Erykah Badu Goes Taboo
Chances are, if you know who Erykah Badu is, you can probably agree that she’s a bit… odd. Since her debut album “Baduizm” back in 1997, she has been viewed almost like a R&B/HipHop mystic or sorceress. She labels herself as spiritual and her most recent interview she talks a lot about vibrations, and being a Pisces.
What stands out in this particular interview that will have all the progressives and liberals literally crying, losing sleep, and and screaming “why”, is the fact that Badu says at one point “I saw good in Hitler”. Let the melt down begin.
Much of the interview centered around how Badu does not want to become a victim of “group think” and wants to look at each situation individually before passing judgment or cosigning by lending her voice or presence at a march or rally.
Back to her comments about Hitler, she went tried to explain her stance, and in my opinion she did a good job in doing so, but needless to say people will see good and Hitler in the same sentence and heads will explode.
The Washington Post has already jumped all over this and taken the Hitler comment and made it a headline. People’s reactions on twitter to the post headline were predictable and simultaneously disappointing. It is a clear example of a media outlet not liking the message by a certain figure so they use their influence to shape the narrative/conversation around that figure in that moment.
Read the excerpts from the interview below or follow the link to the entire interview and form your own opinion of the mystical Erykah Badu.
Her old ones are still making the rounds: The R&B singer’s debut album, 1997’s Baduizm, is tentatively slated for reissue as a set of vinyl 45s in February, and she performs live around the world eight months out of every year. And anyway, it’s what she might do with the other four months that’s most interesting to her lately. “I want to have a variety show,” she muses. “I want to get my midwifery certification in direct-entry midwifery. I want to build schools. I want to join the Peace Corps. I want to paint more seriously. I want to help my children with their dreams.” But for now, she’s “happy to be here talking with you in the present.” She gives a knowing smile. “Because that’s all there is.”
What’s your opinion on this larger discussion happening now about whether we can separate the art from the artist, be it XXXTentacion or Fela or Louis C.K. or Bill Cosby or whomever?It takes me back to a story my grandmother told me about Jesus and Barabbas. Jesus is standing on one side, Barabbas is standing on the other side, and the people have to choose which one of them could go free. Some people started yelling, “Barabbas! Barabbas! Barabbas!” Then so many people were doing that that the others found safety in numbers, and they also started yelling, “Barabbas! Barabbas! Barabbas!” People walked up who didn’t even know what was going on and they also started yelling for Barabbas to go free. I always think about that. It’s so important to me.
I think I follow, but can you tell me more about how that parable applies here?That I don’t want to get scared into not thinking for myself. I weigh everything. Even what you just asked me, I would have to really think about it and know the facts in each of those situations before I made a judgment. Because I love Bill Cosby, and I love what he’s done for the world. But if he’s sick, why would I be angry with him? The people who got hurt, I feel so bad for them. I want them to feel better, too. But sick people do evil things; hurt people hurt people. I know I could be crucified for saying that, because I’m supposed to be on the purple team or the green team. I’m not trying to rebel against what everybody’s saying, but maybe I want to measure it. Somebody will call me and ask me to come to a march because such and such got shot. In that situation I want to know what really happened. I’m not going to jump up and go march just because I’m green and the person who got shot is green. The rush to get mad doesn’t make sense to me.
Well, I agree that as a culture right now, we’re better at mobilizing out of a sense of injustice or anger than we are at figuring out what to do next. People can be bad for certain things. They could be bad around children. They could be bad with power. Are those people all “bad”? Could be. Maybe they need to get kicked off the planet. I don’t know. Each thing is individual. There aren’t rules for how we can or should think about something. We don’t have to believe everything we’re hearing. At least I don’t think we do. I’m glad I don’t watch this stuff.
Steve
Steve is an affordable multifamily housing professional that is also the co-founder of Whiskey Congress. Steve has written for national publications such as The National Marijuana News and other outlets as a guest blogger on topics covering sports, politics, and cannabis. Steve loves whiskey, cigars, and uses powerlifting as an outlet to deal with the fact that no one listens to his brilliant ideas.
