EDIT--Whatever. I shouldn't have brought it up i should have kept it to myself and just not posted it here. I didn't think this should turn into a race thing among people here but I guess it did. I can't deal with racism of any kind and so it's ironic that me denouncing what was ALLEGEDLY a racist act (or a RUMOR of a racist act) brought out prejudices in some people here. I'm white and listen to artists who are black but I didn't think that a statement like "soul artists don't make music for their white audiences" would EVER come up in 2005. Peace.--EDIT

Wigged Out
Mean sister: I don't know why Erykah Badu receives all the positive publicity from the Dallas Observer ("Waiting for Erykah," by Robert Wilonsky, March 24). Perhaps you missed the show at the Forest Theatre when Ms. Badu and her sister, Nayrok, sang anti-war songs, calling out President Bush directly in their lyrics. Nayrok opened the show, lasting way too long, and was booed off the stage by the predominantly black crowd. Her '80s metal rock is amateurish and completely clashes with Badu's alleged theme of peace, love and enlightenment. Badu finally took the stage and preached for at least 10 minutes in between one of her songs, rambling and riding her weed high. A black woman in the audience, near the front of the stage, shouted: "Get on with the music!" And Badu immediately lashed back: "If you don't like it, sister, you can get the fuck on!!"

Somewhere in her anti-war rant, she actually said, "Fuck war! Fuck Bush!" and at the end of the crescendo: "Fuck white people! Lock the doors. We're going to have a revolution!" Wow. As one of the minorities there, I looked at my two other Caucasian friends, slunk against the wall, eyed the nearest exit and prepared for a lynching. The audience started filing out down the aisles while she tried to resurrect the positive energy of her set, but I'd guess that about 25 percent of the audience left the theater.

Anyway, do some more follow-ups to this story if you don't believe it. Badu is not all about the love. She's a panther in disguise. Check under her fake 'fro wig.

Dustin Nulf

Via e-mail

Editor's note: This is one man's version of what happened at this show. Were you there? If so, we'd like to hear from you. Write us at letters@dallasobserver.com.

anyone heard about this?
[Edited 12/19/05 6:28am]
[Edited 12/19/05 6:28am]
[Edited 12/19/05 6:29am]

sounds like a great show.

lilgish said:

Uh oh,,lol seems like mofos will get off Lauryn Hill's case now

if that's true, she's a fucking cunt. i liked "on and on", and in a moment of insanity bought "mama's bag". it's good background music i guess, though it's been a long time since i've played it. anyway....for the most part i think she's nasty; and if this story is found to be truth, i hope she'll disappear from music/media forever!!!

Lauryn Hill-ish.

badujunkie said:

If it's true then it goes against everything that she represents as herself on myspace. She even put the video up of herself at the Million More March addressing the audience telling them that the only way is too embrace eachother's differences and to love one another not hurt one another - that in the end we are all the same inside.

So, I'd be really surprised if that were true. I just cannot see it.

http://www.dallasobserver...tters.html

Badu to the Bone

Ugly vibes: This e-mail is in response to the "Wigged Out" letter in the March 31 edition. I was present at this odd display of emotion as well. I didn't and still don't know what to make of it, but sadly it left a bad taste in mouth with regard to Erykah and her work. Up until that show, I raved about her music and her messages. Since then, it hasn't been the same for me. I can't say that I ever remember being as nervous as I was at that show that I was going to be attacked. It really was a foreign feeling, and hence the sadness. I tried my best to believe that I misunderstood what Ms. Badu was saying and portraying during her rants at the show, but I couldn't convince myself. And remembering the number of people (of all races, mind you) that trickled out of the theater after the bad vibes commenced, I realized that I was simply wasting my time with the self-persuasion attempt. That said, I do hope that was some sort of mistake on her part. And I do hope that she gets word of these dissapointing connections that she made so that she can truly understand her own message of love.

"Love Worldwide"
Via e-mail


http://www.dallasobserver...tters.html

Badu Behavior

Talkin' 'bout revolution: Over the last months, letters to the editor have heaped criticism upon Erykah Badu and alleged anti-white comments made during a show at the Black Forest Theater (Letters, March 31 and April 14). I've attended many shows at the venue with performers such as Dead Prez, Musiq, ?uestlove and, most recently, George Clinton. I'm African-American, and the crowds are mostly African-Americans, but an ample number of Caucasian, Latino and Asian fans routinely attend. I always remember Ms. Badu conducting herself in a professional manner. The times when she would address the audience, I never heard anti-white or pro-violence rhetoric. There was a vibe of collective peace within a non-threatening atmosphere. I believe Ms. Badu uses the word revolution as a call for positive change in attitude and more tolerance between Dallasites regardless of color. Rarely has a Dallas-reared artist of global acclaim such as Ms. Badu been as proactive in revitalizing the southern sector.

