Mama's Gun

For the British band, see Mamas Gun.

Mama's Gun
Studio album by
Erykah Badu
ReleasedNovember 18, 2000
Recorded1998–2000
StudioElectric Lady (New York)
GenreNeo soul
Length71:50
LabelMotown
Producer
Erykah Badu chronology
Live
(1997) 		Mama's Gun
(2000) 		Worldwide Underground
(2003)
Singles from Mama's Gun
  1. "Bag Lady"
    Released: August 8, 2000
  2. "Didn't Cha Know"
    Released: November 28, 2000
  3. "Cleva"
    Released: April 17, 2001

Mama's Gun is the second studio album by American singer Erykah Badu. It was released on November 18, 2000, by Motown Records. A neo soul album, Mama's Gun incorporates elements of funk, soul, and jazz styles.[1] It has confessional lyrics by Badu, which cover themes of insecurity, personal relationships, and social issues.[2] Recorded between 1998 and 2000 at the Electric Lady Studios in New York City, the album has been viewed by critics as a female companion to neo soul artist D'Angelo's second album Voodoo (2000), which features a similar musical style and direction.[3][4][5] Critics have also noted that while Badu's first album Baduizm contained its share of cryptic lyricism, Mama's Gun is much more direct in its approach, and places the artist in a subjective position more than its predecessor.[6]

The album contains the single "Bag Lady", Badu's first top 10 Billboard hit, which was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and for Best R&B Song. The song "Didn't Cha Know" was also nominated for Best R&B Song. The album features substantial contributions from several members of the Soulquarians outfit, of which Badu was a member. It also features guests such as soul singer Betty Wright and trumpeter Roy Hargrove. Mama's Gun was met with generally positive reviews from critics. It was less commercially successful than Baduizm, receiving Platinum certification in the US. Rolling Stone magazine named it one of the Top 10 Albums of 2000.

Background

Following Badu signing to Universal Records, she released her debut studio album Baduizm, in early 1997. The album was met with critical and commercial success, debuting at number two on the Billboard charts and number one on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[7][8] Baduizm's commercial and critical success helped establish Badu as one of the emerging neo soul genre's leading artists.[9] Her particular style of singing drew many comparisons to Billie Holiday.[10] Baduizm was certified three times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, Gold by the British Phonographic Industry and the Canadian Recording Industry Association. [11] [12] [13] Badu recorded her first live album, while pregnant with Seven, and the release of the recording coincided with his birth.[14]

Writing and recording

After the success of Baduizm and Live, Badu took a short break to tend to her role as a mother to her newborn child, Seven, whom she had with her partner at the time, André Benjamin.[15] She returned to collaborating with Questlove of The Roots. The frequency of their collaborations led to her becoming a member of the Soulquarians - a collective formed of like-minded musicians, singers and rappers including Questlove, D'Angelo, Jay Dee, and Common (with whom she had previously worked in 1997). Unfortunately, by the time the songs for her follow-up album had begun to materialize, her spousal relationship with Benjamin had already broken down. Badu used the experience as inspiration for several of the songs that she would write, most notably "Green Eyes".[16] Another event, the murder of Amadou Diallo by New York City Police, serves as the basis for the song "A.D. 2000".[17]

As with other Soulquarian collaborations, the majority of the album was recorded at Electric Lady, Jimi Hendrix's personal recording studio, which was also used to create several landmark albums by David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, and John Lennon. Other studios include Dallas Sound Lab and Palmyra Studios in her hometown of Dallas, TX. The sessions were informal, and took place simultaneously with D'Angelo's Voodoo, Common's Like Water for Chocolate, and Bilal's 1st Born Second, resulting in impromptu collaborations and a distinctive sound that can be found among the three albums.[18] Renowned recording engineer, Russell Elevado, who was responsible for the mixing of all four albums, has stated that he used older techniques and vintage mixing gear in order to achieve the warmth found in older recordings. While most current recording techniques involve the use of hi-tech digital equipment, Elevado employed the use of analog equipment including vintage microphones and recording to tape.

