By Katherine Josephs

o hear Erykah Badu's voice is to be shocked, surprised and delighted. At first, it sounds as if Bille Holiday lives on, but soon Badu's deep, soulful, and brutally honest lyrics bring us back to the present. Besides being compared to Holiday, Badu is hailed as the leader of neo-soul, the rebirth of classic rhythm and blues. Pulling on her influences of Marvin Gaye, Thelonious Monk, Sarah Vaughn and Stevie Wonder, Badu has combined the classic, soulful sounds of these legendary artists with lyrics that reflect the harsh realities of the modern world.

Born Erykah Wright and raised in Dallas, Texas, Badu always knew she was destined to let her voice be heard. She changed her surname to Badu in honor of scat music. After attending Grambling State University in Louisiana, she left without earning a degree. She felt that "a degree was just a piece of paper." Badu found her proverbial ‘big break' when Kedar Massenberg of Kedar Entertainment came upon her. He immediately signed her as the first artist on his newly formed label. Badu already had her songs written, as if she knew Massenberg would shortly appear. All the songs on her new album, Baduizm, are penned by her, with the exception of one.
Badu is one of the few artists who follows her work from conception to completion. She firmly believes in not allowing the ruthless business side of the music industry to conflict with her talent.

With her conviction in her music and Massenberg's remarkable marketing skills, the music world quickly became aware of Badu and her theory of Baduizm. The album reached No.1 on Billboard's R&B chart and No. 2 on the Top 200.

Baduizm is not only the title of her first album, but a life philosophy that she holds dear. It incorporates reaching your full potential regardless of the obstacles. Giving back what one has taken is central to Badu's thoughts.

"Using my melanin, my power, mastering myself. Building bridges understanding. Destroying bridges-over standing."

Badu makes it clear that her thinking is not a form of religion and nor is she a modern prophet. Rather, these are ideas that have helped her grow as person and tread her own path. If these same ideas come across in her music and her audience incorporates them into their lives for improvement, so much the better. Her philosophy also transgresses from Badu physically. Donned in traditional African garb and headdress, she often wears an Ankh. It is important to her that she includes a high level of spirituality in all aspects of her life. That strong connection to higher force comes through beautifully in her music. She uses the same Afro-centric images in her videos and album covers. Through the visual beauty of her videos and covers, she tries to show the grand importance of her African heritage, while at the same time showing a great respect for all things natural. Attuning to others that have come before her, is also integral to her writing. Badu usually carries a photograph of Marvin Gaye with her, and every so often she turns to him for spiritual inspiration. She respects him greatly because he spoke from his soul and his mind. She gathers strength from his memory. As a tribute to him, she combined her skills with another R&B singer, D'Angelo, to perform Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terell's song "Your Precious Love." It was the first time Badu had ever recorded in a large studio, but coincidentally it was Marvin Gaye's birthday.

In the second single released from Baduizm, "Next Lifetime," Badu manages, once again, to capture the heart's discontent in unrequited love. She sings of women who is with one man, but her heart belongs to another. She cannot split herself between the two, for it would cause an unbearable load of pain. Instead she consigns herself to hoping that, in another lifetime, her heart will be joined with the one she loves. She sings "Now, what am I supposed to do, when I want you in my world, but how can I want you for myself when I'm already someone's girl" Powerfully moving and touching, the lyrics themselves combined with Badu pouring out her soul in sadness and undeniable hope grasp at the heart strings.

What truly separates Badu from her contemporaries is her deep exploration of social issues from a truly introspective point of view. It is as if by listening to her music, she touches a cord within her listeners. The experiences that she sings so passionately, yet smoothly about, are ones that many can relate to. In "Other Side of the Game," Badu exposes the wounds of a pregnant woman, in love with a man involved in illegal activities. Torn between the welfare of her child and the love of her man, the song inspires sensitivity and compassion for this woman's plight. The song does not come to a resolution but rather delves into the abysmal, emotional pain this woman feels. The music is real and very raw, yet utterly refreshing.

"On and On" is the song that she is most popular for. It is also the song that truly describes Badu to the core. Taking some teachings for Islam, the song tells about a strong woman who continues to move on like "a rolling stone." An unstoppable force, full of strength of conviction and pride that conquers all obstacles. It is truly an uplifting song, with an underlying haunting of Lady Day.

But not to be mistaken, Badu does have a lighter side to her music. "Tyrone," a single on her live album, is a tongue in cheek about the typical man and typical neglect of his women for his friends. "Every time you come around, you have to bring Jim, James, Paul and Tyrone." Badu's solution is simple, "I think you better call Tyrone, call him/ And tell him come one and help you get your sh#t/ You better call Tyrone, but you can't use my phone."
As always this amusing, yet truthful song is accompanied by her throaty vocals and smooth jazz beats.

Her songs are filled with a depth of emotion. All the experiences told in her songs, are ones that she has gone through herself. Badu's childhood was far from idealistic. Her father left the family when she was very young, and is rumored to be in jail now. She was raised by strong female figures, but her grandmother and godmother had the most influence. Her grandmother, who was extremely religious, played an extremely influential role in Badu's life. Her grandmother opened a door to Badu's musical career, by purchasing an old piano. That is where Badu penned her first song at the age of seven.

"Baby, baby, there you are. You're more precious than a star ."

Her grandmother quickly had her change ‘Baby, baby' to ‘Jesus, Jesus'. Unbeknownst to Badu at the time, this strict religious upbringing set her on her own path to questioning traditional, formal religion. Through this period of searching, she found her own inner strength and a personal connection to her creator. The intensity of this connection comes through in every verse.

Badu went from penning songs to rapping in her teenage years. Named MC Apples by an admirer, she began taking her words and combining them with hip-hop beats. This soon led to performing on stage for small crowds. This is where she built her confidence to perform in front of others and allow them to hear her creations.

But Badu is a true renaissance woman. Because of her theater training at Grambling State, Badu has a strong hand in the production of her videos. The concepts are hers and hers alone. She visualizes the music and creates it from there. She has made it clear from the onset that her songs and videos are an extension of herself, and will not be comprised artistically or visually. Badu's vision is not limited to music. She intends to broaden her range of talents into film, both acting and directing. Leaping from this level, she plans to open a dance school, to ultimately creating an all- encompassing art school. She feels that her talent is a gift and is not only focused on her voice. Despite her far reaching goals, Badu believes her greatest talent was giving birth to her son earlier this year. Her son, named Seven Oshay, is her true completion, or as Badu would say "360 degrees." Badu's second album is currently in production, but in the meantime, she keeps herself busy by touring in the US and caring for her greatest achievement.