Soul singer Erykah Badu recently sat down with New York magazine’s Vulture, and after Badu expressed her compassion for disgraced comedian Bill Cosby and deceased Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, her comments were met with outrage, shock, and harsh critique.
Titled, “In Conversation: Erykah Badu,” the magazine sat down with the 46-year-old r&b-soul singer who hasn’t released an album in eight years, where she shared her thoughts on a plethora of topics. No topic was off limits, and the deep thinker, spiritually conscious and eclectic Badu let her opinions be known in spite of the possible backlash.
When asked why she hasn’t made any new music in such a long time Badu calmly replied, “I’m gathering ideas, I’m uploading. I’ll download new ideas at some point.” Badu has always been unapologetic about who she is and what she has to say, and that shows in her music. And while she performs her classics around the world for at least eight months out of the year, Badu admits that she has so much she wants to accomplish other than just music.
“I want to have a variety show.I want to get my midwifery certification in direct-entry midwifery. I want to build schools. I want to join the Peace Corps. I want to paint more seriously. I want to help my children with their dreams.”
So how exactly did things shift from”being in the present,” to Badu admiring Hitler’s artistic abilities and seeing the humanity in two of the most controversial men in recent history?
Well, it turns that Badu had plenty to say about so much more and her controversial soundbites didn’t stop there. In fact, we’ve got 5 of Badu’s most outrageous quotes from her interview that have everyone scratching their heads.
1.She Loves Bill Cosby
Badu’s controversy started when she questioned about the disgraced comedian, Bill Cosby. When asked about some of the musical artists Badu likes and listens to now, she mentioned XXXTentacion who has made headlines for his involvement in alleged domestic violence against his girlfriend. The interviewer then asked her thoughts on Bill Cosby to which she said, “I would have to really think about it and know the facts in each of those situations before I made a judgment. Because I love Bill Cosby, and I love what he’s done for the world. But if he’s sick, why would I be angry with him? The people who got hurt, I feel so bad for them. I want them to feel better, too. But sick people do evil things; hurt people hurt people. I know I could be crucified for saying that because I’m supposed to be on the purple team or the green team. I’m not going to jump up and go march just because I’m green and the person who got shot is green. The rush to get mad doesn’t make sense to me.”
2. She Sees The Good In Hitler…And Admires His Artistic Efforts
As the interview pivoted, Badu continued her discussion on seeing the good in people, and thus we get to her most controversial quote of the entire interview- showing compassion and understanding with one of the most notable known prejudiced men in U.S. History- Adolf Hitler. Declaring herself a humanist, Badu said, ” I’m a humanist. I see good in everybody. I saw something good in Hitler. Hitler was a wonderful painter.” Badu jokingly retracted the latter but stayed true to defending her thoughts on Hitler, “Okay, he was a terrible painter. Poor thing. He had a terrible childhood.”
3.She’s Perfectly Fine With Being Labeled A Sorceress
When questioned by the interviewer whether “The Erykah Badu Legend” and being labeled as a sorceress of sorts bothers her, Badu brushed off the label as per usual and says she embraces it in a way. “I take advantage of it. It’s a good thing if people think I’m supposed to be some mystical creature that controls people’s minds. I keep the prestige going. I keep up the idea that I’m mystical.”
4. She Credits The Universe In Finding Her Work As A Certified Doula
It’s no surprise that Badu is a working certified doula, what had folks talking was how the singer finds her clients. During the interview, Badu says she uses the laws of the universe to find her next baby to deliver. “Serendipity. It’s always easy to find someone pregnant that needs me. It just happens, you know? I’ve assisted births at home, at birthing centers, at a hospital, in the woods. It all depends on the person and their story. ”
5. She Thinks The Younger Generation Is “Missing It” When It Comes To Absorbing Music
Although she is considered to be more popular and well-liked amongst the younger generation compared to others her age, Badu, who came to bat for Gen Yer’s still thinks that they don’t absorb music as well. “The kids need vibrations because their attention span is about three seconds…You can’t roll a joint on the cover of a digital download.”