Musical style

Mama's Gun is primarily a neo soul album, differentiating from Baduizm by experimenting with a broad array of genres, including rock, jazz, funk, reggae, and traditional soul.[a] Jake Barnes of Dotmusic described Mama's Gun as the counterweight to its predecessor: "Where her debut was light and jazzy, 'Mama's Gun' is heavy and grounded", emphasizing the opening track "Penitentiary Philosophy" as the prime example.[23] Built on a dense guitar and bass arrangement, "Penitentiary Philosophy" fuses 1970s funk with rock and roll.[19][23] The remainder of Mama's Gun is largely driven by a multitude of live instruments as well.[24] Tracks seamlessly transition into its successors, with each transition being demonstrated with an abrupt shift in texture, which journalist Touré called a "restless soul fantasia".[2] The airy lounge "Cleva" is driven by vibraphone played by Roy Ayers,[2][25][19] while Badu herself plays an acoustic guitar on "A.D. 2000".[2] 54-second flute, percussion and vocal interlude "Hey Sugah" precedes "Booty",[26] which utilizes tight percussion and conspicuous horns, steadily segues into the Rhodes piano and the Minimoog synthesizer-driven "Kiss Me on My Neck (Hesi)".[24] Flutes are further employed on "Orange Moon", while a classical guitar carries the ballad "In Love with You".[20]

The sonic quality of Mama's Gun is further characterized by 1970s funk-influenced breakdowns and disjointed beats,[27] with tracks such as "Booty" drawing influences from works of James Brown and Quincy Jones.[2][20] Although the record mostly eschews programming and sample usage, tight drum loops are present on "My Life" and "Time's a Wastin'".[24] The latter's keyboard arrangement evokes sounds of a church organ during the song's bridge.[20] Meanwhile, "Penitentiary Philosophy" incorporates a looped sample of Stevie Wonder's 1976 song "Ordinary Pain", while its "laid-back" soul successor "Didn't Cha Know" is built on a sample from American jazz-funk ensemble Tarika Blue's 1977 recording "Dreamflower";[19][2][20] neither sample is credited in the album's liner notes. "Bag Lady" contains a credited interpolation of Dr. Dre's 1999 track "Xxplosive",[28] and appears in a slower-paced, blues-influenced neo soul version,[23][2][19] substantially differing from the up-tempo "Cheeba Sac" version used for the single.[29] The album closes with a 10-minute suite "Green Eyes", split into movements "Denial", "Acceptance?", and "The Relapse".[2] While "Denial" maintains a 1930s-influenced jazz style,[30] "Acceptance?" and "The Relapse" feature a melancholy, piano-driven soul approach.[2]

Lyrical themes

In an interview for The New York Times, Badu revealed the meaning behind the title of Mama's Gun to be a metaphor for her being protective of her son Seven: "And there's no better protection than your mama's words. That album is the gun: use those words, those feelings, to solve the problems."[31] Jake Barnes of Dotmusic interpreted the title as representing a weapon eliminating "demons in [Badu's] range",[b] and a remedy to pressures of her sudden fame in the aftermath of Baduizm.[23] Lyrical themes of Mama's Gun encompass love, self-worth, and social equity.[20] The lyricism was widely noted as more honest and direct than the cryptic and complex songwriting on Baduizm;[2][33][34] Badu herself addresses the expressional shift in the lyrics of "...& On": "What good do your words do / If they can't understand you / Don't keep talkin' that shit / Badu".[35] Astrological and cosmic references are nonetheless incorporated into songs such as "...& On" and "Orange Moon".[35][20] Mama's Gun was further proclaimed the female counterpart to D'Angelo's Voodoo, regarding both musical style and lyricism, by numerous critics.[c]

On Mama's Gun, Badu places herself in a more subjective position than on Baduizm, with autobiographical songwriting stemming from prior experiences,[33][20] though Badu denied Baduizm being any less introspective than Mama's Gun.[39] Self-help-themed "My Life" is an homage to Mary J. Blige's 1994 album of the same title, and retrospectively expresses Badu's desire to achieve eminence.[3][20] On "...& On"—a continuation of her debut single "On & On"[30]—Badu reflects on her feelings of inferiority upon first menstruating.[24] Introspective "Cleva" sees her denouncing image in favor of intellect,[27] while accepting her own perceived shortcomings: "My hair ain't never hung down to my shoulders / And it might not grow / You never know".[2] The end of Badu's relationship with Benjamin served as the basis for "Green Eyes", which uses its three movements to deal with different stages of heartbreak.[20] On "Denial", Badu repudiates feelings of jealousy and distress, while "Acceptance?" and "The Relapse" depict confusion before transitioning into displays of anguish and embarrassment, interspersed with declarations of withstanding affection for Benjamin.[2]

