At first listen, Erykah Badu's off-kilter neo-soul owes much to her sisters from another era, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone; their husky vocals and political messages are mirrored in Badu's approach. But dig a little deeper and you'll glimpse her farther-reaching inspirations: the heart-wrenching ‘60s folk of Roberta Flack, the strident ‘70s funk of Rufus and Anita Baker's glittering ‘80s R&B.