OKP Premiere: Columbia Nights Toast To 20 Years Of Erykah Badu's 'Mama's Gun' w/ Gorgeous "Didn't Cha Know" Cover
Tomorrow, Erykah Badu's sophomore stunner Mama's Gun hits a landmark, reaching its 15th year on our earthly plane. As far as seminal OKP records are concerned, MG marks a pinnacle of both artistic collaboration and musical excellence, a sonic tapestry of the highest order, stitching together the talents of an entire generation of musical misfits and mystics in one immensely influential 14-track outing that aligned all of the Soulquarian stars.
And while we won't soon forget that four-year-stretch in NYC's famed Electric Lady Land Studios (AKA the house that Jimi built,) one collective of not-too-distant Soulquarian disciples has graced us with a stunning reminder of the record's weight in a gorgeous, sample-less cover of what is perhaps the record's most iconic cut, "Didn't Cha Know," where Badu and the late, immeasurably greatJ Dilla saw their first and only musical collaboration.
DMV crew Columbia Nights treats the track as sacred ground, providing a luscious, full-bodied cover of that Mama's Gun gem, recreating the relentless Tarika Blue weeping bass and string groove with expert precision and the lovely lilt of vocalist Vaughan Octavia rounding-out the reverie-inducing suite. You can stream Columbia Nights' cover of Erykah Badu's "Didn't Cha Know" down below along with a personal statement from the group on the record's everlasting glow. Pick up a copy of their stud In All Things LP via Bandcamp to continue the journey.
15 years later and Mama's Gun still shoots with the best of em'.
"As the 15th anniversary of Mama's Gun is here we've been reflecting on the years of inspiration E.Badu has shared with us. More than any of her other projects, Mama's Gun was a record we came of age to as we developed our musical, cultural, and political identities. As part of the "holy trinity" of Soulquarian albums released in the year 2000 (along with D'Angelo's Voodoo and Common's Like Water for Chocolate), this album's sound embodied a movement. When approaching Erykah's classic J Dilla production "Didn't Cha Know", we observed how her sound has evolved and pushed ourselves to do the same. Thank you, Ms. Badu."