"Mournful and angry" opening track "Penitentiary Philosophy" and the penultimate "Time's a Wastin'" deal with perils of street crime, in the vein of Badu's 1997 song "Otherside of the Game".[40][20] Similarly, "Didn't Cha Know" is an encouragement of seeking a righteous path in one's quest.[20] "A.D. 2000" is an elegy for Amadou Diallo, a Guinean man shot 41 times and killed by New York City Police Department officers in February 1999; the lyrics imagine him posthumously remarking: "No, you won't be namin' no buildings after me".[2] The feminist "Booty" sees Badu confront a woman whose partner had been unfaithful to her by attempting to seduce Badu, with Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine comparing its theme to Toni Braxton's 2000 song "He Wasn't Man Enough".[24] "Bag Lady" uses baggage as a metaphor for unresolved trauma among women,[35] simultaneously deprecating materialism,[40] and condemning inadequacies of institutional education regarding black women.[20] According to Daphne A. Brooks of Pitchfork, love songs "Kiss Me on My Neck (Hesi)", "Orange Moon", and the Stephen Marley-assisted "In Love with You" are attached by the theme of freedom; "Kiss Me on My Neck (Hesi)" explores the pursuit of pleasure, while "In Love with You" details infatuation.[20] Badu explained the word "hesi" as an Egyptian affirmation, relating it to the law of attraction; in the context of "Kiss Me on My Neck (Hesi)", it refers to one's sexual desires coming to fruition.[41]

Critical reception

Contemporary ratings for Mama's Gun
Review scores
SourceRating
Boston Herald[42]
Dotmusic[23]
Entertainment WeeklyB−[3]
The Guardian[30]
Los Angeles Times[43]
Q[44]
Rolling Stone[2]
Slant Magazine[24]
Uncut[45]
The Village VoiceA[46]

On release, Mama's Gun received widespread critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 based on reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 80, based on 16 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[47] Badu's songwriting elicited predominant praise; Touré of Rolling Stone commended Badu for abandoning the pretensions of Baduizm in favor of equally profound but more comprehensible lyrics,[2] while Robert Christgau concluded in The Village Voice that song structures and arrangements compliment the lyricism.[46] The A.V. Club's Keith Phipps further lauded the lyrical themes and the album's "deceptively simple arrangements, a lovely breakup suite ('Green Eyes'), and near-infinite replay value".[40] Writing for The New York Times, Jon Pareles described the album as "cool, tantalizing and utterly self-assured".[21] Alongside songwriting, Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine hailed the record's "fresh hybrid" of organic grooves, live instrumentation and modern production techniques.[24] PopMatters critic Wayne Franklin found the record compelling in its personal scope of Badu's psyche, calling it "a definite work of art, destined to remain in heavy rotation for some time to come".[35] Mojo, Rob Brunner of Entertainment Weekly and Michael Odell of The Guardian all directed praise towards Badu's nuanced and distinctive vocal performance, but were ambivalent towards the album's themes.[48][3][30] In less laudatory reviews, Q wrote that Badu's debut had raised expectations she did not meet on Mama's Gun,[44] while Robert Hilburn of Los Angeles Times similarly concluded that Mama's Gun lacked the cohesion of its predecessor.[43] At the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards (2001), the album's lead single "Bag Lady" garnered nominations for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song, while the second single "Didn't Cha Know" received a nomination in the latter category the following ceremony.[49]

Retrospective ratings for Mama's Gun
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic80/100[47]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[33]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[50]
The Great Rock Discography[51]
Piero Scaruffi6/10[25]
Pitchfork9.4/10[20]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[52]
Tom HullA-[53]

Critical acclaim persevered with retrospective commentaries on Mama's Gun. Like Touré, Rob Theakston of AllMusic praised Badu's departure from complex lyricism, while complimenting the album's sonic quality and production,[33] while Paul Schrodt of Slant Magazine felt surprised by the understated arrangements and honest songwriting.[54] Entertainment Weekly reflected on the album acting as a "freethinking, all-weirdos-welcome basement confessional".[55] Rolling Stone similarly described it as "a wildly free, deliciously ambitious song cycle", which Badu had created "out of her own hard-won truths".[56] The New York Times's Ben Ratliff called the album one of "the great neo-soul records of 2000", alongside Voodoo by D'Angelo.[57] Pitchfork's Daphne A. Brooks lauded the album's themes, writing that Mama's Gun "turned an important page as she set out to pair songs that evoked the art of exquisite and romantically-charged lingering and hanging [...] alongside songs about being fed up with stasis, isolation, restriction and aborted dreams".[20] Josiah Gogarty of British GQ emphasized the album's charm through "slinky, soulful" quality of tracks such as "Didn't Cha Know" and "Orange Moon".[58] Piero Scaruffi declared it inferior to Baduizm,[25] as did Martin C. Strong in The Great Rock Discography (2004),[51] and Colin Larkin in The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (2007).[50] Conversely, in The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), Arion Berger and Nathan Brackett listed Mama's Gun as Badu's best work at the time, calling it "less elliptical and less thickly textured" than its predecessor.[52]

