Mama's Gun

So, here's the deal... take Badu off this album and it's a groovy slice of funky gold. Badu's uninspired, lazy (and at times really harsh) vocals, however, are slathered over on the groove, covering the flavor like ketchup on a fine steak. Every song's vocal lines are nearly identical, substituting lazy, mostly monotone vocals for true melody. I think she's probably capable of more than this but, for some reason, she decided to just phone it in. The saving grace of the vocal element is the lyrics which are pretty smart on the whole and which, along with the super tasty backing tracks, save this album from a lower-than-average score.

If I was currently undertaking the task of compiling my 101 favourite albums of all time--inspired by, for example, a commitment to listen to, rate and review 1,001 albums from The Canon--I can imagine Mama's Gun would be a conundrum. Should I include it? There's so much to like. It has the intangible quality of making you want to restart the album as soon as it's over; not because it's a hooked-filled sugar rush, but because Badu's sound is tantalising, a tease, there then not then there again. But for that reason, is there *enough* of it to occupy a whole spot on my list? (I'm speaking, of course, hypothetically. Merely riffing on an idea that just popped into my head.) When she says, "you won't be naming no buildings after me", it's not just because she's a black woman (okay, it's mostly that), but because any Badu building would only be structurally sound half the time. Her buildings, like her songs, would be beguilingly simple feats of engineering, held up with the barest of resources. Then they'd turn to jelly and, er, uh-oh. To decide, I'd need to listen to it two or three times. I might even get an extra opportunity through my extensive (imaginary, you understand) canonical appraisal. But even after that, I imagine I still won't have settled--just like Mama's Gun.

I was hitting next in the middle of each track and half the time I wasn't sure if I really was on the next track.

Funky soul. It's one of those albums where I wish there were more recognizable melodies, and more background instruments. It's one of the reason's I'm not the biggest Beyonce fan--I want the background to be just as interesting as the voices.

I'm not the biggest fan of R&B, but Mrs. Badu's magic drips from this record.

This took me three days to get through. One of the most miserable experiences I've had, nearly 300 albums in. I'm not a fan of the genre, but can generally appreciate artistry/talent. This one I really struggled to find anything redeeming about. Inane lyrics bellowed dramatically over pedestrian jazz licks.

Goddamn this is dull. All the songs are bland and blend into one mass of yawn. BT: Penitentiary Philosophy, Didn't Cha Know, Bag Lady

This album SLAPS. What a sweet, laid back, groovy 2000's R&B vibe. Definitely coming back to this one!

Wow, this one blew me away. Erykah Badu is legendary but I've yet to hear an album from her. This was fantastic, each song bleeding into the next. Reminded me of Dark Side of the Moon, and funny enough when I was doing some Erykah Badu research she lists Dark Side of the Moon as one of her top 10 albums of all time. The grooves on here are undeniable, so many tracks that I loved and will surely return to. Also special shout out to the sample on Bag Lady, the same sample used by Dr. Dre on Xxplosive the year prior. It's a long album, but the length doesn't bother me because it's so smooth. How refreshing to have an album from this century, from a black woman nonetheless, and it's better than a lot of the old foagies we get from across the pond. Just like I did with Dark Side of the Moon, I'm preemptively giving this a 5 star. It can only improve with further listens. Favorite tracks: No idea how to narrow this down, but Didn't Cha Know, My Life, Cleva, Kiss Me On My Neck, Bag Lady, Time's A Wastin'. Album art: Really like the font and framing here. Obvious throwback, and a bit unassuming, but I think it fits the vibe of the album really well. Little do you know how impressive the music within will be. 5/5

funky and mad rhythm right off the bat. this album grooves so hard. Kiss Me On My Neck is a good groove. Yea this album slaps

She's such a badass. And this album is so good. Funky and soulful.

So very groovy and seemlessly interesting

Albums like these are the most unfairly affected by the method in which I consume them: at work. I can't always focus on lyrics, which I think is likely where this album would shine. Musically, sure, it was soulful, even groovy at times, but it's often pretty barebones too. Ms. Badu has a lovely, smooth voice, but I'd have appreciated more active instrumentation. The songs (and the album itself) also go on just a little too long without much diversity to break things up. I acknowledge the album as an R&B classic, but it didn't do all that much for me.

Very pleasant but unremarkable. If I had a posh dinner party to host I could play it to show how cool I am. A low 3.

Melted into the background. and all warbling sounded the same to me in the end. One line that stuck out, “I have green eyes because I eat vegetables”. She has brown eyes on the album sleeve. Sorry for being glib.

