Erykah Badu

Artist Image: Erykah Badu
Attribution
Image Credit: Radiobums at English Wikipedia (by the uploader; previously published in Nation19), CC BY-SA 3.0

Biography

Born Erica Abi Wright on February 26, 1971 in Dallas, Texas, Erykah Badu inherited a taste for music from her mother Kolleen Wright, who introduced her to multiple genres of music (Joni Mitchell, Parliament-Funkadelic, Pink Floyd, Phoebe Snow, Chaka Khan). At the tender age of four, Badu began singing and dancing in productions at the local Dallas Theatre Centre. It wasn’t until her acting debut in the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Center’s musical production of “Really Rosie,” directed by her godmother Gwen Hargrove, that Badu realized she was a natural performer. “I played Alligator,” Badu says, “and at 6 years old, I got my first standing ovation. I knew I wanted to bring people to their feet from that point on. Badu stayed true to her artistic leanings and enrolled at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts in the late ’80s. Tomboyish and a bit of a class clown, Badu devoted most of her time to perfecting her dance form, studying the techniques of Martha Graham and Katherine Dunham, as well as practicing ballet, tap, and modern dance. Badu also sharpened her Hip-Hop skills, freestyling on the Dallas radio station 90.9 FM KNON under the name Apples the Alchemist until she eventually changed the spelling of her name from “Erica Wright” to “Erykah Badu,” “kah” being Kemetic (Egyptian) for a human’s vital energy or “inner-self” and “ba-du” after her favorite jazz scat-sound. But later, Badu would discover that her chosen name holds a far deeper meaning. Badu enrolled at Grambling State University, where she majored in theater and minored in Quantum Physics. She left in 1993 to pursue music full-time. During the day, she taught drama and dance at the South Dallas Cultural Center and worked as a coffeehouse waitress. At night, she recorded and performed songs like “Appletree,” produced by her cousin Robert “Free” Bradford. In 1994, her 19-song demo caught the attention of aspiring record executive Kedar Massenburg by way of the SXSW music festival. Massenburg signed her to his upstart label Kedar Entertainment. The company eventually merged with Motown/Universal and Badu started opening for D’Angelo, prepping the world for the massive Neo soul movement to come. The New York Times described Badu’s groundbreaking debut, 1997’s Baduizm, as “traditional soul vocals, staccato hip-hop rhythms and laid-back jazzy grooves.” Yet, hindsight reveals that Badu’s debut was more than just an album, it was the introduction of a new lifestyle. The music evoked speakeasies, incense, head wraps, and boho coffee shop culture all in one easy breath. Propelled by the lead single “On & On,” the album went multi-platinum, winning her two Grammys for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Album. Badu topped Rolling Stone’s Reader’s poll for Best R&B Artist, and Entertainment Weekly named her Best New Female Singer of 1997.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed
Number of Albums 16
Record Label Motown Records
Website erykah-badu.com
Wikipedia Erykah Badu on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

What genre of music did Erykah Badu grew up listening to?

'70s soul and '80s hiphop

...She grew up listening to '70s soul and '80s hiphop , but Erykah Badu drew more comparisons to Billie Holiday upon her breakout in 1997, after the relea...
What was the name of Badu's first album?

Baduizm

...oliday upon her breakout in 1997, after the release of her first album, Baduizm . The grooves and production on the album are bassheavy R&B, but Badu's...
In what year was Baduizm released?

1997

...Erykah Badu drew more comparisons to Billie Holiday upon her breakout in 1997 , after the release of her first album, Baduizm. The grooves and producti...
How many hits did On & On have?

12

...r responsible for all but one of the songs on Baduizm, she found a number 12 hit with her first single, On & On, which pushed the album to number two ...
What was the name of Badu's first single?

On & On

...embers of hiphop avatars the Roots on several tracks. The first single, On & On , became a number one R&B hit in early 1997, and Baduizm followed it to...
Where was Erica Wright raised?

Dallas

...hich pushed the album to number two on the charts. Born Erica Wright in Dallas in 1971, Badu attended a school of the arts and was working as a teache...
What was the name of the loose affair billed as an EP despite being longer than many fulllengths?

Worldwide Underground

...lbum charts in April. Her Live album followed later in the year. Worldwide Underground , a loose affair billed as an EP despite being longer than many ...
When was Worldwide Underground released?

