Erykah Badu, born in Dallas, Texas in 1971, is a foundational voice of neo-soul and a core member of the Soulquarians alongside D'Angelo and Questlove. Baduizm (1997) won the Grammy for Best R&B Album and still sounds fresh; Mama's Gun (2000) goes even deeper. Dig into Erykah Badu vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Erica Abi Wright was born in Dallas, Texas on February 26, 1971. She attended Grambling State University before pursuing music full-time. Her debut Baduizm (1997, Kedar Entertainment / Universal) became a landmark of the neo-soul movement, winning two Grammy Awards including Best R&B Album. She has been closely associated with the Soulquarians collective alongside D'Angelo, Questlove, J Dilla, Common, and Bilal. Her relationships with both André 3000 of OutKast and Common produced her sons Seven Sirius Benjamin (with André) and Puma Sabti Curry (with Common's friend the D.O.C.). She has continued releasing material periodically across the 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s.
Erykah Badu's sound combines neo-soul, R&B, soul, jazz fusion, and hip hop soul with extensive jazz vocal phrasing, spoken-word elements, and lyrical content addressing spirituality, social commentary, and personal experience. Her work is widely considered foundational to neo-soul as a recognized genre.
Original Kedar/Universal and Motown pressings of the Erykah Badu catalog are widely collected. Multiple anniversary editions, including the 20th anniversary edition of Baduizm and 25th anniversary deluxe editions, have been released.
Listeners new to Erykah Badu typically start with Baduizm (1997) or Mama's Gun (2000).
