Baduizm | ||||
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Released | February 11, 1997 | |||
Recorded | January–October 1996 | |||
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Length | 58:15 | |||
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Erykah Badu chronology | ||||
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Singles from Baduizm | ||||
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Baduizm is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Erykah Badu. It was released on February 11, 1997, by Kedar Records and Universal Records. [5] After leaving university in order to concentrate on music full-time, Badu then began touring with her cousin, Robert "Free" Bradford, and recorded a 19-song demo, Country Cousins, which attracted the attention of Kedar Massenburg. He set Badu up to record a duet with D'Angelo, "Your Precious Love," and eventually signed her to a record deal with Universal. Recording sessions for the album took place from January to October 1996 in New York City, Philadelphia, and Dallas. [6]
Baduizm was met with positive reviews from music critics who praised the album's musical style and Badu's artistic vision; other critics noted similarities between Badu and Billie Holiday. Baduizm was a commercial success, debuting at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart and number one on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The album was certified three times platinum by Recording Industry Association of America, [7] Gold by British Phonographic Industry [8] and Gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association. [9]
Baduizm was promoted with the release of four singles: "On & On", "Next Lifetime", "Otherside of the Game", and "Appletree". The album received many accolades, including the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 40th Grammy Awards. Along with fellow contemporary albums such as D'Angelo's Brown Sugar (1995) and Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (1996), Baduizm's success helped establish Badu as one of the leading artists in the neo-soul genre and is one of the albums credited with contributing to the genre's commercial visibility at the time.
To focus on music full time Badu dropped out from Grambling State University. Badu then began working and touring with her cousin, Robert "Free" Bradford, during this period she recorded a 19-song demo, Country Cousins, which attracted the attention of Kedar Massenburg. Massenburg set a recording session up with D'Angelo to record, "Your Precious Love," and eventually signed her to a record deal with Universal Records. [10] Badu was partly influenced by Brandy's debut album, notably "I Wanna Be Down" and "Always on My Mind". [11] Badu also took inspiration from her ancestry particularly turbans and African drums. [12]
Recording sessions started in January through to October 1996 at Battery Studios in New York City, Sigma Sounds & Ivory Studios in Philadelphia, and Dallas Sound Lab in Dallas. [6] Badu provided lead and background vocals, along with keyboards, drum machine and other music programming on the album with the help of Madukwu, N'Dambi, Bob Power, Ike Lee III, and Ron Carter. [13] Shortly before the albums release, Badu grew unhappy with the recorded material and travelled back to Philadelphia to work with the Roots. The sessions led to the demo's "Otherside of the Game" and "Sometimes" being included on Baduizm. [12]
After Baduizm was released, it peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. [14] [15] The album's success helped establish Badu as one of the leading artists in the flourishing neo-soul genre. [3] Baduizm was certified three times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, Gold by the British Phonographic Industry and the Canadian Recording Industry Association. [7] [8] [9] As of February 2017 the album has sold 2.8 million copies in United States. [16]
The album produced four singles; the lead single "On & On" was released in December 1996, [17] and reached number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 charts and the UK Singles Charts, as well as making an appearance on the New Zealand charts. [18]
A world tour to promote the album featured performances in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Brazil. Band members on tour were Charles "Poogie" Bell, Jr (drums), Bob Power (guitar), Hubert Eaves IV (bass) and Ike Lee III (keyboard). Background vocals were provided by N'dambi, Karen Bernod, Joyce M. Strong and Yahzarah. Opening acts included Chico DeBarge (USA—Leg), The Roots (USA—select dates) and Eric Benet (USA—select dates). Following the tour a Live concert album was recorded and released under Kedar/Universal.[ citation needed ]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [19] |
