Erykah Badu dove deeper into her role as host of the Soul Train Awards this year.
She is the first person since Cedric the Entertainer in 2011-2012 to host the show in consecutive years. She gives credit to the team behind the show but also acknowledges that her one-woman stage show and regular performances helped prepare her "for that hosting thing."
Not that she's shortchanging the import of this gig. Far from it: She calls it "an amazing opportunity" in which she gets to express another side of her writing and entertaining.
This time around, "the godmother of soul" helped choose the acts and write dialogue.
"I feel super comfortable and it probably reflects on TV," Badu said while on a break from filming a promotional spot in Dallas. "Exchanging with the audience is what it's all about. ... The way I do everything is art."
Drake leads the field with 12 nominations, and Beyonce has eight noms. Scheduled performers include Bobby Brown, Ro James and V. Bozeman. Teddy Riley and Brandy will be honored with special awards.
Badu is ready for all of the performances, including her own.
"I'm looking forward to every single thing," she says. "It's been a dream come true for a little girl from South Dallas."
And, though her career may take her hither and yon, Dallas is decidedly home. Fans can give some of the thank s for that to her "super actively opinionated" grandmothers.
"I never really had the aspiration to move away or ... be a celebrity and all that," Badu, who boasts "five generations Dallas," said.
"I like the sound of the birds in Dallas. I like the feel of the air. I like being home."
The Soul Train Awards will air Sunday, Nov. 27, at 7 p.m. on BET and Centric. It was taped Nov. 6 in Las Vegas.
Check out the full interview in the video below.
