Erykah Badu - Rotten Tomatoes Celebrity Profile

Biography

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Erykah Badu (born Erica Abi Wright on February 26 1971 in Dallas, Texas) is an American neo-soul, R&B/hip hop artist whose work crosses over into jazz. She is best known for her singles "You Got Me," her collaboration with The Roots, as well as her own songs "Tyrone", "Next Lifetime", "On & On", "Bag Lady" and "Clevah." Influenced early on by singers such as Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Chaka Khan, (her all-time favorite artist), Erykah was taking to the local radio microphones, freestyling on the air by the age of 14.

Biography

While a dance student at Booker T. Washington High, Dallas's art-magnate school, "MC Apples" (her high school nickname) used her freestyle rap skills as a member of a female rap duo. Not only was she known as MC Apples, but she would also no longer be known as Erica -- as she felt it was a slave name -- and opted to change her name by adding "Kah" to the end (rather than "Ca"), since "Kah," connotes the inner self.

She went from Wright to Badu, as it was similar to a sound she made while scatting (incidentally, she later learned that Badu is Arabic for "to manifest truth and light").

Once a high school graduate, Erykah went on to study theater at the historically Black college Grambling State University. Since she wanted 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 even taught drama and dance to children at the South Dallas Cultural Center.

Her 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.

Some music journalists have labeled her Nu soul or neo soul, often comparing her to Billie Holiday in lyrical delivery and grouping her with Maxwell and D'Angelo in musical genre. She has performed with roots rock reggae musician and singer Burning Spear.

Badu has a son named Seven (b. 1997) with ex-boyfriend Andre 3000 of Outkast fame. On July 5, 2004, Badu gave birth to a daughter, Puma, in her Dallas home; the father is reportedly rapper The D.O.C..[1]

Badu also serves as an activist in south Dallas where she grew up. Her charity organization, Beautiful Love Incorporated Non Profit Development (B.L.I.N.D.) provides community-driven development for inner-city youth through music, dance, theater and visual arts. Badu has teamed up with contemporary painter Dawn Okoro to hold art shows which help raise funds for B.L.I.N.D.

Badu appeared in the films Blues Brothers 2000, The Cider House Rules, House of D, "Before the Music Dies", and Dave Chappelle's Block Party. She also appeared in scenes of the music video of Miko Marks' 2006 recording, 'Mama'.

Discography

Albums

Funky Cousins (Demo) by Erykah Free
Baduizm (1997) US #2 (3x Platinum)
Live (1997) US #4 (2x Platinum)
Heartache (1998)
Mama's Gun (2000) US #11 (Platinum)
Worldwide Underground (2003) US #3 (Gold)

Singles

"On & On" (1997) US #12; US R&B #1; UK #12
"Next Lifetime" (1997) UK #30
"Otherside of the Game" (1997)
"Apple Tree" (1997) UK #47
"Tyrone" (1997)
"Southern Gul" ft. Rahzel (1999) US #76; US R&B #24
"Bag Lady" (2000) US #6; US R&B #1
"Didn't Cha Know" (2000) US R&B #28
"Cleva" (2001) US R&B #77
"Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)" (2002) US #9; US R&B #1
"Danger" (2003) US #82; US R&B #27
"Back in the Day" (2004) US R&B #62

Other musical recordings

This section excludes recordings which solely sample Erykah Badu's recordings

"Your Precious Love" collaboration with D'Angelo on High School High soundtrack album (1996)
"A Child With The Blues" and "A Child With The Blues (Izm Mix)" on Eve's Bayou - The Collection soundtrack album (1997)
"One" on Busta Rhymes' When Disaster Strikes album (1997) UK #23
"All Night Long" collaboration on Common's One Day It'll All Make Sense album (1997)
"The 'Notic" collaboration (vocals) with The Roots and D'Angelo on Men In Black soundtrack album (1997)
"Ye Yo" on Hav Plenty soundtrack album (1998)
"Funky Nassau" collaboration with various artists on Blues Brothers 2000 soundtrack album (1998)
"Liberation" collaboration on Outkast's Aquemini album (1998)
"Understand The Game" collaboration on [[A+ (rapper)|A+]]'s Hemstead High (album) (1999) UK #5
"You Got Me" on The Roots' Things Fall Apart (album) (1999) UK #31
"Be Thankful" on Omar's Best By Far album (original UK version) (1999)
"No More Trouble" virtual collaboration with Bob Marley on Chant Down Babylon (1999)
"Plenty" on Guru's Jazzmatazz, Vol. 3: Streetsoul album (2000)
"Hollywood" on Bamboozled soundtrack album (2000)
"The Light" Remix (for U)" collaboration with Common on Bamboozled soundtrack album (2000)
"The Blast Remix" single collaboration with Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek (2000)
"Humble Mumble" on Outkast's Stankonia album (2000)
"Southern Girl" on Rahzel's Make The Music 2000 album (2001)
"Sweet Baby" on Macy Gray's The Id album (2001) UK #23
"Today (Earth Song)" on Red Star Sounds Vol. 1: Soul Searching album (2001)
"Love Of My Life (An Ode To Hip Hop)" collaboration with Common. Version of song on Brown Sugar soundtrack album (2002)
"Aquarius", "Jimi Was A Rock Star" and "Heaven Somewhere" collaborations on Common's Electric Circus album (2002)
"Remix (Closer)" collaboration with Common. Remix of Common's Come Close on CD single (2003)
"Poetry" collaboration on Roy Hargrove's The RH Factor: Hard Groove album (2003)
"I C U (Doin' It)" single collaboration with Violator and A Tribe Called Quest (2003)
"Akai Inochi" collaboration with J-pop singer MISIA on MARS & ROSES album (2003)
"Bandy Bandy" collaboration with Zap Mama on Ancestry in Progress album (2004)
"Searching" and "Searching (Extended Version)" collaboration with Roy Ayers on Mahogany Vibe album (2004)
"Blast" live recording collaboration with Talib Kweli on Dave Chappelle's Block Party original soundtrack album (2006)
"The Light" live recording collaboration with Common and Bilal on Dave Chappelle's Block Party original soundtrack album (2006)
"Back In The Day" live recording on Dave Chappelle's Block Party original soundtrack album (2006)
"You Got Me" live recording collaboration with The Roots and Jill Scott on Dave Chappelle's Block Party original soundtrack album (2006)
"That Heat" collaboration with Sergio Mendes and will.i.am on Sergio Mendes' Timeless album (2006)
"Get Live" collaboration with Strange Fruit Project on The Healing album (2006)

Filmography

Blues Brothers 2000 (1998) as 'Queen Mousette'
The Cider House Rules (1999) as 'Rose Rose'
House of D (2004) as 'Lady' Bernadette Odelia Glasser
Dave Chappelle's Block Party (2006) as herself

External links

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