Baduizm

Baduizm is the debut album by American singer and songwriter Erykah Badu, released on February 11, 1997 by Kedar Records.[3] After leaving university in order to concentrate on music full-time, Badu then began touring with her cousin, Robert "Free" Bradford, and recorded a 19-song demo, Country Cousins, which attracted the attention of Kedar Massenburg. He set Badu up to record a duet with D'Angelo, "Your Precious Love," and eventually signed her to a record deal with Universal Records. Recording sessions for the album took place from January to October 1996 in New York City, Philadelphia, and Dallas.[4]

Baduizm
Studio album by
Erykah Badu
ReleasedFebruary 11, 1997
RecordedJanuary–October 1996
StudioSigma Sounds & Ivory Studios in Philadelphia, Battery Studios in New York City and Dallas Sound Lab in Dallas, Texas.
Genre
Length58:15
Label
Producer
Erykah Badu chronology
Baduizm
(1997)		 Live
(1997)
Singles from Baduizm
  1. "On & On"
    Released: December 1996
  2. "Next Lifetime"
    Released: May 1997
  3. "Otherside of the Game"
    Released: September 1997
  4. "Appletree"
    Released: March 1998

Baduizm was met with positive reviews from music critics who praised the album's musical style and Badu's artistic vision; other critics noted similarities between Badu and Billie Holiday. Baduizm was a commercial success debuting at number two on the US Billboard charts and number one on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The album was certified three times platinum by Recording Industry Association of America,[5] Gold by British Phonographic Industry[6] and Gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association.[7]

Baduizm was promoted with the release of four singles: "On & On", "Next Lifetime", "Otherside of the Game", and "Apple Tree". The album received many accolades including winning awards for "On & On" and a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 40th Grammy Awards. Along with fellow contemporary albums such as D'Angelo's Brown Sugar (1995) and Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (1996), Baduizm's success helped establish Badu as one of the leading artists in the neo-soul genre and is one of the albums credited with contributing to the genre's commercial visibility at the time.

Background

At the age of 14, Erykah was freestyling for a local radio station alongside such talents as Roy Hargrove. In her youth, she had decided to change the spelling of her first name from Erica to Erykah, as she believed her original name was a "slave name." The term 'kah' identifies one's inner self. She adopted the surname of Badu because it was her favorite jazz scat-singing sound; also, among the Akan people in Ghana, it is the term for the tenth-born child.[8] Upon graduating from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Badu went on to study theater at Grambling State University, a historically black college. To focus on music full-time, she left the university in 1993 before graduating, and took on several minimum-wage jobs to support herself. She taught drama and dance to children at the South Dallas Cultural Center in Texas. Working and touring with her cousin, Robert "Free" Bradford, she recorded a 19-song demo, Country Cousins, which attracted the attention of Kedar Massenburg. He set Badu up to record a duet with D'Angelo, "Your Precious Love," and eventually signed her to a record deal with Universal Records.[8]

Recording and production
Badu collaborated with The Roots (pictured) during the production of the album.

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.[4] Badu revealed on Twitter that her debut album, was partly influenced by Brandy's debut album, saying in a tweet, “Brandy's first album was one of my inspirations when writing Baduizm. I looove that album [...] songs i liked were "I Wanna Be Down" and "Always on My Mind"... nice."[9]

Badu stated the album was inspired by her roots, stating that during the recording process she was embracing her culture and African roots, particularly turbans and African drums.[10] After the album was recorded and ready to be released, Badu persuaded the label to let her go back to Philadelphia in order to record "Otherside of the Game" and "Sometimes", which were originally demos from a meeting with the band The Roots, whom she had met following her record deal.[10] During the short stint in Philadelphia, Badu and The Roots came up with various songs, while "Sometimes" was originally written for Black Thought to rap on. The only songs recorded during the sessions produced in Philadelphia to appear on this album are "Otherside of the Game" and "Sometimes," while the other songs from the sessions were planned.[10]

Erykah Badu provided lead and background vocals, along with keyboards, drum machine and other music programming on the album with the help of Madukwu and N'Dambi, who also provided additional vocals. Bob Power & Tone The Backbone provided various instruments and helped with the album's music programming alongside Ike Lee III, who provided keyboards and programming and John Meredith, who handled the album's drum machine programming. Jazz legend Ron Carter supplied bass for the track "Drama."[11] Badu enlisted producers Madukwu Chinwah, Bob Power, JaBorn Jamal, Ike Lee III, with contributions from Badu herself, Badu also enlisted Michael Gilbert, Chris Trevit, Bob Powers to engineer the project. The album was mixed by Ken "Duro" Ifill; Tim Latham; Bob Power.[11]

