Erykah Badu

Born Erica Abi Wright in Dallas, Texas, Erykah Badu emerged from the mid‑1990s with a songwriting approach that blends neo‑soul, R&B, psychedelic soul, funk, hip‑hop and jazz inflections. Her career began after early local visibility in the duo Erykah Free and an opening slot for D’Angelo in 1994, which led to a contract with Kedar Entertainment. Erykah Badu released Baduizm in 1997, followed the same year by the live album Live, which showcased a supple, often syncopated vocal style supported by organic arrangements and a very free approach to phrasing. A member of the Soulquarians collective, Badu was part of a scene that included The Roots, D’Angelo, Common and Questlove, and she appears on The Roots’ “You Got Me.” With Mama’s Gun (2000) and Worldwide Underground (2003) she steered her repertoire toward groovier, more open and sometimes more experimental forms. She continued that trajectory with New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) in 2008 and New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) in 2010, two albums combining political consciousness, introspection and denser production. In 2015 she also released the mixtape But You Caint Use My Phone, extending a career defined by the ongoing dialogue between contemporary soul and hip‑hop culture.