Erykah Badu

Erykah Badu, born Erica Abi Wright on February 26, 1971, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Influenced by R&B, soul, and hip-hop, she emerged in the late 1990s as a central figure in the neo-soul movement, earning the nickname "Queen of Neo Soul" from music critics. Her vocal style has often been compared to jazz legend Billie Holiday. Early in her career, she was also recognizable for her distinct visual image, which frequently included wearing large, colorful headwraps.

Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Wright was brought up by her mother, actress Kolleen Wright, alongside her younger siblings Eevin and Koryan following her parents' separation. She began singing and dancing at age four, performing with the Dallas Theater Center and The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL). By age 14, she was freestyling for a local radio station. In her youth, she changed her first name to Erykah to reflect her inner self and adopted the surname Badu after her favorite jazz scat sound. After attending Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, she studied theater at Grambling State University before leaving in 1993 to pursue music. In 1995, she relocated to Brooklyn after forming the group Erykah Free with her cousin Robert "Free" Bradford, whose demo caught the attention of record executive Kedar Massenburg.

Badu signed with Kedar Entertainment and Universal Records after opening a show for D'Angelo in 1994. Her debut studio album, Baduizm, was released in February 1997 to critical and commercial acclaim, debuting at number two on the Billboard charts. Powered by singles such as "On & On", "Appletree", "Next Lifetime", and "Otherside of the Game", the album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It earned Badu Grammy Awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Album. Later that year, she released her double-platinum live album, Live, featuring her signature song "Tyrone". In 1999, she won another Grammy for her collaboration with The Roots and Eve on the single "You Got Me".

In 2000, Badu released her second studio album, Mama's Gun, which achieved platinum certification and spawned the hit single "Bag Lady". Around this time, she collaborated with Common on "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)", which topped the R&B charts and earned her a fourth Grammy Award in 2003. That same year, she released her gold-certified third studio album, Worldwide Underground, which featured a jam-oriented continuous groove style. To support her releases and promote health awareness, Badu embarked on several concert tours and co-founded the Sugar Water Festival alongside Queen Latifah and Jill Scott in 2005.

Badu's fourth studio album, New Amerykah Part One, was released in February 2008 and debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, supported by the single "Honey" and world tours such as The Vortex Tour. In March 2010, she released New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh), which debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and featured the lead single "Window Seat", accompanied by a music video that sparked controversy. Alongside her music career, Badu has worked as an actress, appearing in feature films including Blues Brothers 2000, The Cider House Rules, and House of D, as well as documentaries including Before the Music Dies. She was also a core member of the musical collective Soulquarians.