ARTIST

Erykah Badu

A trail of incense and candles leading her way, Erykah Badu quickly seduced audiences with her silky, compelling voice and enchanting stage presence. Only months after the release of her 1997 debut Baduizm, this soulful chanteuse catapulted from a total unknown to a platinum-selling sensation, capturing the admiration of both R&B and Top 40 audiences.

Badu's voice is regularly compared to that of Billie Holiday's, which she calls "the highest compliment." A lofty comparison, especially for a new artist, but apropos for the slim-figured performer. Raised on the great soul artists (Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Chaka Khan) in Dallas, Texas, Badu attended Dallas's High School Of Performing And Visual Arts -- where she was known as MC Apple and practiced rhyming and rapping; also a trained dancer, she attended an all-black university in Louisiana to study theater. Upon returning home to Dallas in 1993, Badu and her cousin Robert "Free" Bradford began writing hip-hop music together and playing around town.

Word was out locally when a demo of the jazz-inflected "On & On" made it into the right hands, and a deal was struck with major label Universal Records on the condition that it was Erykah Badu -- sans Free. While she agreed to this condition, she had a surprising amount of freedom for both a new artist and an R&B artist; Baduizm was born from her 19-song demo, her own musicians, and her own ideas. The record -- which entered the Billboard R&B album chart at a shocking (for a new artist with little hype) No. 2, and which went platinum only months after its release -- is a hypnotic flow that glides along by her emotive voice that's reminiscent of the soulful artists she listened to while growing up. With the exception of "Touch A 4 Leaf Clover," all songs on Baduizm are original compositions penned by Badu; they are sophisticated and old-skool, refined and raw, strong and feminine. If a theme must be had, it would certainly be the socio-political issues of African-Americans and women, but Badu also sings of love and religion.

Not content with just one album, Badu also released Live in 1997. After some much-needed time off, Badu re-emerged in 2000 with the highly anticipated Mama's Gun. The set featured Badu's appealing brand of neo-soul, and a slew of guest stars, including noted jazz players Roy Ayers and Roy Hargrove, Roots drummer ?uestlove, and producer Jay Dee. After some more time out of the spotlight, Badu returned in the summer of 2003 with Worldwide Underground.

A jazz diva in her own right, Badu seemingly has the whole world laid out before her bare feet. Her cheeky blues, free spirit, and sense of what's real -- in spite of the ever-present candles and incense -- has made her the darlin' of R&B.

Written by Jennifer Clay