Erykah Badu

Photo by Shelley Hiam

Erykah Badu

As the Okayplayer culture's leading lady, Erykah Badu spent the greater part of this decade in a position without boundaries. She's earned tenure in the neo-soul world. As such, the 37-year-old Dallasite saw it fit to stroll onstage to Lil' Wayne's "A Milli" pregnant in 5-inch heels, blown-out hair coiffed and looped in the front, talking about how "[her] ass and legs have gotten big" before she and her nine-deep band boarded the New Amerykah, Part One: 4th World War soul train. She tapped on a drum box between tracks, lectured the crowd on the finer points of occupancy, hollered at My Morning Jacket, cut off "Bag Lady" in favor of "the song that make my back go like this" (pinning her shoulders back before diving into "Tyrone"), and funked out "On & On." The analog girl in the digital world does as she pleases; we're just lucky enough to enjoy it.