Erykah Badu

My #1 Pick

When I was (first) notified about the opportunity to honor a 'black woman's contributions to music’, Erykah Badu was the first name in my thoughts. She influenced me as a creative artist, a musician, a writer, a singer and a free-thinker. I’d be remised if I didn’t nominate Erykah Badu on this platform—where being 'VOCAL' is an admirable characteristic. I didn’t need to look any further for a woman who encapsulates divine femininity and whose name wreaks of honorable principles. Erykah Badu is not just one of my biggest influencers, when I found out she's keeps a low-key second career as a Doula (and more recently, as a certified midwife). I was blown away. She's even known to her clients as "Erykah Badoula". I’m a writer. My 390K-word novel series INEFFABLE is based on the natural birthing of the main character - Michelle. So much of Erykah’s energy and ethics revolve around who I am and how we should (all) see the world. Erykah Badu has always inspired me and her music is very therapeutic to me. No other artist can compare to her.

Before I dive into who she is, her lifestyle and how she has influenced me to remain a free-thinking man of integrity, let’s see what her online bio says about her.

Online Bio

Erica Abi Wright, popularly known as Erykah Badu is an American singer and songwriter. She started her career in 1994 and released her first album, Baduism in 1997. Baduizm blazed a path for the “neo-soul” era that largely dominated the R&B universe at the close of the ’90s and the early 2000s, and much of the freethinking experimentation blossoming right now in hip-hop, soul and jazz. Erykah’s hits also include “On & On”, “Bag Lady”, “Love of my Life”, “Next Lifetime”, “Other of the Game”, “Honey”, “Soldiers” and more. Today, she is referred to as the queen of neo-soul. She has won a total of 16 awards from 59 nominations. Such awards include 2 Grammy Awards, 3 Soul Train Music awards and an American Music Award among others. Erykah Badu has appeared in a few supporting roles for movies and documentaries. –Wikipedia.com

Let’s dive into this beautiful soul.

In my opinion, her online bio falls short of describing her energy and her essence. It does not do the artist any justice. Erykah Badu, the undisputed queen of neo-soul, has been blessing my undeserving ears with blissful vocals and soaring harmonies for quite some time, so it is only right that I encourage VOCAL.MEDIA to celebrate her contributions to music and consciousness. …Being raised in Dallas, Texas by a single mother, the singer/songwriter eventually adopted the name Erykah Badu-"kah" signifying her inner self (Mer-Kah-Bah) and "badu" representing her favorite jazz scat sound. As an unknown artist, Badu worked countless minimum-wage jobs to support herself until an opening slot for another artist (D'Angelo) drastically changed the course of her entire future. Immediately after her stunning performance in 1994, Badu was signed to Kedar Entertainment, where she released her first album, Baduizm, three years later. Influenced by R&B, '70s soul, and '80s hip-hop, Badu's rejuvenating sound is generously paired with her idiosyncratic personality. This is made obvious (as one may recall) from the sizable and vibrant head-wraps she wore in the early days of her career. The first lady of neo-soul believes in embracing purity and authenticity—in not just her music, but all aspects of life. What I particularly appreciate about Erykah is even when she does revisit (perform) her beginnings, as she did on her brilliant 2015 mixtape ‘But You Caint` Use My Phone’, she insists on keeping things fresh by lacing her rhythms with elements of Trap and Kate Bush-inspired art-rock. What seperates good artists from the greats is how they keep you guessing and anticipating what’s next.

After enjoying the timeless, jazzy, soothing melodies of her “Baduizm” album, it might be hard picturing Erykah Badu as an opening for artists such as Method Man or Naughty by Nature. But, then again, you won’t find anything run-of-the-mill about this multidimensional, multitalented artist who has been the buzz of the industry since her debut album topped the charts. It’s the originality of the 49-year-old Dallas native –of her music, her videos and her personality– that’s been largely responsible for her success. Badu’s sound is an infusion of many music forms, from jazz to blues. Back in the day, it was her regal, Afrocentric image and her trademark turban stood out from the typical (prancing) R&B singers trotted out by the music industry. Her first album went platinum; her second single and video, “Next Lifetime,” received heavy rotation on music and video stations. No wonder, then, that everyone was trying to get a cameo from her on their projects. She’s been featured on shows like BET’s “Planet Groove” and “The David Letterman Show” and was the subject of an MTV “Unplugged” special. And after wrapping up a short tour with singer Eric Benet, she joined the “Smokin’ Grooves” summer tour with the likes of George Clinton, Foxy Brown and the Pharcyde.

A Friends Testimony

I asked a friend of mines about what female artists (from back in the day) she enjoyed the most. This is what she said as I reminded her of the incomprable Erykah Badu.

“OMG! I don’t know how I forgot to mention her already. She’s such a genius and she’s in a different vein; she’s been so impactful. It would appear to me as — I’m a white woman speaking on this so forgive my ignorance — that she’s been hugely, hugely influential on Black culture and people’s recognition of their roots. Again, it’s one of those things when I listen to her, I’m like: ‘Oh, I know that I don’t get this, but I’ll still appreciate it.’ I like to think Erykah Badu is an artist everybody can appreciate.” - Jessica Langley

1. INTERVIEWER: “Have you always been into music?”

Erykah Badu: “I’ve always been an artist. The Creator is in me, and I’m a creator as well. I’m a totally left-side brain person. I function well as an artist. Anything I do is art. I dress art, I live art, I eat art. I feel it all over and that’s what I’ve always done well, effortlessly because it’s just me.”

2. INTERVIEWER: “What is it that makes you stand out from other R&B singers?”

Erykah Badu: “What makes me different is that it is different. I think that anyone else who does not choose to be different is doing themselves a disservice, because you don’t have to be like anyone else.”

3. INTERVIEWER: "You have drawn comparisons to Billie Holiday. Is she someone you studied?”

Erykah Badu: “Well … Diana Ross was my first introduction to Billie Holiday. As a matter of fact, in (the 1972 film) “Lady Sings the Blues”, I felt really attached to that era.”

4. INTERVIEWER: “How difficult was it to get your recording contract?”

Erykah Badu: “It was not difficult. It took me eight months to complete the demo, the ninth month I was signed. I just decided to let the Creator do the work. When I decided to … manifest positivity and light through my work, everyone else did the work.”

5. INTERVIEWER: “What’s your approach to music?”

Erykah Badu: “I just do what I feel. What I grew up listening to influenced me a lot - soul, ‘70s music. When I was about 12 or 13, hip-hop was a heavy influence, so I grew up ‘hip-hop soul.’ As an infant, I listened to Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, The Emotions, all of those pioneers who aided in the ‘70s soul era. They were all my influences.”

My Wrap Up

Erykah Badu created an innovative crossbreed of bebop and hip-hop that had never been seen nor heard before. Her lyrical depth suggested a woman who did not suffer fools, and an energy that had no time for people who reside in low frequencies. If you’d promised Erykah you’re taking her to see her favorite artist in concert, you better follow through or she’ll ‘see you next lifetime’. This has always been how I operate. Integrity is everything. If you lack it, you’re hardly worth my personal involvement. It sounds harsh, but most serious creators recognize the value in keeping a clear head space. This is especially for artists’ who retreat to their creativity. The key ingredient of Badu’s impact on music today, of course, was Badu herself. …A strong, independent black woman who graced stages with flowing gowns and multiple-colored head wraps. …A woman whose cool confidence was a refreshing and empowering break from the traditional female R&B script.

With (only) ten headlining tours, five studio albums, and four GRAMMYs to her name, Badu has truly established and reinvented the neo-soul genre of music for plenty of generations to come.