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 André 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.
I Want You
Erykah Badu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sauces and I'll call you back
Running around in the city, I'm running I like it
I'm busy so I'll call you back
Flipping the switches and bitches come witness
That you're in your feelings and I'll call you back
Never the life of the party but I'll get it started
This business and I'll call you back
It's business, we've been this
It's business, we've been this and I'll call you back
It's business, it's business
It's business, it's business and I'll call you back
It's business, we've been this
It's business, we've been this and I'll call you back
It's business, it's business
It's business, it's business and I'll call you
Back, back, back, back, back, back, back, back
And I'll call you back, back, back, back, back
Back, back, back, back, back, back, back, back
The song "I Want You" by Erykah Badu is a soulful-track with an R&B feel that explores the theme of being dedicated to one's work and maintaining a balance between professional and personal life. The lyrics in the first two lines convey that the singer is multitasking by cooking and working simultaneously and tells the listener that she will call them back. The next few lines describe the singer's busy life as she runs around the city and continues her work. In the third verse of the song, the singer acknowledges that someone is upset with her and tells them that she will call them back when time allows.
The repeated lines "It's business, we've been this" signify the importance placed on professionalism and the priority of work. The phrase "I'll call you back" is also repeated throughout the song, reinforcing the idea that the singer is too busy with her work to devote full attention to other aspects of her life. Overall, the song has a peaceful quality, and the lyrics suggest that the singer is focused on achieving her goals while striving to maintain balance in her life.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm in the kitchen, I'm cooking and mixing and fixing
I am busy preparing something and will call you back later.
The sauces and I'll call you back
I am cooking with different sauces and will call you back.
Running around in the city, I'm running I like it
I am enjoying myself as I move around the city.
I'm busy so I'll call you back
I'm occupied, therefore, let me call you back.
Flipping the switches and bitches come witness
I'm doing something impressive, and people are noticing.
That you're in your feelings and I'll call you back
You seem to be emotional or sensitive, so let me call you back.
Never the life of the party but I'll get it started
I may not be the most outgoing, but I can still initiate activity.
It's business, we've been this
This is only business, something we've experienced before.
It's business, it's business
This is strictly business.
It's business, it's business and I'll call you back
This is business, I will contact you later.
Back, back, back, back, back, back, back, back
Repetitive sound effect for emphasis.
And I'll call you back, back, back, back, back
I will contact you later.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Erica Wright
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind