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| Birth Name(s) : Erica Abi Wright |
Date of Birth: N/A |
| Status:
Single
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Partner:
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| Profession:
Singer, songwriter, actress |
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Full Erykah Badu Biography
Erykah Badu (born Erica Abi Wright on February 26, 1971 in Dallas, Texas) is an American R&B, soul, neo soul, and hip hop singer and songwriter whose work crosses over into jazz. She is best known for the single "On & On", as well as "Love of My Life", "Tyrone", "Next Lifetime", and "Bag Lady". Influenced early on by singers such as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and Chaka Khan (her all-time favorite artist), Badu was taking to the local radio microphones, freestyling on the air by the age of 14.
While a dance student at Booker T. Washington High, Dallas's performing arts magnet school, Badu was known as "Apples" (her high school nickname), while using her freestyle rap skills as a member of a female hip-hop duo. In addition to the Apples moniker, she would also change her name from Erica Wright to Erykah Badu - "kah" referring to "inner self," and "Badu" referencing the scatting style that many jazz vocalists utilize.
Upon graduating high school, Badu went on to study theater at the historically Black college Grambling State University. Choosing to concentrate on music full-time, she decided to leave the university in 1993 before graduating and took on several minimum wage jobs to support herself. She taught drama and dance to children at the South Dallas Cultural Center. Working and touring with her cousin, Robert "Free" Bradford, she recorded a 19-song demo and attracted the attention of Kedar Massenburg, who set Badu up to record a duet with D'Angelo, "Your Precious Love," and eventually signed her to a record deal with Universal Records.
Baduizm, Badu's highly acclaimed debut album, was released in early 1997 and debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts. Lead single "On & On" reached #12 on the singles charts. Badu received notice for her introspective lyrics and jazzy, bass-heavy sound, and was hailed as one of the leading lights of the burgenoning neo soul genre, while her singing often drew many comparisons to Billie Holiday. Baduizm eventually went triple platinum, and both it and "On & On" won Grammy Awards at the 1998 ceremonies.
After the release of Mama's Gun and "Love of My Life," Badu went through a period of writer's block. She hit the road throughout 2002/2003 on what she dubbed the "Frustrated Artist Tour," looking to find inspiration for writing and performing new material. The conclusion of the tour saw Badu head back to the studio with new material, and in September of 2003, the Worldwide Underground EP was released. More jam-oriented than any of her prior releases, Badu was quoted as saying that the release was designed to serve as one continuous groove. Worldwide Underground reached #3 on the Billboard charts and was certified gold not long after its release, and Badu received four further Grammy nominations for the EP.
Nearly four years (and the birth of a daughter, Puma) passed between Worldwide Underground and any news of Badu's next album, but in 2007, it was revealed that three albums are in the works over the course of 2007 and 2008 - the first being released in September, and the next two to follow after six-month intervals. As of September 2007, no further information has been issued regarding a new release.
Badu's lyrics are highly personal urban philosophies which throw emotional challenges in the face of the listener. She weaves unusual musical influences together creating a rich texture of sound. In many aspects she remains the quintessential Hip-Hop B-Girl, although she no longer rhymes.
Some music journalists have labeled her Nu soul or neo soul, often comparing her to Billie Holiday in lyrical delivery and grouping her with D'Angelo in musical genre. She has performed with roots reggae musician and singer Burning Spear. |
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