What a voice! This is lyrically, instrumentally, and produced so uniquely. The album gets much better in the later half. Worth revisiting for sure. For that alone it's getting the highest honor: adding to my spotify favorites.

As is often the case with the albums listed here, what starts with the promise of freshness quickly deteriorates into the repetitive.

So very very long. Sadly it turns the listen into a chore and while I didn’t necessarily dislike the album, there was very little on there that would make me go back for for 2nd listen

I think I've been conditioned to fall asleep when Badu comes on, a flatmate used to play it to relax at nap times. Ir doesn't really go anywhere or do anything, it's just there making random noise like a ticking clock.

Just nothing special, way too long and not memorable

Made it half way through. Sorry. Not my style at all. 'Booty' finished it for me. Not sure what I'm meant to be getting from this.

❤️!

I may have fallen asleep during this album, but my dreams were nice

couldnt stand the growing pains🍏

Made me convert to baduism

Lovely, calming, easy listening.. beautiful songs, beautiful lyrics, soul healing..

another album i heard way too late after it was released. this was such a good listen to, i'll definitely have to make more time to listen to it again.

Really jazzy neo-soul It's pretty easy listening, like I'd hear it in a lounge or coffee shop. Honestly I think what's keeping mre from LOVING it is her voice, it's really raspy and kinda wish it just hit me with more oomph. Flies by though. Can't believe it's 71 minutes

No disrespect to Erykah Badu, this is a fine album, but the 70 minute, CD-era album just doesn’t work for me anymore. If there’s one thing I’m realizing through out the course of this list is that there’s nothing better than a 40 minute lp. Otherwise, Mama’s Gun is a fun and funky album, even if it runs a little too long for my taste.

This was definitely different than most of the albums on this list. Not bad, but not something I would want to listen to often.

The first half of this record is so fuckin good. It really lags around the second half but still great overall.

Liked it plenty. Good groove for whole album. No standouts no duds.

Way too slick to be genuinely soulful, and melodically malnourished. All it has going for it is the occasional funky groove, because the voice just isn't that interesting or original, especially over the bloated runtime. Really dull stuff, I expected more fron this.

eh, not the worst album on this list by a long shot, but pretty dull and uninspiring to me. the songs all smush together and don't really go anywhere. whenever i thought the music sounded ok, the vocals were there to bore me to death, and vice versa. lyrics were meh and had some secret "god is good" messaging which was an unpleasant discovery. the best compliment i can give it is it reminded me of Rouge's level music in Sonic Adventure 2. also, surprised to see that no one's referenced any of the legal issues or controversies surrounding erykah "hitler was good actually" badu. she's not like, kid rock or marilyn manson level, but still, yikes favorites: didn't cha know (i guess)

You remove the vocals, it sounds like soundtrack for some VHS porn tape

Black intelligent people music and I am white

Never even heard of it before. Left me cold. In fact I hated it. 1 Star

The album was fantastic lyrics music singing all fantastic

Spectacularly smooth evocative and jazzy. An incredible evolution of mid century classic

Solid gold. Orange Moon is one of the beautiful songs I’ve ever heard.

fantastic instrumentals, incredible follow up to her debut

Solid voice, lyrics, and music.

love

Erykah Badu knows how to do Soul/R&B right... It's definitely headphones and relaxing music.

absolute perfection

Extremely strong – mellowly funky and vibesy, bittersweet and melancholic and so many interesting and well-constructed cuts ("&on" "Cleva"). "AD 2000" and “Orange Moon” are straight-up sweet and deeply soulful. The latter’s flutes are a lovely add, perfectly complemented with decisive-yet-soft-touch percussion and balanced, thoughtful piano and representative of the skilled/tasteful/subtle playing throughout the record Editors are right, “Green Eyes” is “sublime,” as is the album as a whole.

Masterpiece

I dug into her stuff about a year ago and had loved what I heard but havent listened to this album in full till now. She is incredibleeeee I love this album!

