Erykah badu siblings

Badu calls herself “super mutable,” and, as a musician, she sometimes seems to be aging in reverse.Photograph by Amanda Demme for The New Yorker

When Erykah Badu told Zach Witness, an unheralded producer from East Dallas, that she might like to come to his home studio and work on some music, he didn’t dare believe her. Badu, who is forty-five, has lived in Dallas all her life. But she spends a considerable part of every year on the road, as has been her custom since 1997, when she released her début album, “Baduizm,” which sold millions of copies, earned her a pair of Grammys, and made her one of the most celebrated soul singers of the modern era. The word people used back then was “neo-soul,” but nowadays it seems appropriate to omit the “neo”—not because her music has grown more old-fashioned but because it has grown harder to categorize, and maybe even easier to enjoy.

Witness is twenty-three, and he had been a fan of Badu ever since he was five years old, when he saw her surreal appearance on “All That,” a comedy show on the kids’ channel Nickelodeon. “This woman came on

Erykah Badu

1971-present

Latest News: Erykah Badu Wins Fifth Grammy Award

Erykah Badu won her fifth Grammy Award at the 67th awards ceremony on Sunday.

The soulful singer-songwriter, 53, took home the trophy for Best Melodic Rap Performance for the track “3 A.M.” with rapper Rapsody. This is Badu's first Grammy win since 2000 when she scored Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for The Roots song “You Got Me.”

Who Is Erykah Badu?

Singer Erykah Badu was exposed to the arts early on, and eventually began to perform in shows at the local Dallas Theater Center. In 1996, Badu's demo caught the attention of music producer Kedar Massenburg, who signed her and paired her with D'Angelo to record the song "Your Precious Love." Kedar Entertainment later merged with Universal Motown. Today, Badu is best known for her soulful music style, which is showcased on albums such as the Grammy Award-winning Baduizm and 1997's Live.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Erica Abi Wright
BORN: February 26, 1971
BIRTHPLACE: Dallas, Texas
CHILDREN: Puma and Seven
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Pisces

Erykah Badu

Erykah Badu

Erykah Badu at a concert in 2008

Birth nameErica Abi Wright
Born (1971-02-26) February 26, 1971 (age 53)
Dallas, Texas
United States
OriginDallas, Texas
United States
GenresR&B, soul, funk, jazz, hip hop
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, Producer, Actress
InstrumentsVocals, keyboards, guitar, drums
Years active1991–now
LabelsKedar, Universal, Motown, Puppy Love, Control Freaq
Websitewww.erykahbadu.com

Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), better known by her stage name Erykah Badu (pronounced /ˈɛrɨkə bɑːˈduː/), is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.[1] She rose to fame in 1997 when she released her critically well liked first album, Baduizm.[2] For this album she received two Grammy Awards. Badu has won a total of four Grammy Awards out of nineteen nominations. Her songs include parts from R&B, hip hop and jazz.[3] Badu is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soulsub-genre, and for her eccentric, creativ

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