Erykah Badu’s Baduizm: A Cultivation Of Wisdom Expressed Through Music
Erykah Badu’s debut album Baduizm is a musical gospel according to its creator, an album immersed in human experience and an expression of culture and heritage. The record is a cultivation of wisdom expressed through lyric and song emoted by a supremely talented artist. It was also at the forefront of popularising a new genre to the mainstream. A synthesis of soul and jazz with a contemporary twist of hip-hop, Baduizm emerged as one of the first albums labeled rather simplistically as “Neo Soul”, alongside D’Angelo’s Brown Sugar on its release in 1997. It is an album however that cannot be categorised, made without compromise and by an artist in firm control of her artistry. Badu noted the constraint of being categorised within the “Neo-Soul” genre and how this was not compatible with her own artistic compass, “I didn’t feel it was the same thing. I had so many different points of view that I didn’t want to just be in that group, because that label comes with a responsibility. And I didn’t want that responsibility. I wanted to just be able to create.” Baduizm is more than a contemporary take on soul; it is uniquely crafted project and an example of an artist exploring her own direction without needing to fit into the current trends of popular music, “The kind of music I wanted to put out hadn’t been in mainstream radio. It’s not that it hadn’t existed, it s almost like I poked a hole in the dam.” The project allowed Badu to collaborate with a wide array of talent ranging from local producers in Dallas to established musicians in Philadelphia. Co-producer Madukwu Chinwah notes “What [Baduizm] did was bring a lot of local producers together: Robert Bradford, better known as Free, who I already knew before the project and Ty Macklin, who’s also from the Dallas/Fort Worth area. They both were at Booker T. Washington High School with Erykah and I. It put Dallas on the map.”
Prior to the release of Baduizm, and her immersion into the music scene, Badu notes that a career in singing was not her intention at first, “I was an MC first…I never really considered myself a vocalist.” She originally performed in a duo, entitled Erykah Free with her cousin Robert ‘Free’ Bradford. Erykah discussed the collaborative process within the duo and how this lead to her experimentation into singing, “He (Free) would mail me cassette tapes of beats and I would usually rap over them. But just one time I decided to write a song and it was Appletree and that was 1993–94 and we decided we may have something.”
The pair would record a demo project titled Country Cousins but as Badu began to work autonomously on her own material she desired exploring her potential as a solo artist, “Sometimes we called ourselves the Funky Cousins. I never really wanted to be apart, but I didn’t really want to be a group — I wanted to be a solo artist.”
Badu’s initial demo cassette contained three tracks, Appletree, On & On and My Life, (the latter would ultimately be released on Badu’s sophomore classic Mama’s Gun, albeit with a revised beat.) While Badu had been performing at South by Southwest (A music festival based in Austin, Texas) for years before her breakthrough, this time she decided to bring her work with her, exposing her material to the public further, “I just kept on pushing and hustling my dope: my record, my -izm. And that’s when SXSW(South By Southwest) happened. I had been performing at SXSW every year since I was about 19 or so. And this particular year, I had the demo with me. I had packages with cassettes, black and white promo photos, lyrics, descriptions and all that in those clear sleeves with white plastic things on the side to hold them together.” Erykah further elaborates, “We passed the demo around and it got into the hands of this promoter in Dallas and he called me… he goes “Lets see what you got.” This opportunity lead to Badu performing as opening act for Mobb Deep, Notorious B.I.G and D’Angelo. A record offer eventuated from these opportunities, Universal/Motown label executive Kedar Massenburg. elaborated further, “I called her and told her that if she sounded as good live as she did on her demo, (On & On) then I would sign her to my label. So I flew to Dallas, and had her open for D’Angelo.” Her exceptional performance would ultimately lead to her securing a record deal with Kedar and the necessary steps towards the release of Baduizm.
Badu’s profile continued to rise further in 1996 before the release of her debut album, singing a duet with fellow contemporary D’Angelo on a cover of the Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell ballad Your Precious Love. The song would appear on the soundtrack of the 1996 film High School High. D’Angelo was a fan of Badu’s work, reportedly asking Kedar if he could produce her debut album, however this request was ultimately turned down. He reflected on Erykah noting, “She’s got an old soul, and it’s been around. It drips off her lyrics. She reflects what’s going on now.” Badu would also begin to build a reputation as a live performer in New York, where she had recently relocated, “I put my little tape in the tape recorder and sang On & On, just to test the waters, and the audience loved it.”
Baduizm was released on on the 11th of Febuary 1997, sparking a wave of critical and commercial adoration. Badu noted the genesis of the title in a 1997 interview shortly before the album was released explaining, “In the culture that I’m from, hip hop, “izm” is slang for weed or marijuana and Baduizm was designed to get you high by listening to the music.” The musical arrangements on the album feel spontaneous and improvisational akin to a loose jam session, but also tightly arranged and sophisticated.
