ERYKAH BADU

Universal Motown artist Erykah Badu, best known for her eccentric style and cerebral music, is a Grammy- award winning American soul singer and songwriter. Regarded as the Queen of Neo Soul, Badu's sound -- a concoction of soul, hip-hop and jazz -- cannot be contained to a single genre. Self described as a "mother first", Badu is a touring artist, teacher, community activist, holistic healer, vegan, recycler, and conscious spirit. Baduizm, Badu's highly acclaimed debut album, was released in early 1997 went triple platinum and, along with "On & On," won Grammy Awards at the 1998 ceremony. This spring, Badu released her fifth studio album, and second installment of a two-part New Amerykah series. New Amerykah, Part 1: Fourth World War, a concept album that was digitally produced and political in tone, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart and Rolling Stone named it one of the year's best albums. New Amerykah, Part II: Return of the Ahnk, which features lush live instrumentation and taps into Badu's emotional side by thematically focusing on romance and relationships, made its debut at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart.

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