Erykah Badu plans to make music, money and babies

Ebony, July, 1998 by Joy Bennett Kinnon

Creativity is not in short supply for Badu, a trained dancer who loves to draw, work with fabric and ties her own head wrap. For the record she has plenty of hair under that head wrap, which she often wears braided. She is still surprised by the interest in her personal fashion choices. "I didn't create head wrap or the style, I just manifest it," she says. But she did not expect to have the impact she has had on the Afrocentric natural styles. "I've always been an outcast as far as style," she adds. "I never followed anybody else, but nobody ever followed me either because it was not their idea of style."

Badu's current project, which will never go out of style, is nurturing Seven. This summer she will perform select concert dates on the Lilith Fair tour. In August she plans to head back into the studio to start recording her next album. "I've already started writing the album," she says. "The formula I used for the first album was as I got music I wrote, and as I felt lyrics I wrote them."

Although Badu loves recording and performing, she's been feeling a little overwhelmed lately. "I love every aspect of this business," she says, "but sometimes you get tired. The spirit never gets tired, but the body does. It bothers me when I don't have enough energy to give to every single thing. Right now I'm at the point where I need to go and put a battery in my back and recharge."

Trying to put so much energy into all of her many roles is draining, she says. "It sounds crazy and maybe a little selfish and spoiled, but it bothers me that so many people want so many things from me at this time." She says maintaining her composure is a full-time job.

"I'm trying to be Mommie, CEO, friend, lover, daughter, it's difficult, but it can be done. Just remember that you're writing this script and you need to write whatever your need -- write yourself some time off," she laughs, jokingly writing in the air "... and now she takes a vacation."