New Amerykah, Part One (4th World War) by Erykah Badu

New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) is the fourth studio album by American singer and songwriter Erykah Badu. It was released on February 26, 2008, by Universal Motown. After a hiatus from recording music due to writer's block, Badu received music from several hip hop producers over the Internet and recorded demos of her vocals using the GarageBand software on her laptop. Most of the album was then recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. New Amerykah Part One is an esoteric concept album titled as a pun on Badu's first name and a reflection of the record's political leanings. It features social commentary and themes related to the plight of the African-American community, including poverty, urban violence, complacency, and cultural identity. The record's densely produced music incorporates R&B, hip hop, soul, funk, jazz, and electronica styles. The album received widespread acclaim, and was named by many critics as one of 2008's best records. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and sold 359,000 copies in the United States by December 2009. Badu promoted the album with a supporting tour, The Vortex World Tour.