Segundo disco de la texana, continuación del soberbio Baduizm. Tampoco es que se prodigue mucho, dos discos más un directo cotando este álbum y luego otros tres en Motown, el primero otro éxito mayor aún que este Mama´s gun. No publica desde hace más de 15 años.. aunque sigue en el cine. Este es fabuloso también: neo soul, jazz y rap pero sobre todo elegancia. Es un disco para escuchar de noche. ¿Puede decirse que está al nivel de D'Angelo? No lo sé, tal vez no , ni a la de Maxwell o Frank Ocean. Pero es una de las grandes, eso sin duda. Al nivel de Common y otros. Desde luego sin ella (ni la imprescindible Lauryn Hill) no habría Macy Gray, Angie Stone, Musiq Soulchild ni India Arie. Tampoco Alicia Keys ni las británicas Joss Stone, Corinne Bailey Rae, Amy Winehouse, Estelle, Duffy o Adele. Por supuesto Solange y la verdadera Beyoncé tampoco. Con ella se dio el paso de W.Houston-M.Carey a otras cotas de soul. Para este sedoso disco contó con Questlove a las baquetas y el pianista James Poyser, que habína trabajado con D´Angelo. A un año de su maternidad y separación de Andre 3000 (que publicó el fundamental Skantonia con Outkast) ella se volcó en este Mama´s gun. El largo, en duración, tema inicial Penitentiary Philosophy da paso al sencillo Did´nt cha know, elegante como pocos y producido por el gran J Dilla en donde samplea magistralment «Dreamflower» de Tarika. Blue My life que suena a TLC actualizadas. A.D 2000, dedicada a Amadou Diallo, aquel inmigrante asesinado por error por la policia neoyorquina a finales de siglo. …& On remite a su éxito On & On, actualizándolo. Bag Lady otro de sus éxitos es gospel pero revestido de seda. Green Eyes es un jazz improvisado con la trompeta del difunto Roy Hargrove . No tuvo el éxtio de su debut, pero se ganó la eternidad.

How have I never listened to her before? This is so fantastic.

feels like one endlessly morphing and perfectly continuous god-tier drum groove until orange moon, at which point theres so much open space it almost freaks me out, but because it holds to this evolution (even as it gradually re-introduces the drums) it just makes the whole thing so melty and intoxicating by the end. just a great, great flex of production and performance, feels like the language of soul being pushed into something rly distinct and even years later still just clearly vibrantly creative. a rly good beneficiary of the bloated cd-era tracklist too...it rly just seems to grow in power the more time u inhabit it!

Such a nice discovery I’ll listen more of her for sure !

Damn

Increíble, RnB en estado puro, voz única.

Soft R&B. This album put me to sleep, but in a good way. It was a very chill vibe throughout that I really liked.

This one brings back memories. Can’t believe it’s 25 years old 😱😱! Erykah just puts you in a mood with her jazzy yet funky inflections. An album for the dance floor and at times bedroom.

just solid all around, love that distinct voice. i actually heard this album for the first time over two years ago, but in all that time since i didn't realize that track 8 ('kiss me on my neck') didn't download with the rest of the album, so that was a nice surprise. orange moon is an all-time r&b song!

Amazing. So good. An analog girl in a digital world.

Loved it. Really cool, chill vibes, a ton of instruments.

Gruv

A really excellent r&b album. I tend not to listen to these kind of records in full and usually on a playlist and I’ve heard random tracks throughout my life such as orange moon , booty, didn’t cha know and a.d. 2000. But the record as a whole is so complete. Easy on the ears for beautiful vibes but lots of variety of instrumentation and genres of jazz, soul, funk and some pop sensibility. Sensual, groovy/funky and just excellently written and performed. My life, green eyes, in love with you and times a’wasting are also all great

bare rate it

It took me way too long in life to realize how amazing Erykah Badu is.

Another reason why I'm doing this list. Absolutely loved this and had never heard it before

Not to put too much of an emphasis on comparing them, but after getting ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ a few days ago, I said that I thought it was great, but couldn’t entirely see why it was THAT good. This is very much not the case for ‘Mama’s Gun’, an album that seemingly has ‘SPECIAL’ radiating out of every moment of it. The first thing big strength of the record is the fact it contains one of the best album openers ever in the form of the imperious psychedelic funk assault that is ‘Penitentiary Philosophy’, a song of such humungous scale that it leaves Erykah Badu audibly and spiritually towering above us mere mortals by the end. The majority of the album is performed from a similar height, with one immaculately produced and perfectly controlled dose of sensual neo soul after another, never outstaying their welcome or being anything less than perfect. Badu performs these songs as if floating somewhere above the listeners head in a large translucent bubble, sounding both intimate and just out of reach. Admittedly, the quieter and more acoustic guitar led second half, in which Badu gradually descends back down to earth, probably does drag a bit. This section does still bring with it its own moments of astonishment, and what came before was so good that any moments of vague tedium hardly even matter. There’s just something really pure about this entire album; a perfectly realised outpouring of relentless creativity that seemingly flowed out of Badu on a barely conscious level. No skits either (take note Lauryn Hill, take note!)

