Erykah Badu shares her personally-curated playlist of Fela Kuti works for the new and seasoned listener.
If the month has proven anything, it's that Fela Kuti's legacy is steel-strong in our circles. In our month-long celebration of the Afrobeat king's musical and cultural impact, the likes of Questlove, Black Thought,Talib Kweli and now, the incomparable Miss Erykah Badu, have all shared personally-curated playlists of their most cherished cuts from Kuti.
Badu's list is a short, but potent one, selecting some his more fiery, politically-sharp works like the massive two-part jam "Coffin For Head Of State," "No Agreement," "Army Arrangement" and the sprawling masterpiece that is "Beasts Of No Nation." A recent interview with Miss Badula found her reflecting on the weight of the the Black Lives Matter movement and social movements at large, being inspired by these recent sparks of change.
With this five-track collection of Fela's fire, perhaps we've found a soundtrack that swells with reform. You can stream Erykah Badu's hand-picked Fela Kuti selections below, just be sure to stay woke, as we'll soon have some new heat from Badu herself, as promised in the aforementioned interview. Keep the Felabration running all year long and if you're looking to bump Fela from between the dust and grooves, head over to the OKP Shop to get your fix of vinyl.
