She is best known for her singles You Got Me her collaboration with The Roots, as well as her own songs Tyrone, Love of My Life, On & On, Bag Lady, The Healer, Honey and Soldier. Her lyrics are highly personal urban philosophy which throw emotional challenges in the face of the listener. She weaves unusual musical influences together creating a rich texture of sound.
Some music journalists have labeled her Nu soul, nouvelle-soul or neo soul, often comparing her to Billie Holiday in lyrical delivery and grouping her with Maxwell and D'Angelo in musical genre.
Baduizm, Badu's highly acclaimed debut album, was released in early 1997 and debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts. Lead single On & On reached #12 on the singles charts in both the U.S. and UK. Badu received notice for her introspective lyrics and jazzy, bass-heavy sound, and was hailed as one of the leading lights of the burgeoning neo soul genre. Her sophisticated style of singing drew many comparisons to Billie Holiday. Baduizm eventually went triple platinum and, along with On & On, won Grammy Awards at the 1998 ceremonies.
During that year, Badu became involved with rapper Andrรฉ 3000 of OutKast, with whom she had a child, Seven, who was born in 1997. Their relationship ended sometime in the late 90s. Badu recorded her first live album, Live, while pregnant with Seven, and the release of the recording coincided with the birth to her child. Live reached #4 on the Billboard charts, selling double platinum, and spawned another R&B hit single in Tyrone a song chiding a selfish, cheap, and inattentive boyfriend. Badu also collaborated with The Roots (who had previously handled production duties on a number of tracks on Baduizm) on their breakthrough 1999 release, Things Fall Apart. She was featured on the song You Got Me co-written by Jill Scott, which hit the top 40 and won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
After taking some time off to raise her child, Badu returned in 2000 with Mama's Gun, an album more organic in sound than her previous studio album, and primarily produced by the Soulquarians and noted bassist Pino Palladino. A remix of one of the album's songs, Bag Lady was issued as the first single and topped the R&B charts for seven weeks. The album was well-received, with the lyrical content winning notices from many publications who found some of her lyrics hard to decipher on her initial releases. Despite not charting as high as her first two albums, Mama's Gun was another platinum-selling success, and Bag Lady was nominated for a Grammy.
By 2000, Badu was in a romantic relationship with fellow Soulquarian Common, and Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop) was released as a collaboration between the two on the Brown Sugar soundtrack. Love of My Life hit #9 on the pop charts, topped the R&B listings, and Badu was awarded her fourth Grammy for the song in 2003.
After the release of Mama's Gun and Love of My Life, Badu went through a period of writer's block. She hit the road throughout 2002 and much of 2003 on what she dubbed the "Frustrated Artist Tour," in search of inspiration to write and perform new material. The conclusion of the tour saw Badu head back to the studio with new material, and in September of 2003, the Worldwide Underground was released. More jam-oriented than any of her prior releases, Badu was quoted as saying that the release was designed to serve as one continuous groove. Worldwide Underground reached #3 on the Billboard charts and was certified gold not long after its release, and Badu received four further Grammy nominations for the EP.
After almost four years and the birth of a daughter, Puma, it was revealed in 2007 that Badu had three albums in the works over the course of 2007 and 2008. Honey, a new single produced by 9th Wonder, was leaked online in November 2007, and the new album, titled New Amerykah Part One (4th World War), was released on February 26, 2008.
On August 23, 2008, Badu joined the rock band My Morning Jacket on stage at their show in Dallas, Texas to perform her song Tyrone. Her surprise appearance was met with an enthusiastic reaction from the audience.
On February 1, 2009 Badu gave birth to her third child, a girl named Mars Merkaba with her boyfriend Jay Electronica.
Her album New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) was released on March 30, 2010.
Freestyle
Erykah Badu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One, two
You need to pick your afro daddy
Because it's flat on one side
You need to pick your afro daddy
Because it's flat on one side
What are you waiting on
Well if you don't pick your afro
You gonna have one side high, ha, ha
Well, you said you was gonna take me to see Wu-Tang baby
So I braided my hair, well, yes you did
You said you was gonna take me to see Wu-Tang baby
So I braided my hair, yes I did, corn roll and everything baby
Well, you changed your mind and said we wasn't going
But my momma saw you there
Yes she did, check this out, one time
Well I be blowing up your pager daddy
But you never called me back
Well I be putting in 9-1-1 baby
But you never called me back, no, no
See if you don't know how to use that pager daddy
I'm gonna take that hoe back, yes I will
The lyrics of Erykah Badu's "Freestyle" are a humorous commentary on the relationship between two people. The first verse talks about picking an afro, which is a common hairstyle for African Americans. Badu sings, "You need to pick your afro daddy because it's flat on one side." This means that the person needs to groom their hair because it looks unkempt and uneven. The repetition of the phrase "What are you waiting on" emphasizes the importance of taking care of one's appearance.
The second verse talks about a plan to go see Wu-Tang Clan, a popular hip-hop group in the 90s. Badu says she braided her hair in anticipation of the event but her plans were cancelled. She also mentions her mother spotted her partner at the concert. The third verse talks about the frustration of not getting a response from her partner despite multiple attempts to contact him. The repetition of the phrase "But you never called me back" highlights the disappointment and hurt feelings that come with unreturned calls.
Overall, "Freestyle" is a satirical take on a relationship that didn't quite pan out. It showcases Badu's ability to blend humor and commentary into her songwriting.
Line by Line Meaning
Excuse us ladies and gentleman
We apologize for interrupting, but please pay attention.
One, two
We are about to start the performance.
You need to pick your afro daddy
You should groom your hair properly.
Because it's flat on one side
It looks untidy and uneven.
What are you waiting on
Why haven't you done it yet?
Well if you don't pick your afro
If you neglect your hair,
You gonna have one side high, ha, ha
It will cause an uneven look and be comical.
Well, you said you was gonna take me to see Wu-Tang baby
You promised to take me to a concert.
So I braided my hair, well, yes you did
I prepared myself for the occasion.
Yes I did, corn roll and everything baby
I even went the extra mile and styled my hair elaborately.
Well, you changed your mind and said we wasn't going
You went back on your promise to take me to the concert.
But my momma saw you there
But my mother saw you at the concert without me.
Yes she did, check this out, one time
I have evidence to support my claim.
Well I be blowing up your pager daddy
I have been trying to contact you frequently.
But you never called me back
But you have not returned my calls.
Well I be putting in 9-1-1 baby
I have resorted to using emergency services to contact you.
But you never called me back, no, no
But you still haven't responded to me.
See if you don't know how to use that pager daddy
If you do not know how to operate your device,
I'm gonna take that hoe back, yes I will
I will take it away from you if necessary.
Lyrics ยฉ Peermusic Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES JASON POYSER, JAFAR D. BARRON, ERICA WRIGHT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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