Chicago Tribune | [20] |
Entertainment Weekly | A [21] |
The Guardian | [22] |
NME | 7/10 [23] |
Pitchfork | 9.5/10 [24] |
Q | [25] |
Rolling Stone | [26] |
Uncut | 9/10 [27] |
USA Today | [28] |
Baduizm established Badu as a popular artist and received positive reviews from critics, who viewed the record as a return to the simplicity of early '70s soul. [29] Vibe magazine's Karen R. Good called the record "a conduit of awakening of something dark, familiar and long slept," [30] while John Bush from AllMusic felt it was innovative primarily for its sound, "heavier hip-hop beats over organic, conscientious soul music." [19]
Badu's particular style of singing drew many comparisons to Billie Holiday. [31] Entertainment Weekly said Badu echoed Holiday in "her phrasing and cadence," [21] while Greg Kot from the Chicago Tribune commented: "Rather than merely mimicking Holiday, Badu offers a canny update of the socially conscious soul of the early '70s with her mid-tempo grooves and sultry, conversational vocals." [20] In the Los Angeles Times , Robert Hilburn wrote: "Freely mixing musical eras and inspirations (Billie Holiday to Stevie Wonder, jazz to hip-hop), Badu combines supper-club sophistication with an artistic vision as unique and independent" as Prince in the '80s. [32] Writing for Rolling Stone , Miles Marshall Lewis stated: "Baduizm showcases the heart and soul of a bohemian B-girl who happens to have an effortless jazz swing." [26]
At the end of 1997, Baduizm was voted the seventh best record of the year in the Pazz & Jop, an annual poll of American critics published by The Village Voice . [33] Robert Christgau, the poll's supervisor, was less enthusiastic and dismissed the comparisons to Billie Holiday, [34] deeming Badu "a mite too bourgie-boho" for his tastes. [35]
In 1997, Badu received six nominations and won three: Favorite Female Solo Single for "On & On", Favorite Female Solo Album for Baduizm and Best R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year for "On & On" at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. [36] [37] In 1998, Badu received fourteen nominations and won eight, including Favorite R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist at the American Music Awards; Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "On & On" and Best R&B Album for Baduizm at the Grammy Awards; Outstanding New Artist and Outstanding Female Artist at the NAACP Image Awards; Favorite Female Soul/R&B Single for "On & On", Favorite Female Soul/R&B Album for Baduizm and Favorite New R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist for "On & On" at the Soul Train Music Awards. [38] [39] [40] [41] [42] [43]
Baduizm is listed as one of the 261 greatest albums since punk and disco (the year 1976), in the music critic Garry Mulholland's book Fear of Music ( ISBN 0-7528-6831-4). 'This record works as seduction soundtrack, Saturday night chill-out, Sunday morning church replacement. The success of Erykah Badu's masterpiece briefly threatened to inspire a new era in conscious soul. But only Lauryn Hill and D'Angelo were at her level. Baduizm stands alone, a missing link between '70s street funk, basement jazz, bohemian hip hop and the blues reinventions of Portishead."
In the 2020 reboot of their list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time", Rolling Stone ranked Baduizm number 89. [44]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Rimshot (Intro)" | Erykah Badu, Madukwu Chinwah | Chinwah | 1:56 |
2. | "On & On" | Badu, Jahmal "JaBorn" Cantero | Bob Power, JaBorn | 3:45 |
3. | "Appletree" | Badu, Robert Bradford | Ike Lee III, Badu | 4:25 |
4. | "Otherside of the Game" | Badu, Questlove, Richard Nichols, James Poyser | The Roots, Nichols | 6:33 |
5. | "Sometimes (Mix #9)" | Badu, The Roots, Nichols, Poyser | The Roots, Nichols, Poyser | 0:44 |
6. | "Next Lifetime" | Badu, Anthony Scott | Tone the Backbone | 6:26 |
7. | "Afro (Freestyle Skit)" | Badu, Poyser, Jafar Barron | Badu, Poyser, Barron | 2:04 |
8. | "Certainly" | Badu, Chinwah | Chinwah | 4:43 |
9. | "4 Leaf Clover" | David Lewis, Wayne Lewis | Ike Lee III, Badu | 4:34 |
10. | "No Love" | Badu, Bradford | Bradford | 5:08 |
11. | "Drama" | Badu, Tyallen Macklin | Bob Power | 6:02 |
12. | "Sometimes..." | Badu, The Roots, Nichols, Poyser | The Roots, Nichols, Poyser | 4:10 |
13. | "Certainly (Flipped It)" | Badu, Chinwah | Chinwah | 5:26 |
14. | "Rimshot (Outro)" | Badu, Chinwah | Chinwah | 2:19 |
Total length: | 58:15 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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15. | "On & On" (Jazz Mix) | Erykah Badu, JaBorn Jamal, Bob Powers | Bill Esses, Sir Charles | 6:46 |
16. | "On & On" (Da Boom Squad Remix) | Erykah Badu, JaBorn Jamal, Bob Powers | Da Boom Squad | 4:23 |
