Rankings

Erykah Badu’s Studio Albums, Ranked

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Erykah Badu’s catalog of music is unparalleled. The legendary singer can be characterized by her instantly recognizable voice and her spiritual approach to music. Her distinct tone and unconventional style set her apart from other R&B and soul artists of the 1990s and the 2000s. A leader of the neo-soul movement, Erykah Badu pushed boundaries and her influence is still clear today in the current landscape of R&B music. Badu is also known for her unique fashion sense, which she recently claimed Beyoncé copied. While she has not released a new album in over a decade, she can still fill arenas, which she did this summer on a North American tour alongside Yasiin Bey. This is a list of Erykah Badu’s five studio albums, ranked in ascending order. Take a look at the list below.

Read More: Erykah Badu Net Worth 2023: What Is The Singer Worth?

5. Worldwide Underground (2003)

Ranking at the bottom of Erykah Badu’s discography is her third studio album, 2003’s Worldwide Underground. While it is a great album on its own, it does not stack up against her other releases. Erykah sings well over the production, but the songwriting does not compare to that of Baduizm or Mama’s Gun. The production is fitting for Badu, but songs like “Love Of My Life Worldwide” hold the album back. Still, Worldwide Underground is full of feel-good grooves from James Poyser and others. Erykah Badu’s worst album is better than most R&B albums coming out today, which speaks volumes about the quality of her catalog.

Read More: Erykah Badu’s Influence Described By Questlove, Puma Curry, Thom Browne, And More

4. New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) (2008)

Badu’s fourth album, New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) marked a new era in her career. In a post-neo soul era, she departed from her signature sound, favoring psychedelic hip-hop production from Madlib, Karriem Riggins, 9th Wonder, and more. The experimental sound was fitting for the album’s political themes. New Amerykah Part One explored topics of urban oppression, poverty, and Black identity, leaning more into socially aware lyricism than ever before. The song “Master Teacher” helped popularize the term “stay woke” influencing Childish Gambino’s “Redbone,” as well as modern activism as a whole.

New Amerykah Part One is Erykah Badu’s most lyrically profound album. While the songwriting and Badu’s eccentric sound drive the appeal of the album, it may not always result in the best songs. New Amerykah Part One surely stands out in Erykah Badu’s discography, but the album’s sequel arguably outranks it.

Read More: Erykah Badu Remixes Sade’s “Love Is Stronger Than Pride” On Her Birthday

3. New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) (2010)

Erykah Badu’s most recent studio album, New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) captures the essence of her best works but also shows her evolution. It includes the warm, feel-good love songs of Baduizm and the unpredictability of Mama’s Gun. It also has the groovy production and loose structure of Worldwide Underground and the psychedelic edge of New Amerykah Part One. In contrast to Part One, this album is significantly more personal than its politically conscious predecessor. Erykah Badu is at her best when she sings from an autobiographical perspective. She shows both personal and artistic growth in New Amerykah Part Two. With all that being said, it is hard to beat the classics. 

Read More: Erykah Badu, Teyana Taylor, H.E.R., & Brandy Link For “Ladies First” Cypher

2. Mama’s Gun (2000)

Mama’s Gun includes many of Erykah Badu’s most iconic songs, including the J Dilla-produced “Didn’t Cha Know.” Arguably her best-produced effort, Mama’s Gun played a key role in the Soulquarians era. In a short period of time, Badu, along with The Roots, D’Angelo, Common, Q-Tip, and others ushered in a movement of alternative hip-hop, jazz, and neo-soul. The album’s opener, “Penitentiary Philosophy” is a prime display of artistic minds coming together during a creative peak to make a legendary record. Erykah Badu’s seminal second album established her signature sound along with the help of close collaborators that would shape her future works. An all-time classic, Mama’s Gun was an era-defining album for R&B and soul.

Read More: Ari Lennox Shares The Unconventional Singing Advice Erykah Badu Gave Her

1. Baduizm (1997)

Mama’s Gun may be a close contender for Erykah Badu’s best album, but her debut album, Baduizm ranks high as her strongest release. The album showcased her unique voice and personality, creating a seamless vibe that was completely unmatched at the time. Featuring some of her best songwriting and arguably her best vocal performances, Baduizm has aged incredibly well. Hit singles like “On & On” and “Next Lifetime” have transcended the neo-soul label and have become some of Badu’s most classic songs. Undoubtedly one of the best albums of the ‘90s and arguably of all time, Baduizm continues to influence R&B and soul music today.

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Drake Named “Rap Caviar’s” 2023 MVP

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One of the most popular accounts on Spotify has to be “Rap Caviar.” Especially with the hip-hop genre being one of the most popular across the globe. Their playlist currently sits at 15,521,112 followers and routinely has the most well-known rap hits and stars featured. As the hip-hop community is more than aware, Drake is almost always at the top of the heap. Overall, it is hard to picture who else is over him for “Rap Caviar’s” MVP for 2023.

With no Drake album until For All The Dogs later this year, his feature run is undeniable. Some of his most notable are his two appearances on Young Thug’s surprise album BUSINESS IS BUSINESS. He shows out for “Parade on Cleveland,” and “Oh U Went” with over 33 million spins. Then, Drake and Travis Scott who consistently deliver on their collaborations, teamed up for “MELTDOWN” off of UTOPIA. Using some ASMR style he went into an intimidating but whispered flow while taking shots at Pharrell and Pusha T.

Read More: Vic Mensa Teams Up With Ty Dolla $ign For “Eastside Girl”

Possible MVP Snubs?

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by RapCaviar (@rapcaviar)

“Rap Caviar” also has an All-Rap First Team featuring 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Baby, and Metro Boomin alongside Drake. All four of these respective artists have hits under their belts too. Lil Uzi gave fans the long-awaited Pink Tape about a month ago. Metro Boomin not only put out HEROES & VILLAINS at the end of 2022 but also curated the soundtrack for Spider Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Some fans did not mince their words on Drake’s selection for this award either. 

One comment reads, “And yet he’s a terrible rapper,” with another saying, “This man can’t rap, please stop. No one cares about tik tok shower music.” How do you feel about Drake being atop the list for ‘RapCaviar’s’ 2023 MVP? Who do you think deserved to be the best hip-hop artist? Let us know your opinions in the comments. As always stay in tune with HNHH for all the music news. 

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The post Drake Named “Rap Caviar’s” 2023 MVP appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Joe Budden Crowned No. 1 For Complex’s Hip-Hop Media Rankings

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Complex has listed Joe Budden at the number one spot in the outlet’s first-ever Hip-Hop Media Power Ranking. In doing so, they sat down with the podcast host to discuss his career in the media. In ranking different members of the media, Complex focused on five factors: “Commentary & Banter,” “Star Power of Guests,” “Consistency,” “Viral Moments,” and finally, “Content Integrity.”

When interviewer Donnie Kwak mentioned “consistency” as a leading factor, Budden perked up. “One of the most important things for me,” he remarked. “I was talking to my mom this morning and just catching her up on all the work I’ve been doing, and she said, ‘Man, you need a day off.’ And I said, ‘I’m gonna take a day off when I’m 50.’ By design, I just want to go as hard as I can go right now. So no vacations. Let’s get in there, let’s talk, let’s mix it up. I feel like in the sports world every day they have so many different things to talk about. And if you just try in the hip-hop world, I think we can come pretty close to it.”

Joe Budden Recording His Podcast Live In 2017

NEW YORK, NY – JULY 21: (L-R) Mal, Joe Budden and Rory attend the Joe Budden Podcast Live at Highline Ballroom on July 21, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

Budden also addressed whether he considers his work to be entertainment or journalism. “It’s 100 percent entertainment,” he said. “It’s definitely entertainment. If it wasn’t entertainment, then I would be spending the night outside of NBC trying to get on their news channel. I’d be at Vice, ‘Hey, let me be your something.’ But it’s entertainment first. It’s probably journalism second [laughs]. For me. Where I saw this thing going a few years ago was news, much like music, was kind of taking the backseat to brands and personalities. So everybody’s delivering the same news. We all have access to the same shit. But how? How are you doing that? Like, what makes people connect to you? What are you doing to establish a relationship with that audience? That’s been my ‘escape the room’ math equation since 2001. How do I develop this connection with a fan through music, through TV? So that’s that same shit today.”

Budden previously worked at Complex, starring in the series Everyday Struggle alongside DJ Akademiks. He eventually left the outlet at the end of 2017 and focused his efforts on The Joe Budden Podcast. Check out Budden’s full interview with the outlet below.

Joe Budden For “Complex”

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Missy Elliott’s Biggest Hits

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We would be here a long time if we discussed all of Missy Elliott’s hits. As someone who laid the groundwork for being original, she has gotten her well-deserved flowers. In fact, she still continues to get her flowers to this day. Her hometown of Portsmouth, Virginia named a street after her in 2022. And like several legends, she’s still active musically. These days, she’s mostly doing features but they are just as important as solo songs. Her name is respected in the music world and it’s great to see her connect to the current generation. Across the years, she’s had multiple hits and iconic music videos to go with them. Many of these songs are timeless for many people and will continue to be played throughout the years. We’ve compiled and ranked ten of them.

#10 Where They From Missy Elliott feat. Pharrell

This song is the most recently released one in this list but it’s still very important. It’s one of Missy Elliott’s hits that younger people may know. While it is common knowledge at this point, both Missy and Pharrell are from the same part of Virginia. Timbaland, a producer they have both worked with across the years, is also from that area. This song is a showcase of Missy and Pharrell’s chemistry and uniqueness. From the very beginning of the song fans knew Pharrell was behind the production due to the 4 count start. He also has a verse on it that matches Missy’s bouncy animated flow on it. There’s a beat breakdown for Missy’s second verse that still keeps the energy going and her flow is still super animated. This one was big in the dance world for sure and you probably heard it in a commercial or two. 

#9 Let It Go – Keyshia Cole feat. Missy Elliott and Lil Kim

This song is special for several reasons. For one, it has all three of these women on a track together. Each of them were doing excellent in their own lanes of music and came together to showcase their skills. The song itself was produced by Missy and Lamb and they did something super special with it. The song uses the same sample as “Juicy” by Notorious B.I.G who was in a relationship with Lil Kim. Missy’s post hook has a brief nod to him and Lil Kim ends her verse with his signature “baby baby” catchphrase. The beat also switches for Lil Kim while still maintaining the R&B tone of the rest of the song. For many people, this song is a mood booster.

#8 Gossip Folks Missy Elliott feat. Ludacris

Ludacris was another popular rap name in the early 2000s. For many, him and Missy were similar in terms of their flows and delivery on songs. They both had animated styles and used humor in their ad-libs and punchlines. The beginning of Missy’s first verse is a testament to the former. She elongates the last word of almost every bar and does the same throughout he rather verses. Meanwhile, Ludacris comes in with a fast flow that still has several stand out moments. In it he talks about his past which contrasts Missy talking about her present well. Both of them address those with negative opinions about them and respond uniquely and confidently. Also, this was one Missy and Timbaland produced together. 

#7 One, Two Step – Ciara feat. Missy Elliott

This one of the songs on here that isn’t produced by Timberland and/or Missy. On this one Missy is the feature and drops in after Ciara’s singing. For many, this song is a nostalgic classic. Some hold it in such high regard because of the collaboration between the two women. Others because it’s produced by Jazze Pha who had a very large presence in music at the time. There are multiple synthesizer melodies on the song which were common at the time. One thing distinct about this song is there’s a bridge before Missy’s verse. During this, a brand new melody comes in as Ciara sings. The original beat comes back in for Missy’s brief but effective verse. 

#6 Bounce – Timbaland feat. Justin Timberlake, Dr. Dre and Missy Elliott

With so many tracks with Timbo and Missy on here, it’s only right there’s one where she’s the feature. Timbaland was an established producer at this point and had worked with multiple big names. This song was on his debut project and naturally there are many big names of the time on it. This track specifically has several legends on it and Missy’s verse might be the best one. The verses all have a suggestive theme running through them and Missy was not new to that. Amongst the men, she stated what she has and she could do just as confidently as they did. Timbaland’s futuristic production created the perfect atmosphere for this. Missy’s verse interestingly enough does not mention him this time around even though she has done it several times on other songs.

#5 The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) – Missy Elliott

While Missy is known for her high energy dance tracks, this one slows things down a little. It’s not exactly a ballad but goes for a cool and calm atmosphere. And naturally, you can still dance to it.  Missy sounds just as confident as she always does on it. This one is special because it’s the first solo track on her debut album. Because of this, we see her skill displayed well and yet she still has more in store. This music video has her most iconic look: The patent leather blow up suit. It’s been called a “trash bag” multiple times but Missy herself cleared that up years ago. The last minute or so of the song is absent from Missy’s presence. It’s almost as if she wanted the focus to be on Timbaland’s production completely. 

#4 Bomb Intro/Pass That Dutch – Missy Elliott

This song’s opening moments set it up well. Missy Elliot is on production and takes a dance based approach to the beat. The claps that go throughout it set the tone to clap and dance a long easily. The bass also becomes a core part of the song as it almost is a melody in itself. Missy’s imagery in her verses keep the club scene going as she encourages people to dance along with the song. Along with those moments she also has some fun and creative punchlines that line up well with the song’s atmosphere. Sometimes albums start out with an instrumental or spoken word. This was the first song on the album it’s on and it sets the tone right out the gate with very high energy. 

#3 Lose Control – Missy Elliott feat. Ciara and Fatman Scoop

This is one of Missy Elliott’s hits with an iconic intro. When people heard it, they knew what time it was and got up fast. Missy Elliot produced this one herself and showed she was talented in that department too. The song’s warping melody is the perfect pair for Missy’s confident flow. Fatman Scoop serves as a hype man throughout the song and does a great job at it. He encourages people to dance and get into the song. Ciara brings a more subdued voice to the group and the production adapts for it. She even has a couple of bars before going into her singing. The trio proved they could make a high energy song and show off their skills well with everyone shining in their own way. 

#2 Get Your Freak On – Missy Elliott

This song is mandatory in a list of Missy Elliott’s hits. Timbaland is on production and Missy has production credits too. The song’s melody is the part most people remember about it. Missy’s energy is strong throughout the track. The hook is fun and easy to remember and fits in really well with the production around it. Missy uses a start-and-stop flow that includes pauses in the production too. These moments are capitalized on by fun and humorous ad libs. Missy uses these techniques to talk about her dominance in the rap game which all were aware of at the time. This was another one that was big for dancing and the music video proved that. There were also several cameos in the video including Timbaland himself, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Eve and more. 

#1 Work It – Missy Elliott

This is easily the biggest of Missy Elliott’s hits. The intro is instantly recognizable for many people. Timbaland’s signature drums come in right before Missy begins her verse. As with many of her songs, she introduces herself before it. The song’s siren-like melody is one of the most memorable aspects of it. Missy’s verses are also full of creative flows and her making her own sound effects within them too. This was a testament to her unique creativity that put her at the level she reached. However, the most iconic aspect of this song is the hook where Missy talks about reversing – then says the hook itself in reverse. For many at the time this may have been confusing to hear. But, upon looking at the lyrics it’s easy to see that’s exactly what she did.

Which of Missy’s hits do you love most? Let us know in the comments section.

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