On this day in music history: February 11, 1997 - “Baduizm”, the debut album by Erykah Badu is released. Produced by Erykah Badu, Jaífar Barron, Robert Bradford, Madukwu Chinwah JaBorn Jamal, Ike Lee III, Richard Nichols, James Poyser, Bob Power, The Roots and Tone the Backbone, it is recorded at Sigma Sound Studios, Ivory Studios in Philadelphia, PA, Battery Studios in New York City and Dallas Sound Lab in Dallas, TX from January - October 1996. Demonstrating musical talent early in her childhood and encouraged by her actress mother, Erica Abi Wright begins to seriously pursue her passion for music while attending a performing arts high school in her native Dallas, TX. During this time, she changes her name, amending the spelling of her given name to “Erykah” and her surname to “Badu”. She adapts the new name feeling that her birth name is a “slave name”, and that her new identity reflects her true “inner self”, love of jazz music and pays homage to her African ancestors. After high school and while attending Grambling State University, Badu records a nineteen song demo tape with her cousin Robert “Free” Bradford. The tape makes its way into the hands of Kedar Massenburg, the manager of R&B musician D'Angelo. Massenburg is immediately taken with Badu and signs her to his newly established label Kedar Entertainment, distributed by Universal Music Group. Once in the studio, Erykah collaborates with a number of producers and musicians including The Roots and James Poyser, Bob Power & Tone The Backbone, Ike Lee III, Jaífar Barron, Robert Bradford, Madukwu Chinwah and JaBorn Jamal among them. Legendary jazz bassist Ron Carter is also featured on the track “Drama”. The resulting album’s unique blend of contemporary R&B, Hip Hop and Jazz influences with Badu’s immediately recognizable, distinctive voice and phrasing sounds like nothing that has come before it. Led by the jazzy, laid back first single “On & On” (#1 R&B, #12 Pop), “Baduizm” receives widespread praise and acclaim from music critics and fans. The album puts Erykah Badu at the forefront of the burgeoning “Neo-Soul” movement that also includes D'Angelo, The Roots, Jill Scott, and Maxwell, is regarded as one of the best albums of the 90’s. It spins off three other singles including “Next Lifetime” (#1 R&B) and “Otherside Of The Game” (#14 R&B Airplay). The album receives a slew of accolades including two Grammy Awards (Best R&B Album, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance), three Soul Train Music Awards, three Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards and an American Music Award in 1998. “Baduizm” spends four weeks at number one on the Billboard R&B album chart, peaking at number two on the Top 200, and is certified 3x Platinum in the US by the RIAA.
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