Worldwide Underground

by Erykah Badu

Overview

The so-called "EP" that will make many Erykah Badu skeptics wonder what's going on is actually 15 minutes longer than What's Going On. Why would any musician want to call a recording of such length -- 50 minutes, to be precise -- an EP? The fact that Worldwide Underground is being referred to as an EP makes it apparent that it isn't intended to be considered the true follow-up to Mama's Gun. You also find out throughout the course of the disc that the loose, spare arrangements aren't likely to generate a stream of tidy, four-minute Top Ten hits. As easy as the disc is to slide into, it's far and away the least commercial R&B release of the year. Written, produced, and performed by Freakquency -- a seemingly ad hoc group consisting of Badu, James Poyser, Rashad "Ringo" Smith, and R.C. Williams -- along with a revolving door of guests, the whole thing goes down more like a weekend jam session than an endlessly labored-over, polished project. For the most part, this is a good thing. Both "Bump It" and "I Want You" are over eight minutes in length, leaving plenty of space to establish relaxed atmospheres that are built on uncomplicated rhythms, twinkling keyboards, and vaporous textures. "Back in the Day (Puff)" and "Danger" are the two most single-oriented tracks; the former's essentially a more filled-out version of one of the extended pieces in miniature form, while the latter is the toughest sounding of the whole batch, with punchy, synthetic horn jabs and Badu's most animated vocal. A new version of "Love of My Life" caps off the disc in fine, fun style, with Badu paying tribute to the all-female, old-school trio Sequence, with the help of Angie Stone, Bahamadia, and Queen Latifah. If Worldwide Underground isn't to be taken as seriously as Baduizm and Mama's Gun, so be it; but it only goes to show how apprehensive the powers that be are in allowing their platinum artists to deviate from what's expected. ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	02/25/2022
Label:	Motown
UPC:	0602435946054

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Erykah Badu   Primary Artist,Vocals (Background),Box,Vocals
Queen Latifah   Primary Artist,Guest Artist
Dead Prez   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Featured Artist
Bahamadia   Primary Artist
Angie Stone   Primary Artist,Guest Artist
Bahamadiah   Guest Artist
Roy Hargrove   Guest Artist,Vocals,Trumpet
Lenny Kravitz   Guest Artist,Guitar (Electric)
Zap Mama   Guest Artist,Vocals
Stic.man   Vocals
Chinah Blac   Vocals
Eevin Wright   Clapping
Tisha Creer   Vocals (Background)
Jazz Bell   Vocals (Background)
China Black   Vocals (Background)
Bray Lon Lacy   Bass,Clapping
Robert Pack   Vocals (Background)
Dwayne Kerr   Flute
Karen Wheeler   Vocals
James Poyser   Keyboards
Sam Bell   Vocals (Background)
Common   Featured Artist
Doc Gibbs   Percussion
R.C. Williams   Keyboards
A. Perez   Vocals (Background)
Alfredo Gray   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Dead Prez   Composer,Producer,Drum Programming
Rashad Smith   Composer,Group Member,Drum Programming,Executive Producer
Kedar Massenburg   Executive Producer
Lavonne Alford   Composer
Melanie Harris   Make-Up
Sigidi Abdullah   Composer
Carlton Jones   Stylist
Robert Ozuna   Composer
Shinobu Mitsuoka   Assistant Engineer
B-Rush   Composer
Kenny J. Gravillis   Art Direction
Joy Grand   Composer
Audrey Magett   Composer
Brian Stanley   Mixing
Raphael Saadiq   Composer
Tom Soares   Mixing,Engineer,Executive Producer
Freakquency   Producer
Tim Olmstead   Assistant Engineer
Glenn Standridge   Composer
Marc Baptiste   Photography
Bradley Ridgell   Composer
Angie Stone   Composer
James Van Leer   Composer
Bobby Rush   Composer
Bahamadia   Composer
James Poyser   Composer,Programming,Group Member,Executive Producer
Robert Wechsler   Mastering
Queen Latifah   Composer
Isaac Hayes   Composer
Leslie Brathwaite   Mixing
Clayton Gavin   Composer
Larry Mizell   Composer
Donald Byrd   Composer
Erykah Badu   Drawing,Arranger,Composer,Group Member,Art Direction,Drum Programming,Executive Producer
Pat Vidas   Composer
Sandy Brummels   Creative Director
R.C. Williams   Composer,Executive Producer