Worldwide Underground

After taking some time off to raise her child, Badu returned in 2000 with Mama's Gun. The album was characterized as more organic in sound than her previous studio album, and primarily produced by the Soulquarians and noted bassist Pino Palladino. A remix of one of the album's songs, "Bag Lady", was issued as the first single and topped the R&B charts for seven weeks. The album was well-received, with the lyrical content winning notices from many publications. Reviewers found some of her lyrics hard to decipher on her initial releases.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/erykahbadu/albums/album/193866/review/5943545/mamas_gun|title=Erykah Badu: Mama's Gun: Music Reviews|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=January 18, 2001|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100403074231/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/erykahbadu/albums/album/193866/review/5943545/mamas_gun |archive-date=April 3, 2010}} Despite not charting as high as her first two albums, Mama's Gun was another platinum-selling success, and "Bag Lady" was nominated for a Grammy Award.

In 2001 Badu embarked on the Mama's Gun World Tour. The tour started in North America on February 10 in Cleveland, Ohio at the Allen Theatre.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/80762/badu-targets-dates-for-mamas-gun-tour|title=Badu Targets Dates For 'Mama's Gun' Tour|date=January 25, 2001|magazine=Billboard.com}} Badu will perform two nights in Washington, D.C. and Chicago.{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-583545441.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611030942/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-583545441.html|title=Badu to make her Auditorium debut in Chicago|website=highbeam.com|date=February 10, 2001|archive-date=June 11, 2014}}

After the release of Mama's Gun and "Love of My Life", Badu suffered writer's block.{{cite web|url=http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/b/baduerykah-worldwide.shtml|title=Don't Name No Buildings for Me (with apologies to my man Kevin Powell)|last=Anthony Neal|first=Mark|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207190428/http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/b/baduerykah-worldwide.shtml|archive-date=December 7, 2008|website=PopMatters|date=October 16, 2003}}

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{rating|3.5|5}}Kellman, Andy. [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r646717|pure_url=yes}} Review: Worldwide Underground]. Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-08-09.

| rev2 = Blender

| rev2Score = {{Rating|3|5}}

| rev3 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev3Score = B+Blumenfeld, Larry. [https://ew.com/article/2003/09/19/worldwide-underground/ Review: Worldwide Underground]. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2009-08-09.

| rev4 = Los Angeles Times

| rev4Score = {{Rating|3|4}}Nichols, Natalie. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-sep-21-ca-rack21-story.html Review: Worldwide Underground]. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-08-09.

| rev5 = Mojo

| rev5Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite journal|title=Erykah Badu, 'Worldwide Underground' (Motown)|journal=Mojo|publisher=Bauer|page=109|issue=121|date=December 2003}}

| rev6 = Pitchfork

| rev6Score = 6.7/10Beta, Andy. [https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/1083-worldwide-underground/ Review: Worldwide Underground] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201023214/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/15810-erykah-badu-worldwide-underground |date=February 1, 2009 }}. Pitchfork Media. Retrieved on 2009-08-09.

| rev7 = Q

| rev7Score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite journal|journal=Q|location=London|page=120|date=December 2003|title=none}}

| rev8 = Rolling Stone

| rev8Score = {{Rating|2|5}}Caramanica, Jon. [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/world-wide-underground-20030924 Review: Worldwide Underground]. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2010-03-30.

| rev9 = Slant Magazine

| rev9Score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}Cinquemani, Sal. [http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/erykah-badu-worldwide-underground/320 Review: Worldwide Underground]. Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2010-08-13.

| rev10 = Uncut

| rev10Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite journal|url=https://www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/erykah-badu-worldwide-underground-18621/|title=Erykah Badu, 'Worldwide Underground' (Motown)|journal=Uncut|publisher=IPC Media|page=103|issue=80|date=January 2004|accessdate=2011-11-04}}

}}

Worldwide Underground was released on September 16, 2003, by Motown Records. It debuted at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart in the week of October 4,[http://www.billboard.com/charts/2003-10-04/billboard-200 Billboard 200 (10/4/2003)]. Billboard. Retrieved 2010-03-30. selling 143,561 copies in its first week.Farber, Jim. [https://archive.today/20110815064537/http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/entertainment/2003/09/25/2003-09-25_newsline.html Newsline: DMX's 'Champ's' a Champ]. New York Daily News. Retrieved 2010-03-30. Ultimately spending 11 weeks on the Billboard 200, it also entered at number two on Billboard{{'}}s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and spent 30 weeks on the chart.[http://m.billboard.com/album/erykah-badu/worldwide-underground/588126#/album/erykah-badu/worldwide-underground/588126 Chart History: Worldwide Underground]{{Dead link|date=August 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. Billboard. Retrieved 2010-03-30. By December 2003, the album had sold 394,000 copies domestically.{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/67833/badu-plans-underground-tour|title=Badu Plans 'Underground' Tour|magazine=Billboard.com|date=December 9, 2003}} Its first single, "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip Hop)", peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=erykah badu|chart=all}} Chart History: Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip Hop)]. Billboard. Retrieved 2010-03-30. The second single "Danger" reached number 82 on the Hot 100 and number 27 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs,[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=erykah badu|chart=all}} Chart History: Danger], Billboard. Retrieved 2010-03-30. while the third single "Back in the Day (Puff)" peaked at number 62 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=erykah badu|chart=all}} Chart History: Back in the Day (Puff)]. Billboard. Retrieved 2010-03-30. On October 28, 2003, Worldwide Underground was certified gold in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America, following sales in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States.[http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Worldwide%20Underground&artist=&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2008&sort=Artist&perPage=25 Gold & Platinum – Searchable Database: Worldwide Underground] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016235522/http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=Worldwide%20Underground&artist=&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2008&sort=Artist&perPage=25 |date=October 16, 2015 }}. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2010-03-30. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album has sold 609,000 copies in the United States.Columnist. [http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1047089/badu-starts-nu-on-double-disc-album Badu Starts 'Nu' On Double-Disc Album]. Billboard. Retrieved 2010-03-30.

