Erykah Badu caught up with Billboard’s Rania Aniftos & Jazzy on the red carpet at the Billboard Women in Music 2025.
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00:00Wow, guys, the legendary, oh my God, an icon.
00:04Our Icon Award recipient, the icon herself, Erykah Badu.
00:08Peace, peace.
00:09Well, you're being honored with the Icon Award, so how does it feel to receive this honor?
00:14Uh, too soon to say.
00:17I'm overwhelmed and everything's happened so fast since 1997.
00:23So, yeah, I'm excited and I'm definitely grateful and don't take it for granted.
00:28And I hope that it paves the way for other artists to come through and make a big splash.
00:35Yeah.
00:36Absolutely, and as you should feel that way because it's important to just feel empowered.
00:42Yes.
00:43And everyone should feel empowered.
00:44Empowered and inspired.
00:46I mean, speaking of inspired, you're working on your first album in 15 years.
00:50I mean, how is it like coming back into that?
00:52I know.
00:53I mean, I've put out other music, but it feels good.
00:57It feels good.
00:58It feels natural to me.
01:00I tour for a living, so I'm a touring artist.
01:03And I'm really excited to represent women in Billboard because as a touring artist, we create moments.
01:12Yes.
01:13Yeah.
01:14As a recording artist, I create memories.
01:16But those moments are very important to me, and I get to perform tonight.
01:19Right.
01:21And speaking about your new music, how would you sum up this new era of Erykah Badu?
01:27The new era of Erykah Badu?
01:29We got to go way further than space in Africa to find that out.
01:35Yeah.
01:36Okay.
01:37And I mean, when you talk about, you see all these people who look up to you.
01:41Almost everyone that's come up so far has said how much you've inspired them.
01:44What?
01:45Every single person.
01:46You have Jazzy.
01:48When you hear that, what advice do you have to up-and-coming artists, artists who look to you to pave the way?
01:56I also was inspired by many artists.
02:00Yes.
02:01And in being inspired, I make sure that I pay homage to them and say their names as much as I can.
02:10Yes, that's very important.
02:12And speaking of being an icon, what does the word icon mean to you?
02:15And can you share some iconic moments to everyone that's watching?
02:20Ooh, okay.
02:21Icon.
02:22I don't really know what it means.
02:24I think that it means that you have managed to surpass your own expectations.
02:36I think that's what icon means.
02:38And what was the second question?
02:41Some iconic moments that you remember in your career.
02:43Yes.
02:44This is an iconic moment.
02:45This is an iconic moment.
02:49That really means a lot to me.
02:51Oh, I got one.
02:52One iconic moment in my career was when I was on stage and I freestyled this song called Tyrone.
03:00And it's the biggest song that I have.
03:02Wow.
03:03And I've stayed up countless nights writing songs and months and months.
03:07And Tyrone is the biggest song I have, thanks.
03:10The one that comes from the heart, straight stream of consciousness.
03:14It always goes that way.
03:16I love that.
03:17Well, thank you, Erica.
03:18Yes, thank you so much for your time.
03:21And you are such an amazing young lady.
03:23And I wish you the best.
03:25Thank you so much.
03:26That means a lot coming from you.
03:27So special.
03:28Thank you so much.
03:29Yes, thank you so much.