When I first discovered Erykah Badu I was about seventeen years old and trying to immerse myself in my own world of creative expression. On and On hit the airwaves and I was pleasurably astonished by Badu's eccentric style and eclectic sound. Quite honestly, I had never seen anything like her; she was the first "artsy" black girl I had ever seen. Yes there was Denise Huxtable and oh yeah, Freddie from A Different World, but they were characters and they were around at a different stage of my life. Some argue that Erykah Badu is also a character with her elaborate head wraps, tea drinking and incense burning on stage, but to me Ms. Badu was an artistic extension of Erica Wright. At seventeen I was a teen who loved to paint, draw, go to museums and listen to music. I longed for someone in the media to represent a world I could relate to, so in my mind Erykah Badu was very real.
Baduizm, Badu's first album, was amazing but Mama's Gun...man, Mama's Gun was magic. Unlike her I was in school and not a mother, so her personal stories had little relation to me but her feelings, messages and affirmations were indeed relatable to what I was experiencing at the time. Her second track on the album, Didn't Cha Know, was not an instant favorite for me until I saw the video, which was rare. Until then music videos never really changed my feelings about the song. But for some reason Erykah in her space-like outfit roaming the desert appealed to my senses. What really did it was at the very end when she revealed her newly shaven head. It became one of my favorite videos and soon after one of my favorite Badu songs.
The music video is beautiful with its exquisite shots of Badu surrounded by earthy backdrops of cracked landscapes and hazy sunsets. Be inspired by the neutral palette with its hints of pale green and peach undertones. I also love the textures created by layering various versions of those tones. Check out these items based on this neutralized theme:
from top left, Simplicity Lamp, Honorine Necklace, Sun Jar, Shantel Open Toe Platform Booties, Good Wood Zebra Earrings, New York in a Bag, A Peace Treaty Scarves (here and here), Chloé Paraty Medium Tote, Cotton Nico Skirt, City on Stilts Print, Graphic Standard Supply Small Hobo, and Wishbone Wedges.