Worldwide Underground received generally lukewarm reviews from critics.{{cite news|last=Sanneh|first=Kelefa|date=October 5, 2003|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/05/arts/when-weird-works-outkast-and-erykah-badu.html?pagewanted=all|title=When Weird Works: Outkast and Erykah Badu|newspaper=The New York Times|accessdate=September 26, 2015}} At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 71, based on 14 reviews.[http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/baduerykah/worldwideunderground Worldwide Underground (2003): Reviews]. Metacritic. Retrieved 2010-03-30. Andy Kellman from AllMusic said the record sounded "more like a weekend jam session than an endlessly labored-over, polished project. For the most part, this is a good thing". PopMatters critic Mark Anthony Neal commended Badu for her themes relating to hip hop culture and for her musical direction, writing that "it finds the artist {{'}}Stepping into Tomorrow{{'}}, with a new production collective in tow and some straight-up, free-floating, funky-ass R&B. And for the first time in her career, Badu is wearing her own voice and it is unmistakably Badu".Neal, Mark Anthony. [http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/b/baduerykah-worldwide.shtml Review: Worldwide Underground]. PopMatters. Retrieved 2009-08-09. Georgia Christgau from The Village Voice wrote that "although sometimes her reliance on mood threatens to get the better of Worldwide Underground, Badu remains faithful to the old school of flow, a blend of drums and rhythm designed to service soul's best instruments: its vocalists."Christgau, Georgia. [http://www.villagevoice.com/2003-10-21/music/woman-of-influence/1 Review: Worldwide Underground]. The Village Voice. Retrieved 2009-08-09. Slant Magazine ranked the record number 90 on its list of the Best Albums of the Aughts.{{cite web|url=http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/feature/best-of-the-aughts-albums/215/page_2|work=Slant Magazine|accessdate=February 10, 2010|title=Best of the Aughts: Albums}}

In a less enthusiastic review, Uncut deemed Worldwide Underground oft-interesting but too groove-oriented music, while Blender observed "rambling, digital fiddling and self-indulgent sprawl here, but a sense of purpose, too, even as her lips move on autopilot."{{cite journal|title=Erykah Badu, 'Worldwide Underground' (Motown)|journal=Blender|publisher=Alpha Media Group|page=114|issue=20|date=October 2003}} Jon Caramanica from Rolling Stone was more critical and said apart from "Danger" and "Love of My Life Worldwide", most of the songs sounded aimless, "variations on some atmospheric theme ... slither[ing] along unthreateningly".

File:ErykahBadu.jpg

Badu embarked on the Worldwide Underground Tour in 2004. The US trek kicked off on February 3 in New Orleans. and ran through the winter and spring with supporting act Floetry joining the tour February 5 in Houston. The Roots made a special opening act appearance at the February 11, show in Los Angeles. Badu resumed the tour during the fall with additional dates in America and Europe.

Badu founded the Sugar Water Festival, a music festival co-found by Badu, Queen Latifah and Jill Scott. The trek played to amphitheaters and arenas in the United States during the summer of 2005 and 2006. It began in 2005 as an event to bring awareness to health issues to African-American women. British duo Floetry opened shows during the 2005 run. The festival was relaunched briefly in 2006 with Kelis opening the show and comedian Mo'Nique hosting the festival.{{cite web|url=http://www2.citypaper.com/calendar/review.asp?rid=10686|title=Sugar Water Festival with Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Queen Latifah, Kelis, and Mo'nique|author=McCabe, Brent|date=9 August 2006|work=Baltimore City Paper|publisher=Times-Shamrock Communications|accessdate=July 2, 2011|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130120063356/http://www2.citypaper.com/calendar/review.asp?rid=10686|archivedate=January 20, 2013|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} 2006 was the final year for the outing.