Listings

Listings for Mama's Gun
Year Publication List Position Ref.
2000 Libération Critics' Choice
—
[59]
The New York Times The Critics' Choices
—
[21]
Oor Jaarlijst
25
[60]
Rolling Stone Top 10 Albums of 2000
9
[61]
The Village Voice Pazz & Jop
15
[62]
Robert Christgau
9
[63]
2008 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die
—
[64]
Entertainment Weekly The 100 Best Albums from 1983 to 2008
64
[65]
2009 Sounds by Rolling Stone 50 Masterpieces from the 2000s
19
[66]
2010 Slant Magazine The 100 Best Albums of the 2000s
51
[54]
2012 Entertainment Weekly The Best Albums Ever
99
[55]
2018 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
—
[67]
NPR The 150 Greatest Albums Made by Women[d]
131
[68]
2020 Rolling Stone The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
158
[56]
2021 Pitchfork The 200 Best Albums of the Last 25 Years[d]
200
[69]
2025 British GQ The Best '00s Albums
—
[58]

Commercial performance

In the US, Mama's Gun debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200 chart dated December 9, 2000. Released during the highly competitive Thanksgiving week,[70] it became Badu's first release not to reach the top 10 on the chart.[71] It simultaneously debuted at number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, becoming Badu's third consecutive top-three entry, but also the first one not to peak atop the chart.[72] However, the album's first-week sales of 191,000 units registered the largest of Badu's career.[70] In its second week, the album descended to number 22 on the Billboard 200,[73] and would go on to spend a total of 25 weeks on the chart.[71] Four weeks after its release, Mama's Gun was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of one million units in the US.[74] According to Badu in an interview a few months after the album's release, "it has sold 1.4 million in the US. So no, it didn't sell as much ... although creatively I feel like this is a better piece of work." She felt disappointed at first about its commercial performance, but was encouraged by the response from listeners at her concerts: "When I started to tour again and saw all the people show up who knew the words, it was confirmation that the work is not always for commercial success. It's also for spiritual upliftment."[75]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Erykah Badu, except where noted.

Mama's Gun
No.TitleLyricsMusicProducer(s)Length
1."Penitentiary Philosophy" 
  • Badu
  • Poyser
  • Thompson[a]
  • Palladino[a]
6:09
2."Didn't Cha Know" Badu
3:58
3."My Life"
  • Badu
  • Robert Bradford
  • Badu
  • Poyser
  • Badu
  • Poyser
  • Jay Dee[a]
3:59
4."...& On" 
  • Jah Born
  • Badu
3:34
5."Cleva" 
  • Badu
  • Poyser
  • Badu
  • Poyser
3:45
6."Hey Sugah"
  • Badu
  • N'dambi
Badu0:54
7."Booty" Badu
4:04
8."Kiss Me on My Neck (Hesi)" 
5:34
9."A.D. 2000"
  • Badu
  • Wright
4:51
10."Orange Moon" 
Badu7:10
11."In Love with You" (featuring Stephen Marley)
  • Marley
  • Badu
  • Marley
  • Badu
  • Badu
  • Marley
5:21
12."Bag Lady" 
Badu5:48
13."Time's a Wastin'" 
  • Badu
  • Martin
6:42
14."Green Eyes" 
  • Badu
  • Poyser
  • Duplaix
10:04
Total length:71:50
Mama's Gun – Japanese edition and European reissue (bonus track)
No.TitleProducer(s)Length
15."Bag Lady" (Cheeba Sac Radio Edit)Badu4:11
Mama's Gun – Belgian and Dutch special edition (bonus disc)
No.TitleWriter(s)Producers(s)Length
1."Tyrone" (live)
  • Badu
  • Norman Hurt
 3:55
2."Hollywood"
Badu5:35
3."Drama"
  • Badu
  • Tyallen Macklin
  • Badu
  • Bob Power
6:04
4."Your Precious Love" (featuring D'Angelo)
4:40
5."Bag Lady" (Basement Boys Afrocentric Mix)
  • Badu
  • Martin
  • Hayes
  • Young
  • Bailey
  • Longmiles
  • Brown
  • Hale
8:22
6."Bag Lady" (music video)  4:08
7."Didn't Cha Know" (music video)  4:03

