Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape

Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape is the fourth studio album by American soul singer and rapper Meshell Ndegeocello, released on June 4, 2002 by Maverick Records. Following the commercial underperformance of her third studio album, Bitter (1999), her label encouraged her to return to her earlier sound and record an album that sounded more "black". Ndegeocello collaborated with a number of prominent Black musicians, including Talib Kweli, Missy Elliott, and Tweet, as well as her backing band, the Conscientious Objectors, and recorded the album during the summer of 2001. The record, which Ndegeocello modeled on the mixtapes of her childhood, adopted a hip-hop and R&B-influenced sound and political lyrics similar to that of her debut album, Plantation Lullabies (1993), focusing on themes such as consumerism, revolution, religion, and same-sex attraction. Throughout the album, Ndegeocello also features samples of recorded speeches by Black activists, poets, and musicians, such as Angela Davis, Gil Scott-Heron, Countee Cullen, and Etheridge Knight.

The album was originally slated to come out in 2001, but its release was repeatedly delayed due to some lyrics regarded as related to the September 11 attacks. Upon its release, the album received universal acclaim from music critics, who praised Ndegeocello's politically conscious lyrics, as well as the assortment of musical styles. Multiple critics ranked it one of the best albums of 2002. In 2003, the album was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards, as well as a GLAAD Media Award. The album entered the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts at numbers 67 and 21, respectively, and spawned two singles: a remix of "Pocketbook", featuring Tweet and Redman, and a remix of "Earth", which became a top 20 hit on the Dance Club Songs chart. The album continues to be held in high regard by some critics.