Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu is an American singer-songwriter whose distinctive vocals and albums helped define neo-soul through blends of R&B, jazz, and hip-hop.
Baduizm: Erykah Badu’s 1997 debut album, which brought her neo-soul sound to a wide audience. Its blend of soul, jazz, and hip-hop established the sound associated with her early career.
Kedar Massenburg: An American music executive who helped develop and promote neo-soul artists in the 1990s. He signed Badu and helped bring her debut album to Motown.
Neo-soul: A late twentieth-century style blending contemporary R&B with soul, jazz, hip-hop, and other influences. Badu is one of the artists most closely associated with the style’s emergence.
Neo-soul movement: A group of artists and recordings that renewed interest in soul traditions within contemporary R&B from the 1990s onward. Badu’s debut helped bring the movement to mainstream attention.
Live (Erykah Badu album): A 1997 live album by Erykah Badu, recorded at the Bottom Line in New York City. Its performances extended the reach of her debut-era repertoire.
The Soulquarians: A collective of musicians and producers associated with influential soul and hip-hop recordings around 2000. Badu recorded with members of the collective during the making of Mama's Gun.
Rhythm and blues: A broad genre of popular music rooted in African American musical traditions and shaped by blues, gospel, and jazz. R&B provides a central foundation for Badu’s songwriting and vocal approach.
Grammy Award for Best R&B Album: A Grammy category recognizing albums in rhythm and blues music. Baduizm won the award in 1998, marking a major industry recognition of her work.
Mama's Gun: Erykah Badu’s 2000 studio album, featuring songs including “Bag Lady” and “On & On.” It develops her sound through fuller arrangements and reflective songwriting.
Questlove: An American drummer, producer, and founding member of the Roots. His production and musicianship connect Badu’s recordings to hip-hop’s live-band tradition.