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer
  • ^[b] signifies an additional producer

Personnel

Musicians

Horns arranged by Roy Hargrove:

  • Flute – D'Wayne Kerr (6, 8, 10, 12, 14)
  • Saxophone – Jacques Swarzbart (7, 14)
  • Trumpet – Roy Hargrove (7, 14)
  • Trombone – Frank Lacy (7, 14)

Strings on tracks 3 and 13, arranged by Larry Gold:

  • Violins: Charlie Parker Jr., Emma Kummrow, Gregory Teperman, Igor Szwec, Olgo Konopelsky, Charles Kwas (13 only)
  • Violas: Davis Barnet, Peter Nocella
  • Cello: Larry Gold (13 only)

Production

  • Executive producers: Erykah Badu, Kedar Massenburg
  • Recording engineers: Tom Soares (1–5, 8–20, 14), Chris Bell (4, 6, 7, 12), Russell Elevado (1, 7, 8), Leslie Brathwaite (2, 3, 5, 10), Vernon J. Mungo (2, 8, 10), Jon Smeltz and Mark Goodchild (3, 13), Errol Brown (11)
  • Mixing Engineers: Tom Soares (4, 6, 9, 11), Russell Elevado (1, 7, 8, 12, 14), Leslie Brathwaite (2, 3, 5, 10, 13)
  • Assistant engineers: Jon Adler (1, 3, 5, 9, 10, 14), Steve Mandel (1, 5, 7, 8, 12, 14), Shinobu Mitsuoka (2–5, 8, 9, 11), Mike Turner (3, 8, 9, 13), Michael Verdes (4, 6, 7, 12), Vincent Alexander (5, 10, 13), Mitch Getz and William Jackson (2), Krystof Zizka (3), Jason Dale (4), Brian Geten and Paul Gregory (6), Rob Smith (10)
  • Erik Steiner – Pro-Tools (3, 4)
  • Mastering: Chris Gehringer, Tom Coyne
  • Vernon Mungo – production facilitator
  • Erykah Badu and Michael Whitfield – art direction
  • Simone/Whitfield – design
  • Robert Maxwell – cover art
  • Don Thompson – photography
  • Kierstan Tucker – A&R
  • Kelly Abraham – marketing

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for Mama's Gun
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[96] Gold 50,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[97] Platinum 20,000‡
Japan (RIAJ)[98] Gold 100,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[99] Gold 40,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[100] Gold 100,000‡
United States (RIAA)[74] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for Mama's Gun
Region Date Edition(s) Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
Japan November 18, 2000 Standard CD Universal Music
[84]
United Kingdom November 20, 2000 Motown
[101]
United States November 21, 2000
[22]
Germany November 27, 2000 CD Universal Music
[102]
March 12, 2001 Reissue
[103]
Belgium July 9, 2001 Special CD + enhanced CD
[104]
Netherlands
Australia July 8, 2014 Standard Vinyl
[105]
Germany July 18, 2014
[106]
France July 28, 2014
[107]

References

Notes

  1. ^ attributed to multiple sources[19][20][21][3][22]
  2. ^ "Taking out the demons in your range" is a line from "Time's a Wastin'".[32]
  3. ^ attributed to multiple sources[3][5][20][36][37][34][38]
  4. ^ a b readers' poll