2003

...led as an EP despite being longer than many fulllengths, was released in 2003 . 1: 4th World War, was a heavy and abstract release featuring collaborat...
What was the name of the heavy and abstract release that featured collaborations with SaRa and Georgia Anne Muldrow?

1: 4th World War

... despite being longer than many fulllengths, was released in 2003. 1: 4th World War , was a heavy and abstract release featuring collaborations with th...
Where was Badu born?

Dallas, Texas

...Born in Dallas, Texas , and raised in a singleparent home, Badu attended Booker T. Washington High School of the Arts as a child and began her performi...
What was the name of Badu's mother?

Kolleen Wright

...at age four, when she shared the stage with her mother, the actress Kolleen Wright . After dropping out to focus on her music career, she was discovere...
When did Badu open for D'Angelo at a Dallas show?

1994

...ng as a schoolteacher and parttime dance and drama teacher in Dallas. In 1994 the singerwho had taken the name Badu as an homage to jazzy, scat phrase...
What jazz great was Badu compared to?

Billie Holiday

...fluous phrasing, Badu could not avoid comparisons to the jazz great Billie Holiday . Such tracks as Next Lifetime and the album's breakthrough hit, On ...
What was the name of Badu's first child?

Seven

...ccess of Baduizm, giving birth to both a live album and her first child, Seven , on the same day, just nine months after the February 1997 release of h...
How many months after the release of her debut album did Badu give birth to Seven?

nine

...h to both a live album and her first child, Seven, on the same day, just nine months after the February 1997 release of her debut album. In addition t...
What is the name of the showstopper from the live album?

Tyrone

... the live album introduces two new tracks, most notably the showstopper Tyrone , which Badu is said to have improvised during a London show. An audienc...
What does her personal urban philosophy throw in the face of the listener?

emotional challenges

...ier. Her lyrics are highly personal urban philosophy which throw emotional challenges in the face of the listener. She weaves unusual musical influenc...
Some music journalists have labeled her Nu soul, nouvellesoul or what else?

neo soul

...ound. Some music journalists have labeled her Nu soul, nouvellesoul or neo soul , often comparing her to Billie Holiday in lyrical delivery and groupin...
Who was hailed as one of the leading lights of the burgeoning neo soul genre?

Badu

...single On & On reached 12 on the singles charts in both the U.S. and UK. Badu received notice for her introspective lyrics and jazzy, bassheavy sound,...
When did Badu win a Grammy?

1998

...y went triple platinum and, along with On & On, won Grammy Awards at the 1998 ceremonies. During that year, Badu became involved with rapper André 300...
Who was the rapper that Badu became involved with?

André 3000

...the 1998 ceremonies. During that year, Badu became involved with rapper André 3000 of OutKast, with whom she had a child, Seven, who was born in 1997....
Who signed Erykah Badu in 1996?

Kedar Massenburg

...enter. In 1996, Badu's demo caught the attention of music producer Kedar Massenburg , who signed her and paired her with D'Angelo to record the song Yo...
What song did Badu record with D'Angelo?

Your Precious Love

...g, who signed her and paired her with D'Angelo to record the song Your Precious Love . Today, Badu is best known for her soulful music style, which is ...
What is Erykah Badukah's favorite jazzriff scat sound?

badu

...the moniker Erykah Badukah is an Egyptian term for one's inner self, and badu is her favorite jazzriff scat sound.) Raised by her actress mother, Koll...
What school did Badu attend?

Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts

...for Badu to attend high school, she chose Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts . She flourished at the arts magnet schoo...
What did Badu focus on at the arts magnet school?

singing and dance

...Visual Arts. She flourished at the arts magnet school, focusing on singing and dance . Badu was also active in the Dallas music community during this t...
What did Badu attend after high school?

Grambling State University

...Apples. Following her graduation from high school, Badu attended Grambling State University , a historically black institution in Grambling, Louisiana....
Where was Grambling State University located?

Grambling, Louisiana

...Apples. Following her graduation from high school, Badu attended Grambling State University, a historically black institution in Grambling, Louisiana ....
What was the name of Baduizm's second album?

Live

...e R&B vocal performance and best R&B album. Badu released her second LP, Live , later that year. The album went double platinum, and Badu's unmatchable...
What group did Badu collaborate with to create You Got Me?

the Roots

... stage. In 1999, Badu collaborated with the distinguished hiphop group the Roots to create the song You Got Me. Badu struck Grammy gold yet again with...
What was Badu's third album?

