Wednesday 11 June 2008

Erykah Badu tours 'Amerykah'

Neo-soul singer Erykah Badu has mapped out a six-week North American tour to support her latest release, "New Amerykah, Pt. One: 4th World War."

The Roots will join Badu on the majority of the outing, which is set to launch May 4 in Detroit. The performers will visit US cities from coast to coast, as well as a few Canadian provinces, and Badu will veer off for gigs in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean island of Aruba. Details are listed below.

After a lengthy hiatus from recording, Badu got back to business with her fourth studio set, "New Amerykah," which dropped on her 37th birthday in February and landed at No. 2 on The Billboard 200. The album's lead single, "Honey," was released late last year to coincide with the singer's 10-year anniversary in the music biz, and it's still making waves on R&B/hip-hop charts.

The new record marks Badu's first full-length in seven years. Her previous studio effort was 2003's gold-certified EP "Worldwide Underground," which also debuted in the Top 5 on The Billboard 200.

The four-time Grammy winner picked up her first couple of gold statues for her 1997 debut, "Baduizm," which has achieved multi-platinum status.

When she's not making music, Badu has a second career as an actress. She's appeared in films including "Blues Brothers 2000" and "Cider House Rules."

The Dallas-based songstress is also a humanitarian: She serves as a spokesperson for the AIDS Arms LifeWalk and she formed the nonprofit group B.L.I.N.D. (Beautiful Love Incorporated Non Profit Development), which works to create social change through economic, artistic and cultural development.


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