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.
The Cell
Erykah Badu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Girl was so enticing, baby, make a nigga choose hell
Momma hopped up on cocaine
Daddy on space ships with no brain
Sister gone numb the pain the same
Why same DNA cell
She was turned out on shine new things (diamond gold chains diamond gold rings)
See she be on that cough syrup in coke cans
Twenty-inch-rim-man with no land, her pussy gone numb the pain the same
Why same DNA strand
We're not well
We're not well
We can't tell
Brenda done died with no name
Nickel bag coke to the brain
Will they ever find the vaccine?
Shitty-damn-damn-baby-bang
Rich man got the double barrel
Po' man got his back to the door
Code white stands for trouble
Shots from the po-po (blah blah)
Girl came through, the light skin honey with the cinnamon smell
Girl was so enticing, baby, make a nigga choose hell
Momma hopped up on cocaine
Daddy on space ships with no brain
Sister gone numb the pain the same
Why same DNA cell
Brenda done died with no name
Nickel bag coke to the brain
Will they ever find the vaccine?
Shitty-damn-damn-baby-bang
Rich man got the double barrel
Po' man got his back to the door
Code white stands for trouble
Shots from the po-po (blah blah)
The lyrics of Erykah Badu's "The Cell" tell the story of a girl who appears to be under the influence of drugs and is looking for something to fill the void in her life. The first verse describes the girl's physical appearance with vivid detail, highlighting her beauty and allure. However, the following lines reveal the girl's troubled family history, with references to a mother addicted to cocaine and a father who is mentally unstable.
The second verse delves deeper into the girl's struggles and her reliance on drugs to numb her emotional pain. The lyrics suggest that she is a victim of her environment and her family history, as evidenced by the repetition of the phrase "Why same DNA strand". The song ends with a reference to the death of Brenda and the ongoing drug epidemic, with the hope that one day a vaccine will be found to combat addiction.
Overall, "The Cell" is a powerful commentary on the cyclical nature of addiction and the toll it takes on individuals and communities. The lyrics paint a picture of a world where drugs are both a means of escape and a source of pain, and where those who are caught in the cycle are often powerless to break free.
Line by Line Meaning
Girl came through, the light skin honey with the cinnamon smell
A beautiful, light-skinned girl with a pleasant cinnamon scent arrived
Girl was so enticing, baby, make a nigga choose hell
Her captivating presence made one want to risk everything
Momma hopped up on cocaine
The mother was addicted to cocaine
Daddy on space ships with no brain
The father was experiencing some kind of mental illness, perhaps drug-induced
Sister gone numb the pain the same
The sister was also suffering but was dissociating as a coping mechanism
Why same DNA cell
Why did they end up in the same dysfunctional family despite sharing DNA?
She was turned out on shine new things (diamond gold chains diamond gold rings)
She was attracted to flashy new objects, like diamond and gold jewelry
Center-fold spread, she trying to do things
She was posing for provocative pictures and seeking attention
See she be on that cough syrup in coke cans
She consumed cough syrup mixed with soda, which is often used as a recreational drug
Twenty-inch-rim-man with no land, her pussy gone numb the pain the same
She was with a man who flaunted his car rims but had no real wealth, and felt numb to physical pleasure due to trauma
Why same DNA strand
Why did she end up like her family members despite sharing DNA?
We're not well
Overall, the family was not doing well
We can't tell
It was difficult to tell what exactly was going on
Brenda done died with no name
Someone named Brenda had passed away without recognition
Nickel bag coke to the brain
She consumed a small amount of cocaine, which can be dangerous for the brain
Will they ever find the vaccine?
Is there any hope for a solution to the drug epidemic?
Shitty-damn-damn-baby-bang
An exclamation of frustration and disbelief
Rich man got the double barrel
The wealthy have more resources and options for dealing with their problems
Po' man got his back to the door
The poor have fewer options and may feel cornered
Code white stands for trouble
A code for a dangerous situation
Shots from the po-po (blah blah)
Gunshots from the police
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ERICA WRIGHT, SHAFIQ HUSAYN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind