Erykah Badu hasn’t been one to shy away from expressing her unique individuality. The “On & On” singer has fully embraced her authentic approach to music and life, even though it may differ from the status quo. Accordingly, this neo-soul icon continues to push through boundaries, evidently avoiding labels along the way. In a chat with The Breakfast Club, Badu sits down with Charlamagne tha God and DJ Envy to discuss how she steers clear of negative characterizations, specifically when it comes to having three baby daddies.
Charlamagne points out how other women have “labels put on them,” yet Badu has seemingly avoided being criticized for her nontraditional means to a family. She reflects, “I think if you’re transparent, people shouldn’t do that. I didn’t know anything… no one would expect to have three baby daddies, who plans that?” “But,” the mom-of-three explains, “when those things start to happen, you don’t stop living.” “Not everybody knows how to be mate,” Badu reflects. According to her, we aren’t taught how to be good partners. The singer adds, “we try, you know but we’re not taught that. That’s something we don’t know how to do. It’s a whole culture built around it, but we don’t even know how to do it.”
Badu Says Transparency Is Key
“Let’s be transparent, for my sisters out there,” the “Hello” singer tells the radio show. “We fall in love, you know, love is a chemical thing. We fall in love. Really I think God make us fall in love just long enough to get pregnant so that we can go ahead and procreate,” Badu explains. She reassures mothers in similar situations to hers that culture is what dictates a marriage timeline, but, “it doesn’t fit everybody. It doesn’t fit me.”
Badu, whose offsprings vary from the ages of 14 to 25, lives with her family in Dallas, TX. In accordance with the 51-year-old singer’s spiritual beliefs, she has outfitted her home to reflect meditation and sound healing. Badu has been especially open about her relationship with her 18-year-old daughter Puma, who also wants to pursue music. For the hottest news circulating in hip-hop, check out HNHH.