The Roots, Erykah Badu

Biography

Erykah Badu is a pioneering neo-soul artist who emerged in the mid-1990s as a transformative force in contemporary R&B and hip-hop music. After graduating from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, she attended Grambling State University to study theater but left in 1993 to pursue music full-time. She formed a band called Erykah Free with her cousin Robert "Free" Bradford and recorded a 19-song demo titled Country Cousins, which caught the attention of producer Kedar Massenburg and led to her signing with Universal Records. Her debut album Baduizm (1997) established her as a distinctive voice in neo-soul, featuring her signature song "Tyrone" and earning triple platinum certification from the RIAA.

Throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, Badu became a central figure in the Soulquarians collective, a supergroup of talented musicians dedicated to creating organic, artistically ambitious music. Her most commercially successful collaboration came with The Roots on "You Got Me" (1999), co-written by Jill Scott, which won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group in 2000. Following time away to raise her child, she returned in 2000 with Mama's Gun, an album characterized by its organic sound and production by the Soulquarians and bassist Pino Palladino. The album's remix of "Bag Lady" topped the R&B charts for seven weeks, and she earned her fourth Grammy Award in 2003 for her collaboration with Common on "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)," which hit number nine on the pop charts.

Badu's influence extends across multiple genres and generations of artists. Beyond her studio work, she has maintained an active touring schedule, including her "Worldwide Underground Tour" in 2004, and has continued collaborating with contemporary artists including Flying Lotus, Tyler the Creator, Robert Glasper, and RM. Her artistic legacy is defined by her commitment to authenticity, her sophisticated vocal delivery, and her role in elevating neo-soul to mainstream recognition during a pivotal moment in music history.

Fun Facts

• Jill Scott originally recorded the chorus and bridge for "You Got Me," but MCA Records insisted that Badu re-record her part because they wanted a higher-profile collaboration for the album's lead single at the time when Scott was relatively unknown outside Philadelphia. Scott later performed the song with The Roots and Badu during their tours.
• The music video for "You Got Me" features cameos from rapper and actor Common and Tracy Morgan as a rider on the bus, directed by Charles Stone III.
• Badu was part of the Soulquarians collective alongside Common, ?uestlove, Mos Def, and Bilal, though a full-fledged Soulquarians LP never materialized despite the group's significant influence on neo-soul music.
• In 2020, during COVID-19 lockdowns, Badu contributed to Bilal's live-streamed EP VOYAGE-19, with all proceeds from sales going to participating musicians facing financial hardship from the pandemic.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Kedar Massenburg - Producer and A&R executive who discovered Badu through her demo and facilitated her record deal with Universal Records (Arranged her duet with D'Angelo "Your Precious Love" and signed her to Universal Records) [Early 1990s]

Key Collaborators

• The Roots - Hip-hop band that collaborated extensively with Badu, particularly through the Soulquarians collective ("You Got Me" (1999), Things Fall Apart album, remix of "The Hypnotic" (1997)) [1996-present]
• D'Angelo - Neo-soul vocalist and fellow Soulquarians member with whom Badu recorded early duets ("Your Precious Love" duet, "The Hypnotic" remix (1997)) [Mid-1990s]
• Common - Hip-hop artist and romantic partner who collaborated on a Grammy-winning track ("Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)" (2000), Brown Sugar soundtrack) [2000-2003]
• Jill Scott - Neo-soul vocalist who co-wrote "You Got Me" and originally recorded the chorus before Badu re-recorded it ("You Got Me" (1999), VH1 Divas Celebrates Soul performance (2011)) [1999-present]
• Flying Lotus - Electronic music producer and collaborator on multiple projects including album work (Until the Quiet Comes (2011), ongoing album collaboration) [2011-present]
• Eve - Rapper featured on "You Got Me" performing the second verse ("You Got Me" (1999), Things Fall Apart) [1999]
• Robert Glasper - Jazz pianist and producer who collaborated with Badu on Black Radio album (Black Radio (2012)) [2012]
• Tyler, The Creator - Hip-hop artist who featured Badu on his album ("Treehome95" from Wolf (2013)) [2013]

Artists Influenced

• Contemporary neo-soul and R&B artists - Badu's pioneering work in neo-soul established a template for artistic authenticity and organic production that influenced subsequent generations (Her vocal style and production choices influenced the broader neo-soul movement) [1997-present]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Didn't Cha Know (Mama's Gun)
2. On & On (Baduizm)
3. You Got Me (Things Fall Apart)
4. Appletree (Baduizm)
5. Next Lifetime (Baduizm)
6. I'll Call U Back (But You Caint Use My Phone (Mixtape))
7. Treehome95 (feat. Coco O. & Erykah Badu) (Wolf)
8. Window Seat
9. F.U. (In Waves (Deluxe))
10. Other Side Of The Game (Baduizm)

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia