Prompted by
Drake's "Hotling Bling,"
Erykah Badu quickly recorded this loose, phone-themed mixtape, an official Motown release, with help from producer and fellow Dallas dweller
Zach Witness. It's a trivial if fun diversion.
Badu puts her spin on "Hotline Bling," quotes "Tyrone," and appends a "ghost of Screw" mix of "Telephone" to one of the low-slung new tracks. Original content is greatly outweighed by covers of songs originally recorded by
New Edition,
Usher,
Egyptian Lover, and
Todd Rundgren (via
the Isley Brothers). Appearances from a
Drake soundalike, Aubrey "Itsroutine" Davis, add to the mixtape's peculiarity.
André 3000 joins in on the
Rundgren cover, while Seven Benjamin, his and
Badu's son, picks up a co-writing credit on the eighth track. ~ Andy Kellman