Peace,
Brian Carr
Via e-mail


http://www.dallasobserver...usic3.html

Username: Badu-4-u
For sale: "Limited edition Erykah Badu tour T-shirt from her March 2005 performance at Dallas' Black Forest Theater (Letters, March 31). On the front is an illustration of Badu's face, and on the back is the slogan 'Fuck white people' in all-caps. You didn't attend and experience the racial tension in person? Then at the very least, you can wear it! Choose 'BuyItNow' and receive a free Black Panthers head wrap."


http://www.dallasobserver...tters.html

Bad to Badu
Poor judgment: When is alleged racism ever funny?

After reading the article "By the eBay" by Sam Machkovech (December 1), I was quite disturbed for one main reason. Freedom of speech is one thing, but it must always be tempered with humanity and societal responsibility.

Mr. Machkovech's article was intended to be satirical in nature, but his treatment of Erykah Badu was in poor judgment, incendiary, controversy-mongering and all other things associated with exploiting racial tensions.

To joke about an alleged incident (which did not happen in the first place, but more on that later) that involved highly racially insensitive sentiments has no place in the Dallas Observer or any other publication. To throw fuel on the fire of Dallas' community relations and to make one of the city's burgeoning icons a negative target is irresponsible at best and detrimental as a whole.

The motivation of the writers of the fallacious letters to the editor (Letters, March 31, 2005) that created the source material for Mr. Machkovech's article is not known, but opposing letters submitted to the Observer dismissing the alleged incident were not given the weight that the original letters were given. Please know this: Erykah Badu said or did nothing to hurt, threaten or disparage any group of people at the event in question, and a recording of the show bears that out.

I am not trying to lay the racial problems of Dallas on the writer or on the Dallas Observer--certainly the issue is much larger--but it is my hope that the Observer would be a part of the solution or at least not make it worse.

I have known Erykah Badu for more than 10 years and have spoken with her about the article and the accusation that sparked it. She was upset for two reasons. First, because it was based on something that did not happen and second, because something that is so vile and against everything she stands for was stirred back up for the sake of so-called humor. How would any of us like to be branded with such a despicable characterization (especially when it is not accurate)?

In its attempts to entertain and inform, the Dallas Observer should understand that everything is not "fit to print," even in the spirit of comedy. When it comes to one of the most serious subjects that we face, not everybody gets the joke.

Ward White
Dallas Editor's note: Ward White is Erykah Badu's lawyer.


Hidden racism: I am writing to express my utter discontent with the "editorial staff" of this New Times publication. Not only did "By the eBay" do all it could to disparage and belittle some of the better musical talents to come from and stay in Dallas, the words written specifically about Erykah Badu crossed so many lines. Let me first point out that I am a white man, 33 years old, living and doing business in this wonderfully diverse city. I work with men and women of all races and social backgrounds. I have never seen such a poor display of hidden racism in print time and time again by a publication that claims to be cutting-edge editorial.

Your paper has cast a dark, dark cloud over a venue (the Black Forest Theater) and a respected philanthropist, musician and mother--Erykah Badu. Did anyone in your editorial department stop to think about Erykah's young children, one of whom attends school in Dallas, and how these types of lies will hurt them? Did anyone in editorial stop to think about the target this would put on Erykah? As much as news outlets like to play it down, white people commit hate crimes against minorities, and I would hate to see anything come back on Erykah or any other people around her due to these statements about "Fuck the White People." I feel the Dallas Observer has tried very hard to put this "racial target" on Ms. Badu, a person who doesn't deserve this treatment in any way. I have been to every single event at the Black Forest Theater, from Prince to Snoop Dogg to events that the Observer sponsored like Paul Oakenfold and even other events such as Scholastic Saturdays, where Erykah and volunteers from her charity (BLIND) and St. Philip's School (South Dallas) brought in children displaced from the Gulf Coast disasters for a day of education, expression through art and compassion. Did anyone at the Observer notice that white people, Mexican people, black people, all people came to the Black Forest Theater to donate time, money and love?

I am so offended by the complete lack of ethics within your editorial group. I know that your advertisers will pick up on the fact the Observer is with you when there is something to gain and killing you when there is not. I say that after seeing Erykah on the cover of the Observer ("The Weird Girl," by Robert Wilonsky, October 16, 2003) and in the paper over the past 12 years.

Let me end this rant by saying that Dallas doesn't need any more undue racial rumblings. No city does. All of this hoopla is based on mistruths and misguided people.

Jeff Smith
Dallas

Its possible she said it.....sucks...but its possible.

I see it more as a 'fuck u' to the white establishment.

At the end of the day, she makes a a one off comment during a gig. Isn't a big deal. All that matters is her music rocks.

p.s mamas gun is beautiful. A perfect album to make love to.

Sly said:

No harm in that.

BlaqueKnight said:

If she said this (and that's a big "if"), there's little excuse for expressing it this way. I do agree with you that at some point in time, everybody says "fuck white people," "fuck niggas," etc. The United States is an inherently bigoted society, and I think everybody here is to some degree a bigot. I truly believe that. Doesn't mean we're bad people. It just shows how deep-seeded these feelings are, even in people with the best intentions. I purposely choose the word "bigot" and "bigoted," because I think "racism" is a word that shouldn't be used lightly.

Sometimes that bigotry rears its ugly head when we'd least like to see it. That doesn't mean we cannot be disappointed when we see it or hear it from the people we'd least like to hear it. There's not a thing wrong with somebody expressing anger and frustration at society and individuals. That's how things get worked out. But generalization only leads to confusion and more anger.

I don't know if she said it. I would wager that she didn't. People get frustrated with the ills of society, but why express the sentiment to a paying audience that came to see you sing? It seems there's always some story about some minority making statments like this. If it happened in March, why are we just hearing about it now?

Cloudbuster said:

Are you mocking me..?

Sly said:

Nope.

She was probably high.

lilgish said:

I laughed out loud.

BlaqueKnight said:

if any white person would have said "fuck black people" their career would have been over by the time "people" came out

VoicesCarry said:

As did I, because it's probably true.

It's telling how people are willing to write her off immediately for something that they probably do and say about others. In subtle ways that they are not even aware of. On other words, putting her on the hook and letting ones own feelings off the hook. You know who you are.

BlaqueKnight said:

so much to say...and yet so not worth it.

Cloudbuster said:

good...

I wonder if the folks here who are so "understanding" of Ms Badu's (alleged) comments, were equally forgiving to Axl Rose in the late 1980s , when he was accused of racism and hung out to dry ?? Somehow, I doubt it ....

Oh my my my
I’m feeling high
My moneys gone
I’m all alone

The world is turnin’
Oh what a day
What a day whay a day

Peace and blessings manifest with every lesson learned,
If your knowledge were your wealth then it will be well earned

If we were made in his image then call us by our names
Most intellects do not believe in god but they fear us just the same

Oh on and on and on and on
Whew on and on and on and on
I go on and on and on and on
Ohh on and on and on and on

I was born under water with 3 dollars and 6 dimes
Yeah you might laugh ‘cause you did not do your math

Na qua 2..3.
Damn, yall feel that? Oh...
Qua 2..3.
The world keeps turning
Oh what a day what a day what a day

The man that knows something knows that he knows nothing at all
Does it seem colder in your summertime and hotter in your fall

If we were made in his image then call us by our names
Most intellects do not believe in god but they fear us just the same

Oh on and on and on and on
On and on and on and on
I go on and on and on and on
On and on and on and on

I am feeling kinda hungry ‘cause my high is coming down
Don’t feed me yours ‘cause your food does not endure
I think I need a cup of tea, the world keeps turnin’
Oh what a day, what a day what a day

You rush into destruction ‘cause you don’t have nothin’ left
The mothership can’t save you so your ass is goin’ get left
If we were made in his image then call us by our names
Most intellects do not believe in god but they fear us just the same

I remember Howard Stern playing the hell out of this tune,,,always saying "Cool joint, I can get down with that!". Yeah, alot of white folks dig this song so much YET they don't know what its about. I think most likely becoz she reminds them of Billie Holiday

Anyway, she has always been a modern day panther,,,musically that is

Mazerati said:

"if any white person would have said "fuck black people" their career would have been over by the time "people" came out"

If you believe that I want to know what you are smoking.

jjhunsecker said:

-----
He was not accused of racism. It was in his songs. "N***gers and F***GS get out my way" that is a line of out of Guns and Roses song and still some record company nut gave this fools millions to record a follow up record that will never be put out.

SassierBritches said:

-----
Then don't comment. Nothing BlaqueKnight said was wrong.

laurarichardson said:

huh, I think you got your timeline mixed up, anyways parts of Chinese Democracy, including the song are brilliant.

badujunkie said:

do any white people listen to her anyway?


...
[Edited 12/18/05 11:33am]

Rhondab said:

is that really ALL you have to say about it?