About

A TAV Curator's Pick.

New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) is the fourth studio album by American neo soul singer Erykah Badu. After a hiatus from recording music due to writer's block, Badu communicated with several hip hop producers over the Internet and worked on new music using the GarageBand software program on her laptop. Once the songs were composed, she went on to record most of the album at Electric Lady Studios in New York City.

New Amerykah Part One is an esoteric concept album titled as a pun on Badu's first name and a reflection of the record's political leanings. It features social commentary and themes related to the plight of the African-American community, including poverty, urban violence, complacency, and cultural identity. The record's densely produced music incorporates funk, R&B, hip hop, soul, jazz, and electronica styles.

When New Amerykah Part One was released by Universal Motown on February 26, 2008, it received widespread critical acclaim and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 albums chart. At the end of the year, it was named by many critics as one of 2008's best records, and by December 2009, it had sold 359,000 copies in the United States. Badu promoted the album with a supporting tour, The Vortex World Tour, during May to July 2008. - Wiki

“The first in a series of pointedly social records from Erykah Badu, this fascinating, sonically adventurous album finds her exploring a post-Civil Rights landscape in which African-Americans have been left to sort out how to have a cultural identity as part of a nation that had, up until very recently, been a dedicated adversary. Madlib, 9th Wonder, and Shafiq Husayn are among the producers.” - Pitchfork

Item description: