Baduizm
Encyclopedia
Baduizm is the debut album of R&B
and neo soul
musician Erykah Badu
, released February 11, 1997 on Kedar Records
. Recording sessions for the album took place during January to October 1996 at Battery Studios in New York City
, Sigma Sounds & Ivory Studios in Philadelphia, and Dallas Sound Lab in Dallas. Production was handled by Badu, Madukwu Chinwah, John Meredith
, James Poyser
, and The Roots
. Baduizm serves as a landmark album in the neo soul
genre, as it helped develop its popularity and commercial visibility at the time of the album's release.
. (And, - "Like the conscious soul era it invoked - the Stevies , Slys and Marvins and Curtis Mayfield
s of the early '70s - its politics and social comment strived to be inclusive, to understand why a vicious, materialist attitude had permeated black culture since the Reagan '80s.") Badu's original claim to fame was bass-heavy, groovy beats and emotionally charged lyrics. The most popular song from the album, which led to her subsequent fame, was "On & On". On July 17, 2007, a special edition
of Baduizm was released which contains the original album plus a bonus CD which contains different versions on "On & On", "Appletree", "Next Lifetime", and "A Child With the Blues" (originally featured in the film Eve's Bayou
).
Baduizms commercial and critical success earned Erykah Badu popularity at the time and helped establish her as one of the emerging neo soul genre's leading artists. Along with D'Angelo
's Brown Sugar (1995) and Maxwell
's Urban Hang Suite (1996), the album has been recognized by music writers for beginning neo soul's popularity and helping the genre obtain commercial visibility at the time. Baduizm is listed as one of the 261 greatest albums since punk and disco (the year 1976), in the music critic Garry Mulholland's book Fear of Music (ISBN 0-75286-831-4). 'This record works as seduction soundtrack, Saturday night chill-out, Sunday morning church replacement. The success of Erykah Badu's masterpiece briefly threatened to inspire a new era in conscious soul. But only Lauryn Hill
and D'Angelo
were at her level. Baduizm stands alone, a missing link between '70s street funk, basement jazz, bohemian hip hop and the blues reinventions of Portishead."
Special edition bonus tracks
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and neo soul
Neo soul
The term neo soul was originally coined by Kedar Massenburg of Motown Records in the late 1990s as a marketing category following the commercial breakthroughs of artists such as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell...
musician Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
, released February 11, 1997 on Kedar Records
Kedar Records
Kedar Records is currently part of Universal Records....
. Recording sessions for the album took place during January to October 1996 at Battery Studios in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Sigma Sounds & Ivory Studios in Philadelphia, and Dallas Sound Lab in Dallas. Production was handled by Badu, Madukwu Chinwah, John Meredith
John Meredith
Brigadier General Dr. John Baldwin Hoystead Meredith DSO was a doctor and Australian Army Brigadier General who served in World War I.-Early life and career:...
, James Poyser
James Poyser
James Poyser in Sheffield, England is a multi-Grammy winning songwriter, musician and multi-platinum producer.Poyser has written and produced songs for various legendary and award-winning artists including Erykah Badu, Mariah Carey, John Legend, Lauryn Hill, Common, Anthony Hamilton, D'Angelo,...
, and The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
. Baduizm serves as a landmark album in the neo soul
Neo soul
The term neo soul was originally coined by Kedar Massenburg of Motown Records in the late 1990s as a marketing category following the commercial breakthroughs of artists such as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell...
genre, as it helped develop its popularity and commercial visibility at the time of the album's release.
Reception
Baduizm established Badu as a popular artist and received reviews lauding her return to the simplicity of early-1970s soulSoul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
. (And, - "Like the conscious soul era it invoked - the Stevies , Slys and Marvins and Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
s of the early '70s - its politics and social comment strived to be inclusive, to understand why a vicious, materialist attitude had permeated black culture since the Reagan '80s.") Badu's original claim to fame was bass-heavy, groovy beats and emotionally charged lyrics. The most popular song from the album, which led to her subsequent fame, was "On & On". On July 17, 2007, a special edition
Special edition
The terms special edition, limited edition and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition and others, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including...
of Baduizm was released which contains the original album plus a bonus CD which contains different versions on "On & On", "Appletree", "Next Lifetime", and "A Child With the Blues" (originally featured in the film Eve's Bayou
Eve's Bayou
Eve's Bayou is a 1997 American drama film written and directed by Kasi Lemmons, who made her directorial debut with this feature. Samuel L...
).
Baduizms commercial and critical success earned Erykah Badu popularity at the time and helped establish her as one of the emerging neo soul genre's leading artists. Along with D'Angelo
D'Angelo
Michael Eugene Archer , better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known for his production and songwriting talents as much as for his vocal abilities, and often draws comparisons to his influences,...
's Brown Sugar (1995) and Maxwell
Maxwell (musician)
Maxwell , is an American R&B, funk and neo soul musician. He played an important role in the development of the soul sub-genre, neo-soul.-Early life:...
