Erykah Badu Earns Less Than $4 Singing on NYC Street (Video)

R&B singer goes mostly unrecognized by New Yorkers as she sings about her need for money

Times are tough, so Erykah Badu recently hit the streets of New York City to try and make some money.

In the latest of Badu’s New York antics, she decided to give busking a shot, choosing a busy corner and setting up for an impromptu show. In June, she was caught on-camera during a live news report about Shia LaBeouf’s arrest, trying to kiss the reporter and giving a rude gesture.

Although other media reports claim she was singing from Times Square, Badu was actually on the corner of Bryant Park at 42nd Street and Avenue of Americas.

See photos: Zoe Saldana, Michelle Monaghan, Oscar-Winning Designers Mingle at Academy’s Hollywood Costume Gala

She was wearing the same enormous hat then that she used to collect money in her most recent venture. But while she initially denied it was her in the news video, it was Badu herself who created this one.

“I just kind of always wanted to see what it would be like to sing for money on the streets,” said the singer, who filmed her street experience on her iPhone and uploaded it to YouTube on Wednesday.

After a hesitant start, she started singing quite literally about what she was doing, asking passersby for money. “Haven’t sold a record in about two years,” she sang. “Haven’t sold a record in a long time. B-tch needs some money.”

Also read: Iggy Azalea, Katy Perry, Pharrell Williams, John Legend Lead 2014 American Music Awards Nominations

It was clear that no one was recognizing her, as she continued to sing about her need for money. She might have fared better had she either sang some of her own songs, or at least something recognizable, but that might have ruined her social experiment.

“We can buy us a juice,” she said triumphantly after her $3.60 in earnings. “I can get me a sorbet.”

Badu’s last album, “New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)” came out in 2010. Since then, she has made occasional appearances in various documentary films and television shows, as well as a few acting stints on projects like BET’s “Real Husbands of Hollywood.”

Comments