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 Grind
Erykah Badu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every day is a struggle
How to hustle some doe
If you was raised in the hood
Well then you already know
It be days that be good
But mostly money be slow
Have you ever been hungry before?
Steady on the grind stead on the grind
'Cause I got to make it happen
My family depending on me
Steady on the grind steady on the grind
'Cause I got to make it happen
Ain't nobody gone do it for me
Ha ooh wa ooh ha ooh wa ooh
Ha ooh wa ooh ha ooh wa ooh
Steady on the grind
Daily on the grind
Money on my mind
So heavy on my mind so heavy on my mind
Mommy got a job makin' 'bout six-somethin' an hour
She became the breadwinner when daddy was unemployed
Working forty-plus hours and kissing ass
Seeming like the only honest way she can get some cash
She struggglin' she don't know I be hustlin' pulling my own weight
I be hearing them fuss and fightin' at night mad late
Over economics; it's logic meaning they don't got it
Living in the projects, money's the only object
She makes $280 a week, standing on her feet
The ends ain't even meeting the family ain't eatin'
'Cause if taxes is 10%, and the rest if for the rent
Then crime is what you get and niggaz is innocent
See it really ain't about if you eatin' or not eatin'
It's breathin' or not breathin' freedom or not freedom
'Nother day, 'nother way, 'nother dollar spent
Gotta make a revolution out of fifteen cents.
The song "The Grind" by Erykah Badu is an anthem for the people who come from difficult backgrounds and have to work especially hard just to make ends meet. It speaks to those who have grown up in the hood and know what it's like to struggle for basic necessities in life. The constant theme of the song revolves around hustling and grinding to earn enough money to survive. Erykah opens the song with the line "Steady on the grind" and repeatedly sings the refrain "steady on the grind," emphasizing the importance of persistence and determination to achieve success.
She talks about her personal experience and her mother's constant struggle to make ends meet, and how her mother became the breadwinner for the family when her father was unemployed. Erykah stresses the importance of making a revolution out of fifteen cents and using every opportunity to hustle and grind to make it ahead. The constant worry of not having enough is evident in her lyrics, when she says, "Money on my mind, so heavy on my mind, so heavy on my mind." But despite the difficulties, Erykah will do whatever it takes to make it happen because her family depends on her.
Overall, "The Grind" is an inspiring song that encourages people to keep working hard despite the challenges they may face in life. It's for those who have had to face financial struggles, and it honors those who continuously work hard to make their lives better.
Line by Line Meaning
Steady on the grind
Everyday hard work is essential
Every day is a struggle
Daily survival is tough
How to hustle some doe
Finding ways to earn money is important
If you was raised in the hood
Growing up in low-income areas influences your life
Well then you already know
Those who grew up in such areas can easily relate
It be days that be good
Occasionally, there are moments of relief
But mostly money be slow
However, there is often not enough money
Have you ever been hungry before?
Experienced starvation
'Cause I got to make it happen
I can't fail because my family depends on me
My family depending on me
My family is reliant on me for support
Ain't nobody gone do it for me
I have to rely on myself to succeed
Steady on the grind
Daily hard work is necessary
Daily on the grind
Consistent daily hard work is essential
Money on my mind
The need for money clouds my thoughts
So heavy on my mind so heavy on my mind
The burden of money is mentally exhausting
Mommy got a job makin' 'bout six-somethin' an hour
My mom works a low-paying job
She became the breadwinner when daddy was unemployed
My mom had to provide for the family when my dad lost his job
Working forty-plus hours and kissing ass
My mom has to work long hours at a job she doesn't like
Seeming like the only honest way she can get some cash
Her job is the only legit option to make money
She struggglin' she don't know I be hustlin' pulling my own weight
My mom doesn't know I'm working hard too
I be hearing them fuss and fightin' at night mad late
I hear my parents argue over money late at night
Over economics; it's logic meaning they don't got it
They argue about money because there isn't enough of it
Living in the projects, money's the only object
In our low-income neighborhood, money is the only important thing
She makes $280 a week, standing on her feet
My mom makes very little money despite working long hours
The ends ain't even meeting the family ain't eatin'
There is not enough money to pay all the bills or feed the family
'Cause if taxes is 10%, and the rest if for the rent
After paying taxes, the remaining money goes towards rent
Then crime is what you get and niggaz is innocent
Because there isn't enough money, people turn to crime to survive and are punished unfairly for it
See it really ain't about if you eatin' or not eatin'
The issue is not just about having food or not
It's breathin' or not breathin' freedom or not freedom
It's about survival and having choices vs the lack thereof
'Nother day, 'nother way, 'nother dollar spent
Everyday life is a cycle of work and surviving
Gotta make a revolution out of fifteen cents.
We have to create something out of nothing to survive.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LAVONNE ALFORD, CLAYTON ANGELO GAVIN, R. C. WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind