Entertainment

On a recent Tuesday, while we waited for Erykah Badu at a North Dallas recording studio, the sound engineer suddenly turned to us and said, "You do know she's always late, right?"

FILE 2006/Staff photo

'Let's create live, onstage.' - Erykah Badu

Ms. Badu, who opens the House of Blues tonight, moves at her own pace. Not in a diva way – more meditative and thoughtful.

It's been nearly four years since the earthy 36-year-old Dallas singer released an album. But she's set to have a big year. Her new, as-yet-untitled album is due out in September and promises to be a throwback to Baduizm, her Grammy-winning first record. Two more records will follow after that, six months apart.

Ms. Badu's also launched a new band called the Cannabinoids, made up of hip-hop producers and lyricists around town. They'll perform tonight at the show's official after-party.

Even though she's still putting the finishing touches on her album, Ms. Badu was kind enough to sit down and offer us some insight into her work and life. Although she exudes sassiness and spunk onstage, in person she talked quietly, almost shyly.

You plan to release three albums in the next two years. That's fast! Usually it's been several years before you release something new.

Right, because there's always a project that comes in between those projects, like a baby. ... And that comes first for me. I'm not pregnant, finally.

So you'll finally be able to concentrate on yourself. What are you looking forward to most?

It's me time. And I feel very selfish, but at the same time I'm equally generous with the ideas and with the creativity. ... The first album, I had no kids, and it was creative and it was just me that I was talking about and feeling. This feels similar to that time again.

What does Erykah Badu do on her me time?

I'm the weird girl ... that's what Dallas calls me. I have an herb garden that's growing out of control right now due to this weird weather. I grow them and dry them and cook with them, and make herbs and give them to different friends. So I decided well, maybe I should go to school so that I could have some kind of certification to practice helping my family and other people. So ... this weekend, if all goes well, I get my holistic health practitioner's license.

How did the Cannabinoids come together?

A lot of people, friends and artists always associate me with being the one to help other artists, since I was the one who kind of poked a hole in the dam, so that the big flood waters could come through in my genre – "neo soul," whatever that means. ... For the past 10 years, they've been saying, "She don't ever do nothing for the artists in Dallas, blah blah blah." I do. But at my own pace, and when I want to. And I had this really great idea. I thought: In order to continue to hone the creativity and the creative process, let's create live, onstage. ... So I decided to bring eight turntables, three MPs, two Tritons, a funk box, which I play, three laptops and one microphone – no rehearsal – to the stage. And I want people to see exactly how that energy flows around the stage and how it works, how our creative process really works, and how it works for you.

Why the House of Blues?

I have an obvious connection, from Blues Brothers 2000. [She was in the film.] Dan Aykroyd became one of my favorite people. He came to my house maybe a month ago. I let him hear some of the album. He was like "Yeah, this is where it's at. You're opening the House of Blues." I think maybe I was opening before that. [Laughs.] ... The energy of the place gives me wings, really. It gives me – I don't know, a floating experience. It's the best sound in the country. Aesthetically, it feels like my house, with all the art.

You're very involved in the Black Forest Theater. Are there any other projects in Dallas that you see yourself getting involved in?

People always say I do a lot, but I'm only beginning to touch not only South Dallas, but the city the way I want to. ... Sometimes I wish that there could be a mandatory exit for everyone who passes from downtown back to Uptown or the north side of town, so they could ride through and see us, because we're here and we're people. ... There's a flower, there's a lotus, that's closed that we're trying to open. ... The newest words on the [Black Forest] billboard right now are: "You could either complain about the lack of flowers, or you can plant seeds." So. We're just trying to plant some seeds. I'm pretty excited about it.

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