17. | "Appletree" (2B3 Summer Vibes Mix) | Erykah Badu, Robert Bradford, Ike Lee III | Neville Thomas, Pule Pheto, Robert Malcolm | 4:35 |
18. | "Appletree" (Live @ The Jazz Café) | Erykah Badu, Robert Bradford, Ike Lee III | Ike Lee III, Erykah Badu | 3:03 |
19. | "Next Lifetime" (Linslee Remix) | Erykah Badu, A. Scott, Tone the Backbone | Linslee Campbell | 5:55 |
20. | "A Child with the Blues" (featuring Terrance Blanchard) | Curtis Mayfield | 5:13 |
Sample credits
Musicians
Production
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Canada (Music Canada) [62] | Platinum | 100,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [63] | Platinum | 300,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [64] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Grammy Awards
Year | Recipient | Category | Result |
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1998 | Baduizm | Best R&B Album | Won |
"On & On" | Best Female R&B Vocal Performance | Won | |
Best R&B Song | Nominated | ||
Erykah Badu | Best New Artist | Nominated |
Erica Abi Wright, known professionally as Erykah Badu, is an American singer and songwriter. Influenced by R&B, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut album Baduizm (1997), placed her at the forefront of the neo soul movement, earning her the nickname "Queen of Neo Soul" by music critics.
Neo soul is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contemporary R&B. Heavily based in soul music, neo soul is distinguished by a less conventional sound than its contemporary R&B counterpart, with incorporated elements ranging from funk, jazz fusion, and hip hop, and to pop, rock, and electronic music. It has been noted by music writers for its traditional R&B influences, conscious-driven lyrics, and strong female presence.
Live is a live concert album by American singer Erykah Badu, released in 1997. Released in the fall of 1997, with her debut album Baduizm released earlier that year, Live quickly went double platinum with the radio hit "Tyrone".
Mama's Gun is the second studio album by American singer Erykah Badu. It was recorded between 1999 and 2000 at Electric Lady Studios in New York and released on November 21, 2000, by Motown Records. A neo soul album, Mama's Gun incorporates elements of funk, soul, and jazz styles. It has confessional lyrics by Badu, which cover themes of insecurity, personal relationships, and social issues. The album has been viewed by critics as a female companion to neo soul artist D'Angelo's second album Voodoo (2000), which features a similar musical style and direction. Critics have also noted that while Badu's first album Baduizm contained its share of cryptic lyricism, Mama's Gun is much more direct in its approach, and places the artist in a subjective position more than its predecessor.
Worldwide Underground is the third studio album by American singer Erykah Badu, released September 16, 2003, by Motown Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2003, following Badu's period of writer's block, and her performances during the Frustrated Artist Tour. Production was handled primarily by the production group Freakquency , consisting of Badu, Rashad Smith, James Poyser, and RC Williams. Prominently influenced by old-school 1970s and 80s hip hop, soul, R&B and funk elements, the album features an unconventional musical structure; the songwriting took a path of somewhat less subliminal, metaphorical lyrics than Badu’s previous work, expressing more lighthearted feelings, instead. The album’s content mainly focused on the general state of hip hop culture, reminiscing on good times, friends, partying, young love, “hood life”, and some references to gang culture. The album features appearances from artists Dead Prez, Common, Queen Latifah, Bahamadia, and singer Angie Stone.
Gerald Maxwell Rivera, known mononymously as Maxwell, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He rose to prominence following the release of his debut studio album Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (1996), which received widespread acclaim and spawned the hit singles "Ascension " and "Sumthin' Sumthin'". Through the album and its follow ups, Maxwell has been credited—alongside Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo, and Erykah Badu—with popularizing neo soul for mainstream audiences in the late 1990s.
Contemporary R&B is a popular music genre that combines rhythm and blues with elements of pop, soul, funk, hip hop, and electronic music.
"You Got Me" is a song by American hip hop band The Roots, featuring vocals from Erykah Badu and Eve, then known as Eve of Destruction, who raps the second verse but does not appear in the music video. The track was released as a single from the band's fourth studio album, Things Fall Apart (1999), in January 1999.
