By W. Jacarl Melton

Daily Arts Writer

It's been a long time since Ms. Badu released an album of original material. I was a senior in high school when Baduizm dropped and now I'm a senior in college. Despite the time lapse, Mama's Gun gives me a feeling similar to that of her debut. With Baduizm, I could hear a woman seemingly singing from her soul, a feat other R&B singers could only dream of doing. In this respect, Mama's Gun takes off from where Baduizm finished, in a frightengly similar R&B landscape.

Although other singers, most notably Jill Scott and Amel Larrieux, have bucked the trend of formulaic and radio friendly R&B, Badu has stood out even from this crowd with lyrics that could be compared to those of an MC. She slips in an occasional swear. She speaks in street slang. You'd usually associate these traits with someone like Common or Mos Def, but in her own unique way, Badu makes it work for herself.

Maybe this can be attributed to her position as the "first lady" of the Soulquarians, an association of hip-hop and R&B vanguards who stress the need for music to have soul or a purpose in its performance greater than "flash and cash." The first single, "Bag Lady," has received heavy radio play in its remix format. The album version, though, focuses on Badu's words as opposed to the beat. If you haven't noticed, the song is about losing emotional baggage and realizing the positive aspects of life. Sure it's a simple concept, but you don't often hear it expressed this way.

"Cleva" is another track that stands out. It sounds similar to the Roy Ayers' classic "Searching," and with good reason: Ayers blesses the song with his distinctive vibraphone playing. In "Cleva," Badu states some of her flaws and imperfections. She's quick to point out that these faults are nothing when compared to her creativity. True indeed.

If one negative comment needs to be made it's that Badu's musical accompaniment is too good. I found myself occupied by sounds reminiscent of Ayers, Wonder and Marley more so than by her words. On a perfect album, the balance may have been better. However, small imperfections can be discarded. I have to remember the premise of "Cleva." The faults cannot overshadow the album's entirety, especially when Badu has created something this tight.

Grade: A-