Erykah Badu
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
Originally part of a rap duo that landed opening slots on big name hip-hop tours in the mid-1990s, singer, songwriter and actress Erykah Badu watched her music career advanced rapidly, with just over two years elapsing from her late 1995 discovery, subsequent solo record deal, two successful albums and multiple 1997 Grammy wins. Incorporating blues, jazz, soul and hip-hop, Badu created a fresh, edgy sound all her own, smoother than her rap roots and earthier than the polished R&B popular on the airwaves. Caramel-complected, with expressive, heavy-lidded eyes, Badu, who often dons an Afrocentric regal headwrap, was a compelling presence, with a grace and style that matched her beauty. The evocative, "The Color Purple"-inspired video for "On and On" introduced audiences to the singer's onscreen vitality and magnetism. Her honeyed purr complemented the down-to-earth spirituality injected into her lyrics, and won the performer many fans, catapulting her debut album "Baduizm" to platinum status and garnering her two 1997 Grammys. The follow-up album "Live" was released that same year, making the most of her success. This offering featured the unique single "Tyrone," which advised the titular friend of her soon-to-be ex to come over and help his friend clear his things out of her house. Balancing frank and clever lyrics with a pleasant neo-soul sound, Badu's music was used to good effect in films including "Eve's Bayou" (1997) and "The 24 Hour Woman" (1998). In 1999, she released the single "Southern Girl" with rapper Rahzel and won a Grammy for her work on The Roots' track "You Got Me."
A theater arts major at Grambling State University and a drama teacher in her Dallas hometown, Badu made her professional debut with a role in 1998's "Blues Brothers 2000," playing Queen Moussette, a voodoo priestess who hosts a battle of the bands competition. The following year she co-starred in Lasse Hallstrom's acclaimed adaptation of John Irving's "The Cider House Rules." Badu played cider house migrant worker Rose Rose in the 1940s set drama, and proved an onscreen natural, handling heavy themes including incest, abortion and race relations with a deft, understated performance. Badu's air of dignity and self-possession served her well in this role and her remarkable watchability offered promise for a bright acting future.
Filmography
Cast (Feature Film)
Music (Feature Film)
Misc. Crew (Feature Film)
Cast (Special)
Music (Special)
Life Events
1985
Began working as a rapper on a local radio station in Dallas
1994
Recorded a demo with Legacy Entertainment
1995
Signed a solo record deal with Kedar Entertainment
1997
Released debut album, Baduizm
1997
First TV role, appeared as herself in the FOX series, "New York Undercover"
1997
Released second album, Live, featuring the hit single "Tyrone"
1998
Feature film debut, played Queen Mousette in "Blues Brothers 2000"
1998
Wrote and performed the theme song for the FOX sitcom, "Damon"
1998
Performed as part of Lilith Fair, a touring music festival comprised entirely of female artists
1999
Contributed the song "Your Precious Love" (a duet with D'Angelo) to the Marvin Gaye tribute album, Marvin Is 60
1999
Co-starred in Lasse Hallstrom's "The Cider House Rules," playing migrant worker Rose Rose
2005
Cast as a prisoner in David Duchovny's directorial debut, "House of D"
2006
Featured in the musical documentary, "Dave Chappelle's Block Party"
2008
Released first album in five years, New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
Family
Companions