I had never listened to this full album before, this was absolutely fantastic. I wasn't expecting the Betty Davis style Funk opener, "Penitentiary Philosophy" hit so hard! And then into the absolutely classic "Didn't Cha Know". And then it just stays perfect all the way through the epic closer, "Green Eyes". This was a great reminder that I need to listen to more Erykah Badu.

Soup for the soul

Wow, incredible music. Some of the best R&B I've heard with some outstanding backing music. I enjoyed TLC and Destiny's Child for what they are, but this was a whole new level. My favorites were A.D. 2000 and Green Eyes. These songs are oozing with style and tell great stories, so much more than typical love shlop that appears on similar tracks.

Mama’s Gun Incredible album. Favorite songs are Green Eyes, Didn’t cha know, and penitentiary philosophy. 5

Love this album, this has been one of my favs since high school. So original and so vibey. Love her voice and the writing and arrangements are so cool. Such a good listen all the way through

The flow here is absolutely incredible. I adore how well each song leads into the next and how groovy everything is. Vibes and vocals are immaculate. It's simplicity moves mountains. Favorites were Cleva and Green Eyes

This is the kind of album you wouldn’t mind getting stuck inside the CD player. The whole thing has a great flow to it, and the instrumentation is super crispy sounding. Especially those drums and the flute. Her voice is really good as well.

Definicija glatkog. Jedan od vrhunaca soulquariansa

Long life the Queen! This brilliant example of Neo soul has aged like fine wine. It is as solid now as it was groundbreaking back then. I'll keep exploring Badu's discography. Her legacy should not be understated. It seems that her legacy has been taken for granted. 9/10

It’s fucking Erykah Badu. Is there more to say? No. Just pure perfection 😩😩

This one is pushing a 5, but I don’t think it quite gets there yet. Album flew by; did not feel like over an hour. Production and vocals were beautiful. Didn’t pay much attention to what was being said, but honestly didn’t need to. I mainly just hear a song when it is played. It takes a lot for me to listen and digest every element, especially on the first listen. Ah fuck it this one will get a 5.

I love this album. Erykhas eccentricity really gets out in her lyrics and vocals mixed with the neo-soul sound of the 90ies. Simply gorgeous

shes a genius fr

Orange moon. Green eyes. caught my attention. Whole album is really good if i went back could prob find more songs to add. Some similarities between beats in sum songs other than that great album. 8/10

Incredible

Such a wonderful voice and a beautiful album.

Good way to get more of the Soulquarian/Jay Dilla vibe.

I just love neo soul. I’m biased, but happy to be. Erykah Badu is so sick.

Funky!

This just feels like a natural evolution of jazz. Incredible instrumentation. Her voice is perfect for this style and content. This is an album that just feels really comfortable to me, even though I've never listened to it before. And it really just makes me happy. Favorite Song(s): ...& On, Orange Moon, Time's A Wastin, Green Eyes

I first saw Erykah Badu in Blues brothers 2000 - a film whose soundtrack is way superior to its content. I then followed her up. She’s never done a dud album.

HER honey sweet voice - sexy funk warmed until its dripping

Mama’s Gun is Erykah’s second album I believe and my absolute favorite. I’m definitely a fan of Ms. Badu and listen to her music often. I’ve seen her in concert and heard these songs sang live many, many times. My favorite had to be ‘Didn’t Cha Know.’ The introduction is just so amazing. It’s pure nostalgia and bliss every time I listen to this album. I’ll forever be a fan.

Pretty sweet record.

my eyes are GREENNNN

I loved this. Great voice, funky songs, an enjoyable listen all around. I will keep this on the back burner for the future.

This may not be something I listen to every day. But I am sure as hell glad I listened to it today!

It took awhile for me to come around by I was sold by Booty. That track and Orange Moon were absolute standouts but I just vibes with this while project. Do yourself and favor and listen on something with proper bass to it. Phone speakers really don't do this justice. Get a dose of your favorite poison (weed, whiskey, whatever), find a cozy couch and a good set of speakers and just chill for 70 minutes.

Very good, very smooth.

What a bloody find! Incredible album! Proper journey! There I was thinking badu was like an 80s Beverly Knight! Revelation! 4.7

Fuck, this album is incredible!!!! ?uestlove is perfect on drums, love the snare sound. Badu has killer songs and a great voice. It's for albums like this that I love the generator, because I otherwise would have never heard this

A bona-fide classic

Bang bang. Fucking brilliant. Vaguely aware of her but glad I got thrown into this one today. Great stuff.

Dope Album

Amazing! I loved the sound and the vocals, and the lyrics were interesting.