Release and reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[12]
Chicago Tribune[13]
Entertainment WeeklyA[14]
The Guardian[15]
Muzik10/10[16]
NME7/10[17]
Q[18]
Rolling Stone[19]
Uncut9/10[20]
USA Today[21]

Baduizm established Badu as a popular artist and received positive reviews from critics, who viewed the record as a return to the simplicity of early '70s soul.[22] Vibe magazine's Karen R. Good called the record "a conduit of awakening of something dark, familiar and long slept,"[23] while John Bush from AllMusic felt it was innovative primarily for its sound, "heavier hip-hop beats over organic, conscientious soul music."[12] Badu's particular style of singing drew many comparisons to Billie Holiday.[24] Entertainment Weekly said Badu echoed Holiday in "her phrasing and cadence,"[14] while Greg Kot from the Chicago Tribune commented: "Rather than merely mimicking Holiday, Badu offers a canny update of the socially conscious soul of the early '70s with her mid-tempo grooves and sultry, conversational vocals."[13] In the Los Angeles Times, Robert Hilburn wrote: "Freely mixing musical eras and inspirations (Billie Holiday to Stevie Wonder, jazz to hip-hop), Badu combines supper-club sophistication with an artistic vision as unique and independent" as Prince in the '80s.[25] Writing for Rolling Stone, Miles Marshall Lewis stated: "Baduizm showcases the heart and soul of a bohemian B-girl who happens to have an effortless jazz swing."[19]

At the end of 1997, Baduizm was voted the seventh best record of the year in the Pazz & Jop, an annual poll of American critics published by The Village Voice.[26] Robert Christgau, the poll's supervisor, was less enthusiastic and dismissed the comparisons to Billie Holiday,[27] deeming Badu "a mite too bourgie-boho" for his tastes.[28]

After Baduizm was released, it peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[29][30] The album's success helped establish Badu as one of the leading artists in the flourishing neo-soul genre.[2] Baduizm was certified three times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, Gold by the British Phonographic Industry and the Canadian Recording Industry Association.[5][6][7]

As of February 2017 the album has sold 2.8 million copies in United States.[31]

Accolades
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Erykah Badu

In 1997, Badu received six nominations and won three: Favorite Female Solo Single for "On & On", Favorite Female Solo Album for Baduizm and Best R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year for "On & On" at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards.[32][33] In 1998, Badu received fourteen nominations and won eight, including Favorite R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist at the American Music Awards; Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "On & On" and Best R&B Album for Baduizm at the Grammy Awards; Outstanding New Artist and Outstanding Female Artist at the NAACP Image Awards; Favorite Female Soul/R&B Single for "On & On", Favorite Female Soul/R&B Album for Baduizm and Favorite New R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist for "On & On" at the Soul Train Music Awards.[34][35][36][37][38][39]

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 0-7528-6831-4). '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."

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Rimshot (Intro)"Erykah Badu, Madukwu ChinwahMadukwu Chinwah1:56
2."On & On"Erykah Badu, JaBorn JamalBob Power, JaBorn Jamal3:45
3."Appletree"Erykah Badu, Robert BradfordIke Lee III, Erykah Badu4:25
4."Otherside of the Game"Erykah Badu, Questlove, Richard Nichols, James PoyserThe Roots, Richard Nichols6:33
5."Sometimes (Mix #9)"Erykah Badu, The Roots, Richard Nichols, James PoyserThe Roots, Richard Nichols, James Poyser0:44
6."Next Lifetime"Erykah Badu, A. ScottTone the Backbone6:26
7."Afro (Freestyle Skit)"Erykah Badu, James Poyser, Jaífar BarronErykah Badu, James Poyser, Jaífar Barron2:04
8."Certainly"Erykah Badu, Madukwu ChinwahMadukwu Chinwah4:43
9."4 Leaf Clover"David Lewis, Wayne LewisIke Lee III, Erykah Badu4:34
10."No Love"Erykah Badu, Robert BradfordRobert Bradford5:08
11."Drama"Erykah Badu, Ty MacklinBob Power6:02
12."Sometimes..."Erykah Badu, The Roots, Richard Nichols, James PoyserThe Roots, Richard Nichols, James Poyser4:10
13."Certainly (Flipped It)"Erykah Badu, Madukwu ChinwahMadukwu Chinwah5:26
14."Rimshot (Outro)"Erykah Badu, Madukwu ChinwahMadukwu Chinwah2:19
Special edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
15."On & On" (Jazz Mix)Erykah Badu, JaBorn Jamal, Bob PowersBill Esses, Sir Charles6:46
16."On & On" (Da Boom Squad Remix)Erykah Badu, JaBorn Jamal, Bob PowersDa Boom Squad4:23
17."Appletree" (2B3 Summer Vibes Mix)Erykah Badu, Robert Bradford, Ike Lee IIINeville Thomas, Pule Pheto, Robert Malcolm4:35
18."Appletree" (Live @ The Jazz Café)Erykah Badu, Robert Bradford, Ike Lee IIIIke Lee III, Erykah Badu3:03
19."Next Lifetime" (Linslee Remix)Erykah Badu, A. Scott, Tone the BackboneLinslee Campbell5:55
20."A Child with the Blues" (featuring Terrance Blanchard) Curtis Mayfield5:13

