Erykah Badu chose not to make a big deal about the 25th anniversary of Baduizm, her trailblazing debut album. But she is marking the silver jubilee of her second album with “Mama’s Gun ’25: The Return of Automatic Slim.” The tour began in October at the Hollywood Bowl and ends Dec. 10 with a hometown show at Toyota Music Factory.
It’s a well-deserved party. In many ways, Mama’s Gun is a stronger work — jazzier, funkier and deeper. Badu took a steely-eyed look at crime and racial inequality in songs like “Penitentiary Philosophy” and “A.D. 2000.” Then she turned the spotlight on herself, singing about mistakes and heartbreak after her split with André 3000 (“Green Eyes”) and her quest for growth and resilience (“My Life,” “Bag Lady.”)
All these years later, she’s still gaining insight from the album’s lyrics…