's Urban Hang Suite (1996), the album has been recognized by music writers for beginning neo soul's popularity and helping the genre obtain commercial visibility at the time. Baduizm is listed as one of the 261 greatest albums since punk and disco (the year 1976), in the music critic Garry Mulholland's book Fear of Music (ISBN 0-75286-831-4). 'This record works as seduction soundtrack, Saturday night chill-out, Sunday morning church replacement. The success of Erykah Badu's masterpiece briefly threatened to inspire a new era in conscious soul. But only Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
and D'Angelo
D'Angelo
Michael Eugene Archer , better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known for his production and songwriting talents as much as for his vocal abilities, and often draws comparisons to his influences,...
were at her level. Baduizm stands alone, a missing link between '70s street funk, basement jazz, bohemian hip hop and the blues reinventions of Portishead."
Track listing
- "Rimshot (Intro)" (Badu, Madukwu Chinwah) - 1:56
- "On & On" (Badu, Jaborn Jamal) - 3:45
- "Appletree" (Badu, Robert Bradford) - 4:25
- "Otherside of the Game" (Badu, Bro Questlove, Richards Nichols, James Poyser, The Roots) - 6:33
- "Sometimes [Mix #9]" (Badu, Nichols, Poyser, The Roots) - 0:44
- "Next Lifetime" (Badu, Anthony Scott) - 6:26
- "Afro" (Badu, Jahphar Barron, Poyser) - 2:04
- "Certainly" (Badu, Chinwah) - 4:43
- "4 Leaf Clover" (David Lewis, Wayne Lewis) - 4:34
- "No Love" (Badu, Bradford) - 5:08
- "Drama" (Badu, Ty Macklin) - 6:02
- "Sometimes..." (Badu, Nichols, Poyser, The Roots) - 4:10
- "Certainly [Flipped It]" (Badu, Chinwah) - 5:26
- "Rimshot (Outro)" (Badu, Chinwah) - 2:19
Special edition bonus tracks
- "On & On (Jazz Mix)"
- "On & On (Da Boom Squad Remix)"
- "Appletree (2B3 Summer Vibes Mix)"
- "Appletree (Live @ The Jazz Cafe)"
- "Next Lifetime (Linslee Remix)"
- "A Child with the Blues" (ft. Terence Blanchard)
Musicians
- Erykah BaduErykah BaduErica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
- keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocals, background vocals - Ron CarterRon CarterRon Carter is an American jazz double-bassist. His appearances on over 2,500 albums make him one of the most-recorded bassists in jazz history, along with Milt Hinton, Ray Brown and Leroy Vinnegar. Carter is also an acclaimed cellist who has recorded numerous times on that...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Madukwu Chinwah - voices
- Ike Lee III - keyboard
- N'DambiN'dambi-Biography:N'dambi is the ninth of eleven children born to a Baptist minister and missionary. Her father was a minister and singer in a quartet group. She got her professional start singing with Gaye Arbuckle, a local gospel singer, touring with Arbuckle for two years...
- voices - Bob Power - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboard, multiple instruments - Tone Da Backbone - multiple instruments
Production
- Producers: Erykah Badu, Jafar Barron, Robert Bradford, Madukwu Chinwah, Jaborn Jamal, Ike Lee III, John Meredith, Richard Nichols, Bob Power, James Poyser, The RootsThe RootsThe Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
, Tone Da Backbone - Executive producer: Kedar Massenburg
- Engineers: Lee Anthony, Tim Donovan, Michael Gilbert, Dave Ivory, Anthony Lee, Bob Power, Frank Salazar, Chris Trevett
- Assistant engineers: Tim Donovan, Sharon Kearney, Charles McCrorey, John Meredith
- Mixing: Ken Ifill, Tim Latham, Bob Power
- Mixing assistants: Martin Czembor, Tim Donovan, Paul Shatraw
- Programming: Erykah Badu, Ike Lee III, Bob Power, Tone Da Backbone
- Drum programming: Erykah Badu, John Meredith
- Art direction: Sandie Lee Drake
- Design: Susan Bibeau
- Photography: Marc Baptiste
- Stylist: Andrew Dosunmu
Album
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Swedish Albums Chart | 7 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
17 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
2 |
| US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
1 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | "On & On On & On "On & On" is the debut single of R&B singer Erykah Badu, from her 1997 debut album Baduizm. The song won Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 1998 Grammy Awards.... " |
US Billboard Hot 100 | 12 |
| 1997 | "On & On" | US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks | 1 |
| 1997 | "On & On" | US Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs | 3 |
| 1997 | "On & On" | US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 9 |
| 1997 | "On & On" | US Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 | 23 |
Awards and nominations
Grammy Awards| Year | Song/Album | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 Grammy Awards of 1998 The 40th Grammy Awards were held on February 25, 1998. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Rock icon Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss, and R... |
Baduizm | Best R&B Album Grammy Award for Best R&B Album The Grammy Award for Best R&B Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the R&B music genre... |
Won |
| "On & On" | Best Female R&B Vocal Performance Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for quality R&B songs... |
Won | |
| Best R&B Song Grammy Award for Best R&B Song The Grammy Award for Best R&B Song has been awarded since 1959. From 1969 to 2000 it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Song, from 1962 to 1968 it was known as Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, and from 1959-1961 as Best Rhythm & Blues Performance... |
Nominated | ||
| N/A | Best New Artist Grammy Award for Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967... |
Nominated |
External links
- Baduizm at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Baduizm at Acclaimed Music
- Album Review at TimeTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
- Soul Sister: Erykah Badu – By SpinSpin (magazine)Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...