Erykah Badu
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Erykah Badu is an American R&B, hip hop, and soul singer. She started singing in the local radio at fourteen and was influenced early on by Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan.
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About
Early Years
Erica Abi Wright professionally known as Erykah Badu was born on February 26, 1971 in Dallas, Texas. Her artistic side was heavily influenced by her mother who happens to be a stage actress at the Dallas Theater when she was four and as a teenager at fourteen, she started performing in a local radio freestyling on air. While in her highschool years, she became a member of a duo and used "KC Apples" as her nickname. It was also during this time that she changed her name from Erica to Erikah as the former she felt was a slave name while the latter connotes to "the inner self".
When she graduated highschool, she furthered her skills by learning how to act like her mother at the Grambling State University. And later left the University as she wanted to focus on music full time on 1993.
Music Career
Before she started recording she hold several minimum wage jobs to support herself and later teamed up with her cousin Robert Bradford to form the duo "Erykah Free". She was called on to have a minor role in the film "The Boulevard" and once Tim Grace heard of her voice, Grace was so impressed. That she became the duo's manager. They started performing gigs and they recorded demo that reached Kedar Entertainment. The top executive Kedar Massenberg immediately wanted to sign Erykah for a solo album. Her cousin was so unhappy of the news.
She released her debut album Baduizm on 1997 led by the hit single "On & On" which put her to fame. It put her as one of the rising stars whose work crosses over into jazz. Other more famouse singles include "You Got Me," her collaboration with The Roots, as well as her own songs "Tyrone", "Next Lifetime", "On & On", "Bag Lady" and "Clevah."
Awards & Certifications
Awards
| Year | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Grammy Award | Best R&B Album for Baduizm |
| 1997 | Grammy Award | Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "On & On" |
| 2000 | Golden Satellite Award | Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in "The Cider House Rules" |
| 2000 | Black Reel Award | Theatrical - Best Supporting Actress in "The Cider House Rules" |
| 2003 | Black Reel Award | Best Film song for "Love of My Life" |
| 2003 | Grammy Award | Best Song Written for a Motion Picture for "Love of My Life" |
Certifications
| Year | Album | RIAA Certification |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Beduizm | Certified 3x Platinum |
| 1997 | Erykah Badu (Live) | Certified 2x Platinum |
| 2000 | Mama's Gun | Certified Platinum |
| 2003 | Worldwide Underground | Certified Gold |
Chart Toppers
| Year | Title | Hot R&B | Hot 100 | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Back In The Day (Puff) | 62 | - | Worldwide Underground |
| 2003 | Danger | 27 | 82 | Worldwide Underground |
| 2003 | Love Of My Life (An Ode To Hip Hop) | 1 | 9 | Worldwide Underground |
| 2001 | Cleva | 77 | - | Mama's Gun |
| 2001 | Didn't Cha Know | 28 | - | Mama's Gun |
| 2000 | Bag Lady | 1 | 6 | Mama's Gun |
| 1997 | On & On | 1 | 12 | Baduizm |
News
Tours & Concerts
There are no current tour and concert schedules for the artist.
Announcements
There are no current announcements for the artist.
Discography
Comprehensive list of the recordings made.
Albums
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Singles
| Date | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Tyrone | Universal |
| 1997 | On & On | Universal |
| 1997 | Next Lifetime | Kedar |
| 1997 | Apple Tree | Kedar/Universal |
| 2000 | Bag Lady | Polygram |
| 2001 | Didn't You Know | Polygram |
| 2002 | Love of my Life | MCA |
| 2003 | Danger | Motown |
Compilations & Live Releases
Other artists
Similar artists
Influences
Contemporaries
Trivia
- She has a charity organization called BLIND which means Beautiful Love Incorporated Non Profit Development. The said organization provides community-driven development for inner-city youth through dance, theater, music, and visual arts.
- Erykah Badu appeared in the films "Dave Chappelle's Block Party", "Blues Brothers 2000", "Before the Music Dies", "The Cider House Rules", and "House of D".
- She is the mother of "Seven", her son with Dr. Dre of Outkast.
Reviews
Born and raised by her mother, it proved to be a major influence in her life. Early on she would go with her mother perform at a local theater and I think this is the result of her artistry. While listening to her song, it was heavily apllauded for its simplicity and marked her return to the 70's soul music. In contrary to what she is originally known as emotionally and heavily recharged mucisican. For a Neo Soul singer, for its simplicity, I'll give it a 4 negative out of 5. -- Ericgo 21:37, 9 February 2007 (PST)
External Links
Categories: Artist | R&B | Hip Hop | Soul