Mama's Gun

...gold yet again with the song, taking home the trophy for best rap performance by a duo or group. Badu's third album, Mama's Gun , was released in 2000....
When was Baduizm released?

February 1997

...er to Kedar Entertainment. Her first album, Baduizm, was released in February 1997 . It spawned four singles: On & On, Appletree, Next Lifetime and Oth...
How many singles were included in Baduizizm?

four

...ent. Her first album, Baduizm, was released in February 1997. It spawned four singles: On & On, Appletree, Next Lifetime and Otherside of the Game. Th...
How many singles did Bag Lady have?

6

..., which became her first top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at 6 , Didn't Cha Know? The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA. Badu's th...
Where is White Rock Lake located?

North Dallas

...atisfied. The second was a house for herself, on White Rock Lake, in North Dallas , where she has lived ever since. The house was small, but as she tou...
What kind of shop does Badus' house resemble?

vintage

...ad house, glowing with multicolored lights; from within, it resembles a vintage shop with no room to grow, packed with statues and crystals and beads ...
What is the nucleus of Badus extended nuclear family?

The house

...w, packed with statues and crystals and beads and candles and incense. The house is the nucleus of Badus extended nuclear family, and the décor provid...
What is on a table in Badu's home?

an MTV Video Music Award

...by fans, and photographs of her friends and peers; on a table, an MTV Video Music Award sits snugly between a sewing machine and a golden pig statue w...
What did Badu wear on a recent cloudy day?

loose jeans and a baggy denim shirt

.... On a cloudy recent afternoon, Badu was dressed down, in loose jeans and a baggy denim shirt , made baggier by a tear that ran from the hem nearly up ...
When was Koryan born?

1974

...s two daughters. She has a younger sister named Koryan (Nayrok), born in 1974 . Later in 1983, her mother gave birth to another child, a son named Eevi...
What year did her mother give birth to Eevin?

1983

.... She has a younger sister named Koryan (Nayrok), born in 1974. Later in 1983 , her mother gave birth to another child, a son named Eevin. Despite the ...
What did her mother tell her?

what matters is on the inside not what you look like

...lly Robert Bradford. Her mother used to tell her what matters is on the inside not what you look like , also teaching her to lead a disciplined and act...
When was On & On released?

January 1997

...ve more individual attention as a solo artist at a smaller label. In January 1997 On & On, Badus first single, was released and quickly became a hit. ...
Badus was known for her bluesy vocals backed by what?

downtempo hiphop beats

...thanks to the crossover appeal of Badus bluesy vocals backed by downtempo hiphop beats . Baduizm won the Grammy Award for best R&B album, and On & On t...
What was Baduizm's sound rooted from?

African American popular music

...ale R&B vocal performance. Her sound drew from the roots of African American popular music , and she cited among her early influences Miles Davis, Al J...
The song Tyrone was the title of what Badus album?

Erykah Badu Live

... Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye. Badus followup album, Erykah Badu Live , reached the top five on the Billboard pop charts and yielded the ...
At what age did Badu learn to play piano?

seven

...mother Kolleen, and her grandmother, both acted in local theater. At age seven Badu learned to play piano and at 14 she began freestyle rapping at a l...
What did Badu study at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas?

theater and dance

...ool for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas where she studied theater and dance and became known as the talented rapper MC Apples in the hip hop ...
What was Badu known as in the hip hop duo the Def Ones?

MC Apples

... she studied theater and dance and became known as the talented rapper MC Apples in the hip hop duo the Def Ones. While attending Grambling State Univ...
In what year did Badi attend Grambling State University?

1989

...uo the Def Ones. While attending Grambling State University beginning in 1989 , Badu rapped over beats her cousin Robert Free Bradford sent her while h...
What was the name of Badu's cousin?

Robert Free Bradford

... University beginning in 1989, Badu rapped over beats her cousin Robert Free Bradford sent her while he was studying music production in Chicago, Illi...
What was the name of the company that offered Badu to work as a solo artist?

Kedar Entertainment

... worked together as Erykah Free until Badu received an offer from Kedar Entertainment , a division of Universal Records with the stipulation she work a...
Baduizm rose to what number on the pop album charts?

2

...irst album, Baduizm, was released which was also a success; it rose to no. 2 on the pop album charts and went triple platinum. Badus early works estab...