At a time when popular hip-hop is obsessed with all things gold and diamond-studded, and R&B myopically focuses on any and everything carnal, Erykah Badu has emerged as the earthy counterpoint to the trends of the day. Badu's Contemporary R&B echoes with strains of lush 1970s Soul, cucumber-cool jazz and modern day hip-hop -- a blend that makes her music a noteworthy standout in a sea of Xeroxed sound-alikes. The music, however, only serves as a backdrop for Badu's unflappable, purr...  [+]