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A TAV Curator’s Pick.

But You Caint Use My Phone is a mixtape by American singer and songwriter Erykah Badu, released on November 27, 2015 by Motown and Control Freaq. Following the release of New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) (2010), Badu embarked on a five-year hiatus, during which she traveled to Africa in an attempt to record new music, though this never surfaced. After receiving a remix of "Bag Lady" from producer Zach Witness, Badu contacted him in order to record with him, shortly after the pair met again and went to Witness's home in Dallas, Texas and worked in his bedroom studio, where they recorded the album in 11 days.

Described by Badu as "TRap & B", the mixtape takes influence from, hip hop, R&B, jazz, and art rock, with lyrics that focus on the themes of communication, notably through phones, with lyrics that touch upon ideas of "missed connections, call waiting, answering machines". The mixtape debuted at number 14 on the Billboard 200, generating 35,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. – Wiki

“Conceptual albums are in no way a new concept to Erykah Badu and what she has previously delivered, but for obvious reasons it seems like the root of concept for the project lies solely with the man of the year, Drake and his catchy 'Hotling Bling'; possibly the most meme-able video ever created. With the track listing all named after phone references, 'Dial’Afreaq', 'Cel U Lar Device' and an uncanny Drake impersonation on 'U Use To Call Me', Erykah Badu has carefully trod the thin line of a humorous and experimental concept album, based on Drake… and it's worked!

Despite the continuing theme the mixtape is no way disappoints, exuding a level of excitement and appreciation of a body of work that Erykah display’s both through music and her own style. Collaborating with long-time friend, one-time partner, and father of her oldest son, Andre 3000 on stand out track ‘Hello’ - now for some reason not available in the UK - rekindles a magical energy and sound between these artists of the 90’s, that in this day and age is hard to recreate authentically unless musically birthed from that era.” – CLASH

“But You Caint Use My Phone is a mixtape in the true hip-hop sense, as it largely finds Erykah Badu putting her spin on other artists' songs. Created alongside a young producer and fellow Dallas denizen named Zach Witness in just 12 days, and featuring a guest spot from André 3000, the tape feels off-the-cuff, yet also steeped in history and wisdom.” - Pitchfork

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