This cd starts with something that I imagine many of Erykah's fans may not pick up on. I wouldn't exchange one for the other though, both have their strengths and show a side of Erykah that the other does not.

This cd is a wonderful companion piece (with great new stuff as well) to the Baduizm studio cd. The most captivating moment, though, is a new number called 'Tyrone,' in which she most eloquently tells a dense boyfriend to take a hike. She also takes on an assortment of covers, ranging from Roy Ayers's 'Searching' to the Mary Jane Girls' 'All Night Long,' making each one sound distinctly her own.

For her part, Badu does a wonderful job revisiting the material from her superb debut Baduizm. It's in the warmth of the songs, the intimacy with which Badu addresses the crowd, and the constant chants of 'Erykah!' emanating from the masses. There is a kindred bond between the singer and her audiences which translates wonderfully onto the disc. To put it mildly, the Badu live experience is anything but typical. After seeing Erykah Badu steal the 'Smokin Grooves Tour' summer of 1996, however, it only makes sense that her record company decided to release Live as a stopgap between her next studio recording. Its cutting-edge hip-hop sound – delivered here in the shape of an ethereal flute sample offset by sharp, clipped minimalist beats by producer Karriem Riggins – formed the backbone for the singer’s hard-hitting meditations on racial inequality and black oppression.There is always cause for concern when a promising new artist follows up a solid debut with a live album rehashing all the same material. New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) found Badu taking a huge stylistic and thematic detour from her previous efforts. The track ends with a delicious nod to rare-groove man Johnny Hammond’s “Can’t We Smile.” 14: Soldier

15: Time’s A Wastin’Ī highlight from her second album, Mama’s Gun, “Time’s A Wastin’” fuses funky bass lines with lush strings and playful keyboard interjections to underscore Badu’s cautionary tale to a young black man. Released in 2003 as a supposed EP that was actually longer than most artists’ full-length albums, Worldwide Underground’s immaculately executed analog grooves were exemplified by the deep basslines, dreamy keyboard runs and exquisitely funky guitars of this single – a nostalgic ode to youthful days spent smoking weed with friends.

Erykah badu tyrone live album