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.
Profession(s):
Actor, singer, acting teacher, dance instructor, waitress
Sometimes Credited As:
Erica Abi Wright
MC Apples
Family
daughter:Puma Curry (born July 5, 2004; father is hip-hop MC, The D.O.C. (Tracy Curry))
mother:Kolleen Wright (raised Badu and her other two children alone)
son:Seven Sirius Benjamin (born on November 18, 1997, the same day that Badu's second album "Live" was released; father, Outkast rapper Andre 3000 (Andre Benjamin); Badu chose the name Seven because "it is a divine number which cannot be divided")
Companion(s)
Andre Benjamin
, Companion
, ```..part of the hip-hop duo Outkast; born in 1975; father of Badu's son Seven; no longer together
Common
, Companion
, ```..dated in the early 2000s; no longer together
Tracy Curry
, Companion
Grammy Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group "You Got Me" 2000
Grammy Best R&B Album "Baduizm" 1997
Grammy Best R&B Female Vocal "On and On" 1997
2006 Appeared in the documentary/musical "Dave Chappelle's Block Party" directed by Michel Gondry
2005 Portrayed a prisoner in David Duchovny's directorial debut "House of D"
1999 Contributed the song "Your Precious Love" (a duet with D'Angelo) to the Marvin Gaye tribute album "Marvin Is 60"
1999 Made co-starring acting debut in Lasse Hallstrom's "The Cider House Rules", playing migrant worker Rose Rose
1998 Played Queen Mousette in the sequel "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
1997 Released debut album "Baduizm"
1997 Appeared as herself in an episode of "New York Undercover" (Fox) and on the ABC daytime drama "One Life to Live"
1997 Followed up "Baduizm" with the aptly titled "Live", featuring the hit single "Tyrone"
1995 After an impressive opening set for R&B star D'Angelo, was offered a solo record deal from Kedar Entertainment as well as Columbia Records; ultimately signed with Kedar
1994 Erykah Free discovered by Legacy Entertainment and produced a demo
1985 Got a job as a freestyle rapper on a local radio station in Dallas, Texas
With cousin Robert 'Free' Bradford, formed the hip-hop duo Erykah Free
Toured (as part of Erykah Free) with opening stints for hip-hop acts including Method Man, A Tribe Called Quest and Arrested Development