Sample credits

Personnel

Musicians

  • Erykah Badu - keyboards (track 3), lead vocals (All tracks), background vocals (tracks 2-6, 8-9, 11)
  • Ron Carter - bass (track 11)
  • Madukwu Chinwah - additional voices (track 13)
  • Ike Lee III - keyboards (track 3,track 9 Additional on track 10)
  • N'Dambi - additional voices (track 13)
  • Bob Power - guitar (track 11), keyboards (11), multiple instruments (2)
  • Tone The Backbone - multiple instruments (track 6)

Production

  • Producers: Erykah Badu (tracks 3, 7, 9), Jaifar Barron (7), Robert Bradford (10), Madukwu Chinwah (1, 8, 13-14), Jamal "Jaborn Jamal" Cantero (2), Ike Lee III (3,9), Richard Nichols (4-5, 12), Bob Power (2, 11), James Poyser (5, 7, 12), The Roots (4-5, 12), Tone The Backbone (6)
  • Executive producer: Kedar Massenburg
  • Recording Engineers: Lee Anthony (track 11), Tim Donovan (Additional on 2), Michael Gilbert (1, 3, 6–7, 9-10, 13-14), David Ivory (4-5, 7, 12), Anthony Lee, Bob Power (2, 11), Frank Salazar (8, 10), Chris Trevett (1, 6, 8, 14)
  • Assistant engineers: Paul Shatraw (track 13), Sharon Kearney (11), Charles McCrorey (1-2, 6–9, 11, 14), John Meredith (1, 3, 10, 14)
  • Mixing: Ken "Duro" Ifill (tracks 1, 7, 10, 13-14), Tim Latham (3-6, 8–9, 12), Bob Powers (2, 11)
  • Mixing assistants: Martin Czembor (tracks 1, 3, 5–7, 9-10, 12-14), Tim Donovan (2, 11), Paul Shatraw (4-6, 8, 12)
  • Music Programming: Erykah Badu (track 3), Ike Lee III (3,9), Bob Power (2), Tone The Backbone (6)
  • Additional Drum Machines: Erykah Badu (track 10), John Meredith (10)
  • Art direction: Sandie Lee Drake
  • Design: Susan Bibeau
  • Photography: Marc Baptiste
  • Stylist: Andrew Dosunmu

Charts

Weekly charts
Chart (1997) Peak
position
Netherlands Albums Chart 32
New Zealand Albums Chart[40] 32
Swedish Albums Chart[41] 7
UK Albums Chart[42] 17
UK R&B Albums Chart[43] 13
US Billboard 200[29] 2
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[44] 1

Year-end charts
Chart (1997) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[29] 20

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[45] Platinum 100,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[46] Platinum 300,000
United States (RIAA)[47] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone
sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

Awards

Grammy Awards

Year Recipient Category Result
1998 Baduizm Best R&B Album Won
"On & On" Best Female R&B Vocal Performance Won
Best R&B Song Nominated
Erykah Badu Best New Artist Nominated

