Erykah Badu

Erykah Badu (Erica Abi Wright) is an American singer/songwriter, record producer and actress. Influenced by R&B, soul, and early hip-hop, Badu became associated with neo-soul in the 1990s and 2000s. Early on, she was recognizable for her eccentric style, which often included wearing very large and colorful headwraps. Her first album, “Baduizm”, was released in 1997 which spawned four singles, including “On & On” and “Next Lifetime”, and was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Her first live album, “Live”, was released in 1997 and was certified double platinum by the RIAA. In 2000, she released her second studio album, “Mama’s Gun” with three singles: “Bag Lady”, which became her first top 10 single on the Billboard Hot 100, “Didn’t Cha Know?”, and “Cleva”. Badu’s third album, “Worldwide Underground”, was released in 2003 and generated three singles, with “Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)” becoming her second song to reach the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. Her fourth album, “New Amerykah Part One”, was released in 2008 with two singles: “Honey” and “Soldier”. “New Amerykah Part Two” was released in 2010 and fared well both critically and commercially, containing the album’s controversial lead single “Window Seat”. As an actress, she has played a number of supporting roles in movies, including “Blues Brothers 2000”, “The Cider House Rules” and “House of D”. She also has appeared in the documentaries “Before the Music Dies” and “The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975”.