mainstream culture right now. And this is what Return of the Ankh means to me: a return to duality, a return to dual companionship and rulership. Being a woman general, we have to be stern. We have to be severe. But we are so merciful that sometimes it’s hard. So you have to build a shell around you in order to be seen in a certain way - to be respected.
You’re the mother of two children. What is the most important piece of advice that you would give them?
Be honest and compassionate.
What would you like to forget?
I think everything is necessary to remember. Everything I’ve experienced has helped to form me; I’m happy to have experienced it all, negative and positive.
