Erykah Badu on technology and Palestinian hip hop

Erykah Badu was also in town last night to play songs from her new album. This week she commenced the US leg of her New Amerykah world tour. Badu is famous for saying she is a "analog girl in a digital world." But by watching her in concert last night, the singer is far from being analog.

In the past fans would watch her sipping tea and burning incense on stage. Last night she was not only playing a synthesizer, she was also typing on a laptop that was next to her in between songs. Was she checking her email or something? Either way, it looks like Ms E. is moving right along into the 21st century just like the rest of us.

Fans can also go to her website and view videos and images of her performances, read her blog, and join her MySpace page, which is actually pretty cool.

Also, I came across this article yesterday as I was researching my Israel post yesterday. During a press conference in Tel Aviv prior to a performance she gave a couple of months ago, Badu professed her love for Palestinian hip hop.

From the Associated Press:

...Badu commissioned a poster for her visit. It features a large hamsa - a traditional Middle Eastern good-luck charm - that appears to be growing out of her hair. At the bottom, the words for peace in Hebrew and Arabic appear side by side.

The singer, who couldn't name any Israeli hip-hop artists, said she identified best with the Palestinians and their hip-hop scene, saying they are part of her "tribe" of hip-hop.

"They use (hip-hop) as a form of liberation, as a form of pre-resistance, as a form of therapy," she said...