Erykah Badu considers herself an "analogue girl in a digital world." It is early Saturday morning and the performing artiste, fresh from the Barbados jazz stage, mounts a table as she prepares to indulge a team of journalists into her latest fascination - technology.

BADU... It just takes the things that I have buried inside of me to become who I am

"What inspires me is the damn Internet," she quips, "it's amazing how these kids keep the music going with this platform. I see so many stars now where it was cloudy before. Now the programmes allow us to see more of each other (in reference to Myspace and YouTube etc) I can send out a song or a video to a whole city, or the damn world in one touch."

This new Badu is miles from the head-wrap-wearing mystic who first gained the attention of media and music aficionados in 1997 with the then revolutionary album Baduizm. Today, she is a mother of two: eight-year-old Seven (fathered by Andre 3000 of Outkast) and a three-year-old daughter Puma; an artiste in all respects and an accomplished business woman to boot.

Despite the various lifestyle additions, she has changed very little - she is still the petite honey brown siren with the hazel-eyed stare.

"I have three albums coming out this year, the first one will be released on February 26 (her birthday) and it's gonna be called New Amerykah," Badu says, adding that the next, Return Of The Ankh is scheduled for a July release.

"The other one's gonna be called New Amerykah II and it's gonna be a totally digital experience."

Removing an ebony puff of her larger-than-life afro from her face, Badu explains the meaning of "totally digital experience".

"You'll purchase (instead of a CD) a USB stick, each will come with a specific code that you punch in. That way you'll get to upload a new song every month for the next 10 months."

Her digital ideas, however, don't stop there!

"I'll also be starting a magazine called Freaq, it's gonna be dedicated to arts, politics, beauty, fashion, photography and technology," shares the 36-year-old, adding that she also manages her own Myspace page.

Badu, who has done some acting and directing as well, sees branching out as a chance to ensure that artistes like her are well represented in the entertainment industry.
Still, she is somewhat peeved about the neo-soul labelling she has received over the years.

"I don't even know what that term means, I mean, I know what the individual words mean but together?" Badu says, explaining that Kedar Massenburg of Universal Records had ascribed the name to the type of sound she and fellow singer D'Angelo employed when they were still burgeoning artistes.

"I guess to Kedar it was a new wave of underground sound. I don't reject it, but I feel like it's just one part of me and my music."

While she doesn't completely reject the neo-soul categorisation, she rejects the view that hip hop is dead.

"Hip Hop lives because people live, it's more than just music, it's a lifestyle," she says, "you,re looking at a product of rhymes and beats; boom boxes and headphones; break dancing and graffiti. I'm from that tribe. Maybe what they mean is that it has become boring and [unimaginative] but it's alive in the people."

At the same time, she is satisfied with a lot of the contemporary material and believes that the music will evolve into a more mature sound. "I like a lot of the stuff that's out there, but even though a lot of them talk about the same things over and over again, those same people will gain new experience and in turn experience growth. And when people's experiences grow, so will their music."

She, too, has done some maturing of her own. The headdress and layers of Egyptian jewellery are now gone, what has inspired the change?

Self awareness, it seems.

"I feel so inspired. My religion is Art, I do the creator's work best in that medium," she says.

"You don't see the head-wrap no more, no ankh? That's because I am that. I don't have to have nothing on me. It just takes the things that I have buried inside of me to become who I am. I'm just happy in my day"

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