Erykah Badu Vs. Jill Scott Instagram Live Battle
“Jill & Erykah isn’t even a battle… it's a vibe session. They’re just playing full songs, telling background stories and vibing out”- @theblackreginaG
On May 9, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott graced the world with an amazing Instagram live battle. The battle was hosted by producers, Timbaland and Swizz Beats, and was sponsored by Femme It Forward. The battle attracted some of r&b’s biggest stars and even Michelle Obama. Over the past couple of weeks, Instagram live battles have become very popular and are now being used to bring people together during the pandemic. To no surprise, this battle was highly anticipated as two of neo-soul’s greatest artists would come together to appreciate each other’s artistry.
For many fans that tuned into the Instagram battle last Saturday night, Badu and Scott’s music allowed them to reminisce about a simpler time. With everything that’s going on in the world, the battle offered peace, even if it was only temporary. Being that both artists have been making music for over 20 years, the battle only scratched the surface of each artist’s catalog. Despite that, both women showed how timeless good music is. These Instagram battles definitely have their perks. After the battle, both artists saw an increase in streams. Both Erykah Badu and Jill Scott played a mixture of their hits and deep cuts that some fans were introduced to and others revisited. While the music is what attracted so many people, the virtual concert had a deeper meaning. The message was sisterhood. Aside from the music, one of the most beautiful parts of the Badu vs. Scott battle was the respect that they had for each other as women and as artists. “Jill & Erykah isn’t even a battle… it's a vibe session. They’re just playing full songs, telling background stories and vibing out”, says @theblackreginaG (Twitter), a fan who watched the battle on Saturday. It was clear that both women were genuinely fans of each other’s music, which eliminated the “battle” atmosphere.
Generally, when you hear the word “battle” there is an implication of some sort of opposition. The music industry is notorious for putting artists up against each other, especially among female artists. It was very important to see that two women can have equal success and not feel threatened by each other. For three hours, the battle exuded peace, love, and the beauty of art. This was definitely one for the culture.
Photo Credits: @Verzuz.tv
Report: Brionna Thompson
Say Hello To A New Form Of Live-streaming Thanks to Erykah Badu
Whether it involved reconnecting with old peers, performing, or even doing song writing battles, one artist who stood out the most was Erykah Badu.
Many artists have shifted to live-streaming platforms due to the pandemic. As all thing’s entertainment have been cancelled, many have tried finding a coping method and ways to shed light to their fans in this difficult time. Whether it involved reconnecting with old peers, performing, or even doing song writing battles, one artist who stood out the most was Erykah Badu. This pandemic did not stop singer-songwriter, actress and record producer, Erykah Badu as she is back and is more creative than ever! Erykah managed to pull off a stellar live stream music video with two other musicians. She is the first artist to charge a rate between $1-$3 to watch her perform live!
Not only did she have previous live-streams in her bedroom but most recently, she performed Apocalypse 3.1. While maintaining to focus on social distancing, she managed to have everyone on screen and separated in a colorful bubble. Her vision for this project was to show her audience an exaggerated appearance of how social distancing looks and how all three performers would have to perform live without any mistakes. Being in separate bubbles make things a bit harder as many factors may play by being separated the way they were (picture below). Many fans raved about her creativity, style and uniqueness. Artists such as Cee Loo Green, Keyshia Cole and Diddy have also shown their support for Erykah’s Quarantine Concert Series. Most recently, Erykah conducted a press conference via Zoom to speak on how her Quarantine Series began and how she was able to overcome some obstacles she faced. To learn more about her series and watch Erykah’s press conference, visit: https://baduworldmarket.com/pages/stream.
Credits: Instagram @erykahbadu
Report: Jessica Tamay
At the rise of Covid-19 many of us first questioned the timeline of fashion week and would we see the regular calendar continue - the question weighed over many of us for months! It was refreshing to see design houses and designers across the globe take advantage of the uncertainty and plow into production mode - thus my interest in Jerri Reid New York - The Black Designer based in Brooklyn New York wow’d instagram with his latest collection paying homage to the Black Is King film which debuted earlier this year in July. I was taken aback at quick of a turn round the young designer produced and released his well crafted designs reflecting some of the films most memorable moments.