There are only a few in the music business who are willing to put out their own product, ignoring what others think they want to hear, despite the inevidible criticism. Erykah Badu is an artist who with every album does this and does it well. Bringing old school vibes with new school lyrics and an attitude to boot. Once again her album bucks the norm.

Worldwide Underground is inspired from Badu’s journeys with the frustrated artist tour 2003 a.d. and gives you some of her frustration, loves and plenty more! The 10 track EP is relatively short when compared to her first three albums (Baduizm, Live and Mama’s Gun) but is very enjoyable and takes you back to times: “Before they played the same six songs on the radio all day”. An eclectic mix of R&B, Funk, Hip Hop and Jazz, the mostly (save Steady On The Grind part in Grind) self-written and arranged Underground hits you in your belly as well as your head.

Badu talks about the feeling of performing and making music in “Bump It”. The chorus is simple but lets you know the basics of the process: Push up the fader, Bust the meter, shake the tweeter, bump it…well, well, well! You feel her passion on the long and mellow track and it’s a smooth way to get started.

“Back In The Day (puff)” is a tribute to earlier times i.e. the 70’s and Soul Power. The beat is intentionally triggered to bring back times of the sexual (read not sex laced) lyrics and the bands like Kool and the Gang, Earth Wind and Fire, you know groups that established fan relationships with their music not just videos with greasy chests and bottoms.

The song, which contains an interpolation of “Face To Face” by Flight, has one line that says it all: “Soul Flower take me flying with you”!

Lenny Kravitz plays the electric guitar on the track and gives it true justice. Another oft-forgotten treasure, it is good to see Lenny become more embraced by black people. We often forget the rock was maybe made famous by others but was spawned by us!

“I Want You” sound like she is speaking to one rapper in particular although she says it was just about that new love you just want to be around. So what we gonna do is the main lyric in the song and it is echoed by the background frequently. Talking about saunas and yoga, Badu is always expressive and to the point (Remember the bluntness of “Tyrone”?).

“Woo” comes from bringing together some of her familiar tracks from her previous hit albums on stage with adlibs and the band adding new twists. Nothing brand new just remixed a bit. It is great to see how much fun you can have with a little medley.

“The Grind” is about the struggle minorities face when confronted with having to making doe to provide and still having self-respect for yourself and your abilities. Inspired by Dead Prez (Revolutionary But Gangsta) the track features M-1 and the songs starts with an interlude where a man says: “the god we trust is one a dollar!” The song is political and can reach to anyone who has been in the ‘hood or has experienced poverty and choices made for you (hopefully it will reach more than that though). Of course M-1 kills it too!

“Danger” takes you on a trip through thought process of that significant other of the hustle man (or woman for that matter)! The dealings with the cops, the need for protection, and the lack of trust and overall paranoia you have to have to often survive. The chorus as usual tells a lot: “Because they got the block on the lock, the trunk stay locked, glock on cock, the block stay hot”.

We all have had the relationship where the love is there but you’re not in love anymore and you know its better to move on. “Think Twice” is about that; those love tangles that make live an adventure.

“Love Of My Life Worldwide” is of course the remix to the Grammy winning song Love Of My Life featuring Common and co written by Raphael Siddiq. The remix features worldly sisters Badu, Angie Stone, Queen Latifah and Philly’s own Bahamadia with her raspy flow. Once again on an 80’s style beat complete with the ding, ding, dong…ding a ding, ding, ding, dong in the chorus! A song reminiscent of when you use to put your skates and go to the local rink (for me it was shabby Elmwood)!

The EP is great for doing things around the house as well as listening to intently. You wish it were more songs. The production done by Frequency (James Posner, Badu, Rashad Smith and R.C. Williams) is bad in a good way mixing elements of Blues, Jazz, Soul and Hip Hop in a noticeable and vibrant fashion. The album flows with no major stoppage and tackles several topics with a certain flair known as Baduizm.

Badu along with people like Outkast (don’t worry it’s coming), Nas, Mos Def Talib Kweli, the Native Tongues the whole neo-soul movement and several other push the envelope for making their music the norm and not conforming to the abuse called radio and TV these days where 80% of the music (and that could be too generous) is played over and over again. Badu as with all her contributions seems to love herself and the music too much to make it all about money and that’s why she sells! She proves again that you can talk about your feelings, problems and hopes and you too can get noticed with flash.

I’ll give the EP 4 and 1/2 globes. While not totally original, kind of short, the topics are real and the passion and skills shown make this definite life music that meaning music that makes you think outside the box not just about often seen temptations meant for people to compromise their integrity and often leading to people giving up. No, this is music that can grab you, make you jam and leave you fixed for a good while. The rest is up to you!