| Born: 25-1-1981 – Manhattan, New York, USA |
| Genre: R&B – Hip Hop |
| Style: Contemporary R&B |
| Year | Album Title | Label | In House |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Live | Universal Records | No |
| 1997 | Baduizm | Universal Records | YES |
| 2000 | Mama's Gun | Motown | YES |
| 2003 | Worldwide Underground | Motown | YES |
| 2007 | New Amerykah: Part One (4th World War) | Motown | YES |
| 2010 | New Amerykah Part Two: Return Of The Ankh | Motown | YES |
| 2016 | But You Caint Use My Phone | Motown | On Website |
Growing up listening to '70s soul and '80s hip-hop, Erykah Badu drew more comparisons to Billie Holiday when she broke through in 1997, following the release of her debut album, Baduizm. The album's grooves and production are bass-heavy R&B, but Badu's yearning, occasionally anguished vocals and delicate phrasing immediately elevated her from the ranks of female R&B singers. As a singer/songwriter, responsible for all but one of the tracks on Baduizm, she scored a number 12 hit with her lead single, "On & On," propelling the album to number two on the charts.
Badu was born Erica Wright in Dallas in 1971. She attended art school and worked as a teacher and part-time singer when she opened for D'Angelo in 1994. D'Angelo's manager, Kedar Massenburg, was impressed with the performance and paired her with the singer to record a cover of the Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell duet "Precious Love." He also signed Badu to his newly formed Kedar Entertainment label and served as producer for Baduizm, which also featured bassist Ron Carter and members of hip-hop avatars the Roots on several tracks. The first single, "On & On," became a number one R&B hit in early 1997, and Baduizm followed suit in March, topping the R&B album charts. Erykah Badu opened for both R&B acts and rap's Wu-Tang Clan, reaching just shy of number one on the pop album charts in April. Her Live album followed later that year.
In 2000, she returned with her long-awaited second studio album, Mama's Gun, co-produced by Badu, James Poyser, Bilal, and Jay Dee, and featuring the hit single "Bag Lady." In 2003, she released Worldwide Underground, a standalone release billed as an EP but longer than many of her previous albums. Her next step, 2008's New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War, was a heavy and abstract release featuring collaborations with members of Sa-Ra and Georgia Anne Muldrow; it peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. New Amerykah, Pt. 2: Return of the Ankh, was looser and more playful than Pt. 1, followed in 2010. Appearances on Flying Lotus' Until the Quiet Comes (2011), Robert Glasper's Black Radio (2012), Tyler, The Creator's Wolf and Bonobo's The North Borders (both 2013) led the artist into 2015, when she released the official mixtape But You Caint Use My Phone on the Motown label.
EN