Citations

  1. ^ DaCosta, Jamaias (March 16, 2012). "On the record: Erykah Badu's Mama's Gun". CBC Music. CBC. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Touré (January 18, 2001). "Erykah Badu's 'Mama's Gun' Album Review". Rolling Stone. New York. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Brunner, Rob (November 20, 2000). "Mama's Gun". Entertainment Weekly. New York. Archived from the original on April 22, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
  4. ^ Klein, Joshua. "Review: Mama's Gun". The Washington Post: C.05. December 6, 2000. (Transcription of original review at talk page)
  5. ^ a b Gill, Andy. Review: Mama's Gun. The Independent. Retrieved on 2010-03-30.
  6. ^ "Mama's Gun - Erykah Badu | Album". AllMusic. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  7. ^ "Erykah Badu | Biography, Music & News". Billboard.com. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  8. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: December 09, 2000 | Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard. December 9, 2000. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  9. ^ O'Donnell, David. Review: Baduizm. BBC Music. Retrieved on 2009-08-03.
  10. ^ "Erykah Badu". Rock On The Net. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
  11. ^ "RIAA Gold and Platinum". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on February 25, 2013.
  12. ^ "BPI Certified Awards". Archived from the original on January 15, 2013.
  13. ^ "Gold and Platinum". Cria.ca. December 1, 2011. Archived from the original on March 31, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  14. ^ SXSW 2005 SHOWCASING ARTISTS - Erykah Badu Archived May 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ "Erykah Badu Delivers". newyorker.com. January 28, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
  16. ^ "Mama's Gun Review". rollingstone.com. January 18, 2001. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
  17. ^ "Wrapped and Strapped". Time. November 22, 2000. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
  18. ^ "Questlove Explains The Day Of "The Soulquarians' Funeral"". culturedapproved.com. January 13, 2014. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
  19. ^ a b c d e Paoletta, Michael, ed. (November 25, 2000). "Reviews & Previews". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 48. p. 28. Retrieved August 4, 2025 – via Google Books.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Brooks, Daphne A. (September 25, 2016). "Erykah Badu: Mama's Gun". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  21. ^ a b c Pareles, Jon (December 17, 2000). "The Year in Pop and Jazz: The Critics' Choices; Danceable Grooves, Hip-Hop Worldviews". The New York Times. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
  22. ^ a b Hall, Rashaun (November 18, 2000). "Motown's Badu To Deliver 'Gun'". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 47. pp. 5, 119. Retrieved August 6, 2025 – via Google Books.
  23. ^ a b c d e Barnes, Jake (November 22, 2000). "Erykah Badu – 'Mama's Gun' (Motown)". Dotmusic. Archived from the original on February 4, 2001. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g Cinquemani, Sal (April 7, 2001). "Review: Erykah Badu, Mama's Gun". Slant Magazine. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  25. ^ a b c Scaruffi, Piero. "Erykah Badu". Retrieved August 13, 2025 – via official website.
  26. ^ McIver 2002, p. 193
  27. ^ a b Yates, Kieran (September 6, 2011). "My favourite album: Mama's Gun by Erykah Badu". The Guardian. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  28. ^ Badu, Erykah (2000). Mama's Gun (CD liner notes). Motown Records. 012-153-259-2.
  29. ^ Combs, Holly (August 23, 2012). "Song of the day: Erykah Badu – Bag Lady". The F-Word. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  30. ^ a b c d Odell, Michael (December 1, 2000). "We've been to orange moon". The Guardian. London. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  31. ^ Pareles, Jon (February 13, 2001). "Unwrapping a New Era; Erykah Badu Gets On With the Business of Creating Herself". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
  32. ^ Badu, Erykah. Darden, Ebro (ed.). "Erykah Badu: The Message Playlist". Apple Music. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  33. ^ a b c d Theakston, Rob. "Mama's Gun – Erykah Badu". AllMusic. Retrieved August 9, 2009.
  34. ^ a b Blum, Jordan (November 22, 2020). "Didn't Cha Know?: 20 Years of Erykah Badu's 'Mama's Gun'". The Recording Academy. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  35. ^ a b c d Franklin, Wayne (November 20, 2000). "Erykah Badu: Mama's Gun". PopMatters. Archived from the original on December 5, 2006. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  36. ^ Klein, Joshua (December 6, 2000). "Badu's Subdued, Seductive 'Gun'". The Washington Post. p. C.05. ISSN 0190-8286. D'Angelo's 'Voodoo,' for instance, similarly invited the listener to succumb to its stoned sonic utopia, and for better or worse 'Mama's Gun' sounds like that album's soul sister.
  37. ^ Arnold, Chuck (January 25, 2020). "D'Angelo's 'Voodoo': The Neo-Soul Masterpiece at 20". Billboard. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  38. ^ Gubbels, Jason; et al. (May 11, 2015). "The 300 Best Albums of the Past 30 Years (1985–2014)". Spin. p. 3. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  39. ^ McIver 2002, p. 190
  40. ^ a b c Phipps, Keith (November 21, 2000). "Erykah Badu: Mama's Gun". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  41. ^ McIver 2002, pp. 188–189
  42. ^ Rodman, Sarah (December 17, 2000). "Erykah Badu: Mama's Gun". Boston Herald. p. 61. ISSN 0738-5854.
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Bibliography

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