Erykah Badu Hosts $1 Online Concert & Shares Quarantine Struggles

Erykah Badu wanted to shed light on what out-of-work musicians are going through during this COVID-19 quarantine.

BYErika Marie
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As we're all making the most of these days under quarantine, celebrities have been offering up free home concerts to help pass the time. John Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen hosted an Instagram Concert from their living room, as did Anthony Hamilton, Keith Urban, and DJ D-Nice. Music icon Erykah Badu wanted to give back to her adoring fans, so she offered up an online concert for $1.

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On Monday (March 23), Erykah streamed her inexpensive live show on her BaduWorld Market website. “I got a house full of masked engineers, musicians, techs, who are all out of work... We have a few band members that’s stuck in other states." the singer said, according to Page Six. "I called them earlier and told them today, y’all still on the payroll even though y’all not here,” she said.

Not only did Erykah bless fans with all of their favorites hits from the award-winning singer, she took time out to educate her viewers on how things work behind the scenes for musicians. “How [the music industry] works is, the artists get about 8 to 20 percent [of record sales], but it’s not paid until the record label recoups the money they loaned to you in the form of an advance."

"It’s really not designed for us to become wealthy," she explained. "That’s why we rely on our live shows. We’re not rich people. We just play rich people on TV. This is how we make our living and some of us only have one form of income and that’s shows. I wanted to create another revenue of income and you’re helping me do that in a big way.” Check out a few clips below

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About The Author
Erika Marie is a seasoned journalist, editor, and ghostwriter who works predominantly in the fields of music, spirituality, mental health advocacy, and social activism. The Los Angeles editor, storyteller, and activist has been involved in the behind-the-scenes workings of the entertainment industry for nearly two decades. E.M. attempts to write stories that are compelling while remaining informative and respectful. She's an advocate of lyrical witticism & the power of the pen. Favorites: Motown, New Jack Swing, '90s R&B, Hip Hop, Indie Rock, & Punk; Funk, Soul, Harlem Renaissance Jazz greats, and artists who innovate, not simply replicate.