The festival was to expand into Europe and Asia, however, this did not come to fruition. The Summer Tour was a concert tour in 2006 by Badu. The tour started on June 10, in Knoxville, TN, with three shows in the U.S. and resumed in July for several shows in Europe. In August, Badu co-headlined dates with Jill Scott and Queen Latifah at the "Sugar Water Festival".{{cite news|author=Sam Machkovech |url=http://www.dallasobserver.com/2006-08-03/music/sugar-water-festival/ |title=Sugar Water Festival|newspaper=Dallas Observer |date=August 3, 2006 |accessdate=February 11, 2014}}

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| title1 = World Keeps Turnin' (Intro)

| writer1 = Erykah Badu

| extra1 = Erykah Badu

| length1 = 1:39

| title2 = Bump It

| writer2 = James Poyser, Rashad Smith, Badu, Audrie Magget

| extra2 = Badu, James Poyser, Rashad Smith

| length2 = 8:49

| title3 = Back in the Day (Puff)

| writer3 = Poyser, Smith, Magget, Badu

| extra3 = Badu, Poyser, Smith

| length3 = 4:46

| title4 = I Want You

| writer4 = Poyser, Badu, Smith, Magget

| extra4 = Badu, Smith, Poyser

| length4 = 10:53

| title5 = Woo

| writer5 = Williams, Badu

| extra5 = Badu, R.C. Williams, Smith

| length5 = 3:14

| title6 = The Grind

| note6 = featuring Dead Prez

| writer6 = Dead Prez, Stic.man, M-1

| extra6 = Dead Prez, Badu, Smith

| length6 = 2:49

| title7 = Danger

| writer7 = Badu, Williams, Smith, Poyser

| extra7 = Badu, Poyser, Williams, Smith

| length7 = 5:49

| title8 = Think Twice

| writer8 = Donald Byrd

| extra8 = Badu, Poyser, Smith

| length8 = 3:02

| title9 = Love of My Life Worldwide

| note9 = featuring Queen Latifah, Bahamadia and Angie Stone

| writer9 = Badu, Poyser, Smith, Queen Latifah, Angie Stone, Bahamadia

| extra9 = Badu, Williams, Smith, Poyser

| length9 = 5:25

| title10 = World Keeps Turnin' (Outro)

| writer10 = Badu

| extra10 = Badu

| length10 = 4:01

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = United Kingdom and Japan edition bonus tracks

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| title11 = Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)

| note11 = featuring Common

| length11 = 3:50

| writer11 = Raphael Saadiq, Badu, Poyser, Robert Ozuna, Glen Standridge

| extra11 = Raphael Saadiq, Badu, add. producers: Poyser, Jake and the Phatman

| title12 = Hollywood

| writer12 = David Wolinski, Andre Fischer

| extra12 = Badu

| length12 = 5:32

}}

Freakquency

• Erykah Badu – vocals, arrangements, funk box (track 2, 5), drum programming (6)
• James Poyser – keyboards (2–4, 6–9, 11), additional programming (2), drums (11)
• Rashad "Ringo" Smith – drum programming (except 1, 4, 10), "funk cuts" (5), "cuts, spices and herbs" (11)
• R.C. Williams – keyboards (5, 7), additional programming (3)

with

{{div col|colwidth=30em}}

• Braylon "Brother B." Lacy – bass (2–5, 7–9), handclaps (5)
• Doc Gibbs – percussion (2–4)
• Zap Mama, Caron Wheeler – vocals (2)
• Chinah Blac – background vocals (2, 7)
• Lenny Kravitz – electric guitar (4 [not 3 as stated in album credits])
• Dwayne Kerr – flute (5, 11, 12)
• Jazz Bell, Sam Bell, Tisha Creer, Alfredo Gray, Robert Pack, A. Pérez – background vocals (5)
• Eevin Wright, Rod Rice – handclaps (5)
• M-1, Stic.man – vocals (6)
• Dead Prez – rap, drum programming (6)
• Roy Hargrove – trumpet, vocals (8)
• Queen Latifah, Angie Stone, Bahamadia – vocals (9)
• Common – vocals (11)
• Raphael Saadiq – bass guitar (11)

{{div col end}}

{{div col|colwidth=30em}}

• Producers: Freakquency, Dead Prez, Raphael Saadiq
• Executive producers: Erykah Badu, Kedar Massenburg
• Co-executive producers: James Poyser, Rashad Smith, Tom Soares, R.C. Williams
• Recording Engineer: Tom Soares
• Assistant engineers: Shinobu Mitsuoka (4), Tim Olmstead (5)
• Mixing: Tom Soares, Leslie Brathwaite (7), Brian Stanley (8)
• Mastering: Chris Athens (exc. 7), Robert Wechsler (7)
• Creative director: Sandy Brummels
• Vocal Coaching: Erykah Badu, Lis Lewis, David Angerstein
• Art direction: Erykah Badu, Kenny J. Gravillis
• Drawing: Erykah Badu
• Photography: Marc Baptiste
• Make-up: Melanie Harris
• Stylist: Carlton Jones

{{div col end}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-end}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.discogs.com/Erykah-Badu-Worldwide-Underground/master/68114 Worldwide Underground] at Discogs
• [http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/baduerykah/worldwideunderground Worldwide Underground] at Metacritic
• [http://acharts.us/album/13036 Worldwide Underground] at αCharts

{{Erykah Badu}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2003 albums

Category:Albums produced by Raphael Saadiq

Category:Albums produced by James Poyser

Category:Albums produced by Rashad Smith

Category:Erykah Badu albums

Category:Motown albums