Ms. Erykah Badu has stepped into a time machine.

She has traveled to the 1970s for the inspiration for her new album, “New Amery-kah, Part One (4th World War).”

Dropping on Feb. 26 (her birthday), this album has a throwback feel that makes you want to get into a Cadillac and throw up a peace sign.

The album starts with a funky beat that sounds like it could have been the theme song for any “Blaxploitation” film of that era.

But after listening to four minutes and 16 seconds of it, you start to wonder what exactly you are getting yourself into.

On her first single, “Honey,” produced by N.C. Central University’s own 9th Wonder, Badu sings to a man who is just “so sweet” and describes him as “her favorite drink.”

The hip-hop beat is contagious and has your head still nodding minutes after the song has gone off.

“Me,”a mini-autobiography, is a straight-through look into her soul and her feelings about herself.

On “Soldier,” the possible next single, over a hollow beat, she drops knowledge on everyone about black-on-black violence, and lets us know that we know what she’s “talking about.”

Badu goes hard with the lyrics and beats on this album.

But somewhere in between songs, random interludes sometimes have her going off into her own world, leaving the rest of “America” confused.

Her delivery is good where it matters, and that’s in the songs.

Other producers include Madlib, Mike “Chav” Chavarria and R&B singer Bilal.

Part 2 of Badu’s Amerykah trilogy is scheduled to drop in July 2008.