"Bag Lady" is a song recorded by American singer Erykah Badu for her second studio album Mama's Gun (2000). Written by Badu and Isaac Hayes, the song is about a woman who is trying to begin a new relationship but has too much emotional baggage and can't get close to anyone. The song's message is to "pack light" and have hope for the future. It was released as the lead single from Mama's Gun on August 8, 2000, by Motown Records.
N'Dambi is an American soul/jazz singer from Dallas, Texas.
"Love of My Life " is a song recorded by American singer Erykah Badu for the Brown Sugar soundtrack (2002). It features American rapper Common, who co-wrote the song alongside Badu, Madukwu Chinwah, Robert Ozuma, James Poyser, Rashad Smith, Glen Standridge and the song's sole producer Raphael Saadiq. The song follows the film and its soundtrack's common lyrical theme of personifying hip hop. It was released as the lead single from Brown Sugar on August 5, 2002, by MCA Records.
"On & On" is a song by American singer-songwriter Erykah Badu, released on December 10, 1996, by Kedar Records and Universal Records as the lead single from Badu's debut studio album, Baduizm (1997). It was written by her with JaBorn Jamal. A neo soul song, it features teachings of the Five-Percent Nation in its lyrics. A commercial success, it spent two weeks atop the US Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart, while peaking at number 12 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. Critically acclaimed, the song won Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards (1998). Its accompanying music video was nominated in the categories for Best Female Video and Best R&B Video at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2022, Pitchfork included "On & On" in their list of "The 250 Best Songs of the 1990s".
American singer Erykah Badu has released five studio albums, one live album, one compilation album, one mixtape, 31 singles, three promotional singles and 20 music videos. Badu's career began after opening a show for D'Angelo in 1994 in her hometown; record label executive Kedar Massenburg was highly impressed with her performance and signed her to Kedar Records. Her debut album, Baduizm, was released on February 11, 1997. It spawned three singles: "On & On", "Next Lifetime", and "Otherside of the Game". The album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Badu's first live album, Live, was released on November 18, 1997, and was certified double Platinum by the RIAA.
New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Erykah Badu, first released on March 30, 2010, through Universal Motown. Collaborating with several hip hop producers over the Internet, Badu conceived 75 songs set to be split over three albums with New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) (2008) being the first. The album was recorded primarily at Electric Lady Studios in New York City.
"Next Lifetime" is a song recorded by American singer Erykah Badu for her debut studio album Baduizm (1997). It was written by Badu and Anthony Scott. A mid-tempo ballad, the song describes being in a relationship but longing for another man. At the start of the song, Badu is heard talking to a man about how they can't be together even though they both have feelings for one another.
Pink Elephant is the fourth studio album by American recording artist N'Dambi. A neo soul record that incorporates elements of jazz and funk, it focuses on themes including double lives, love-hate relationships, true love, betrayal, and the music industry. N'Dambi highlighted classic R&B artists such as Betty Davis and Smokey Robinson as her influences when recording the album; for the album's writing and production, she worked with Leon Sylvers III, who was known for his work with artists including Gladys Knight, Shalamar, and Blackstreet.
"Tyrone" is a song recorded by American singer Erykah Badu during a concert in 1997. It was released as the lead single from her live album Live (1997) on October 27, 1997, by Kedar Records and Universal Records. She has performed this for encore during concerts, and many consider it to be her signature song.
"Appletree" is a song recorded by American singer Erykah Badu for her debut studio album Baduizm (1997). The song was written by Badu and Robert Bradford. It was released as the fourth and final single from Baduizm on November 17, 1997, by Kedar Records and Universal Records.
"Lady" is a song co-written, co-produced and performed by American neo soul singer D'Angelo, issued as the third single from his debut studio album, Brown Sugar (1995). A remixed version of the song was also released, featuring vocals from American hip hop musician AZ. Separate music videos were created for both versions of the song.
"Otherside of the Game" is a song recorded by American singer Erykah Badu for her debut studio album Baduizm (1997). It was written by Badu, Questlove, James Poyser and Richard Nichols. The song effectively showcases Badu's debt to jazz aside from neo soul. It is a ballad with lyrics describing the story of a conflicted woman in a troubled relationship. She is expecting a baby with her husband, so she feels she must stand by him despite his apparently illegal activities. MCA Records released the song as the third single from Baduizm in Japan on September 22, 1997.
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