Erykah Badu basks in her new era of reinvention and expansion

By GARY GERARD HAMILTON
Associated Press

New York (AP) — Erykah Badu has occupied the role of culture shifter and influencer for more than 25 years, and now the iconic artist is using her cultural cache for new creative projects and expansion. The four-time Grammy winner released a 42-piece capsule collection with Italian fashion house Marni last month. She has also entered the cannabis industry with That Badu, partnering with Cookies, one of the world’s most recognizable legal marijuana brands. A doula for two decades, she has helped deliver babies, including for singers Summer Walker and Teyana Taylor. And she is largely credited with reintroducing the social justice phrase “stay woke” to a younger generation. But music is Badu’s “therapy.” Her anticipated “Unfollow Me” tour launches this month.