See also

References
  1. "12. Erykah Badu, Baduizm - The 50 Best R&B Albums of the '90s". Damien Scott, Brendan Frederick, Craig Jenkins, Elena Bergeron, Justin Charity, Ross Scarano, Shannon Marcec of Complex. July 10, 2014. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  2. O'Donnell, David. Review: Baduizm. BBC Music. Retrieved on August 3, 2009.
  3. Baduizm: Overview. AllMusic. Retrieved on April 13, 2009.
  4. "Miles Marshall Lewis: Tags". Furthermucker.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
  5. RIAA Archived February 25, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. "Gold and Platinum". Cria.ca. December 1, 2011. Archived from the original on May 1, 2010. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  8. Waldron, Clarence (2001). "Erykah Badu". Jet.
  9. "ErykahBadoula: 28 Sep 12". Twitter. September 28, 2012. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  10. http://hiphopdx.com, HipHopDX - (September 7, 2011). "Erykah Badu Recalls Recording "Baduizm"".
  11. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved June 21, 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. Bush, John. "Baduizm – Erykah Badu". AllMusic. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
  13. Kot, Greg (February 21, 1997). "Madeleine Peyroux: Dreamland (Atlantic) / Erykah Badu: Baduizm (Universal)". Chicago Tribune. p. 53. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
  14. Tyehimba, Cheo (February 14, 1997). "Baduizm". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 5, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2009.
  15. Wells, Chris (February 21, 1997). "Billie and me". The Guardian.
  16. Jones, Bob (April 1997). "Badu meaning good". Muzik (23): 99.
  17. "Erykah Badu – Baduizm". NME. March 29, 1997. Archived from the original on October 12, 2000. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  18. "Erykah Badu: Baduizm". Q (126): 117. March 1997.
  19. Lewis, Miles Marshall (January 30, 1997). "Erykah Badu: Baduizm". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 4, 2009. Retrieved August 3, 2008.
  20. Spencer, Neil (January 2017). "Erykah Badu: Baduizm / Mama's Gun". Uncut (237): 44.
  21. Jones, Steve (February 11, 1997). "Erykah Badu, Baduizm". USA Today. p. 06.D. Archived from the original on October 5, 1999. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  22. Garry Mulholland Fear of Music p. 292
  23. Good, Karen R. "Review: Baduizm". Vibe: 133–134. March 1997.
  24. "Erykah Badu". Rock On The Net. Retrieved October 27, 2013.
  25. Hilburn, Robert. Review: Baduizm. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on August 3, 2009.
  26. "Pazz & Jop 1997". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  27. Christgau, Robert (2000). "Erykah Badu". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan Publishers. p. 17. ISBN 0312245602. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  28. Christgau, Robert (February 24, 1998). "The Year of No Next Big Thing". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  29. https://www.billboard.com/music/erykah-badu/chart-history/
  30. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: December 09, 2000 | Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard.com. December 9, 2000. Retrieved February 11, 2014.
  31. "20 Years of 'Baduizm': The Story of Erykah Badu's Classic Debut". February 10, 2017.
  32. "Badu Wins Big At 3rd Soul Train Lady Of Soul Awards". Allbusiness.com. September 20, 1997. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  33. "Destiny's Child Leads The Nominees For Soul Train Lady Of Soul Awards". Allbusiness.com. March 14, 1998. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  34. "The 1998 Grammy Award Winners". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. February 26, 1998. Retrieved April 15, 2009.
  35. Babyface Has Most Grammy Nominations for Second Year. Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. February 26, 1998. Retrieved April 15, 2009.
  36. "Spice Was Nice, Puffy Shut Out at AMAs". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media. January 27, 1998. Retrieved December 30, 2008.
  37. Babyface, Erykad Badu and Boyz II Men Among Winners at American Music Awards. Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. February 16, 1998. Retrieved April 15, 2009.
  38. Doss, Yvette C. (February 16, 1998). "'Soul Food' and 'Angel' Are Tops in Image Awards". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved January 1, 2009.
  39. "Badu Wins Big At Soul Train Awards". Allbusiness.com. March 14, 1998. Retrieved January 3, 2009.
  40. "charts.nz". Retrieved August 25, 2014. Baduizm chart peak (2007)
  41. "swedishcharts.com". Retrieved July 7, 2009. The album peaked at 7th place on May 2, 1997
  42. Garry Mulholland ; Fear of Music p.291 ISBN 0-7528-6831-4
  43. Officialcharts.com.R&B Albums Chart Top 40, (March, 1997)
  44. Top RnB Hip-Hop Albums (2000). Billboard Music Charts
  45. "Canadian album certifications – Erykah Badu – Baduizm". Music Canada. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  46. "British album certifications – Erykah Badu – Baduizm". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  47. "American album certifications – Erykah Badu – Baduizm". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
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