On the opening track Rimshot (Intro) heavy bass emerges as Badu cues the band for a “Rimshot” with luscious background harmonies propelling the groove. Madukwu Chinwah, producer of the track recalls the genesis of the song, “I remember Erykah calling me and saying, “Madukwu, what is that sound that drummers make on the end of the drum? That ‘tick-tock’ sound?” And I said, “Oh, a rim shot?” She had me put together some music where I used that sound, and that’s where it came from.” The intro sets a distinct tone for the album both in terms of Erykah’s vocal performance and the composition. Badu would exude a playful soulfulness in her voice, backed by dynamic and warm instrumental arrangements. Chinwah further noted “We just chopped it up to make a way for people to get into and come out of the record, to set the mood for what’s about to happen.” The album would also end with Rimshot (Outro) albeit slightly remixed but continuing the groove present on the beginning of the album.
On & On was the first single released from the album and an adequate reflection of the sonic and lyrical foundations of the album. Built on an emphasised percussive beat and prominent bass, the groove is both effortless and propelling. Badu notes that producer Bob Power “knew how to round out the bass without making it over powering.” Lyrically, Badu touches on a multitude of concepts on the song, referencing philosophical questions as well as thoughts on spirituality and what it means to pose true intelligence. Badu recalled this as the second song she had ever written, “The lyrics were inspired by the gods and the earths, the mathematics and the science I was learning at the time. Not the arithmetic, but the physics of life. I had four minutes to get all of that into one song.” Interestingly Badu notes that the original version of the track is significantly different to what eventuated on Baduizm, “This version has live guitar, live bass, and different things stacked on top of the original loop. The original loop was a lot rawer. Bob felt that it needed to be sonically a lot clearer.” Erykah discussed it further in a Billboard interview, “I made one compromise by letting Kedar hook me up with a producer who wanted to make it into more of a “song” — it took the rawness out of it.” The single went on to be a significant success both commercially and critically, ultimately reach No 1 on the RNB Billboard charts, and Badu would win a Grammy for best “RNB Vocal Performance” for the track. Erykah notes however that despite her preference for the earlier composition of the track, the released arrangement was the right decision for the album, “I’m glad I did it like this because it wouldn’t have been this if it hadn’t been done.”
A change in tempo from the previous tracks, Badu opens Appletree with a declaration “I have some food in my bag for you, Not that edible food the food you eat? No, I have some food for thought Since knowledge is infinite it has infinitely fell on me.” A snap of the drum launches the song into an infectious rhythm of keys, percussion and bass. The track flourishes because of the minimalistic approach to the instrumentation with the verse being propelled by a grooving bass line and floating keys. Rob “Free” noted that despite Erykah’s signing to a major record label, this did not change her approach to releasing her work in the raw state it was conceived, “When Erykah signed her deal with Universal, she was so passionate about the demo that she didn’t want to change anything. She fought all the way to keep her first album as much true to demo as possible.”
Despite most of the album being recorded in 1995, two years before the eventual release date, Badu had another collaboration in mind to feature on the album before it was completed. Erykah went to Philadelphia to collaborate with Questlove and jazz-funk band ‘The Roots’ whom she held a deep admiration, “I love the jazz aspect of what they were doing…. I was into that sound, it was very familiar to me.” Otherside Of The Game, Sometimes, Afro (Free Style Skit) and (Mix #9) were a result of this collaboration, recorded in the final stage of the Baduizm sessions, “The album was ready to go, but I persuaded the label to let me just go to Philly right quick, We came up with a lot of songs but those were the ones, ‘Otherside of the Game’ and ‘Sometimes.” James Poyser, keyboardist and member of the Roots noted Otherside Of The Game was recorded within an incredibly short amount of time, “I was sitting at the piano playing with her and happened upon that chord progression, and she was like, “That’s it.” Literally 15 minutes later, the track was cut.” Erykah further discussed the recording of the track with Poyser, “We wrote and arranged the song together. It was an instrumental first, because for me music always comes before lyrics. If not, that would be poetry. So we wrote and arranged the tune, then I took it back to the hotel on a cassette and wrote the lyrics there. Then we recorded it the next day there in Philly.”
Sometimes and Mix #9 however, differed in development from the first collaboration between Badu and The Roots. Erykah notes that unlike Otherside Of The Game, which was composed and arranged as a complete collaborative process with the band, elements of Sometimes had been composed prior to her recruiting of Questlove, (drummer from The Roots) to lend his talents towards the song, “It was part of the demo, but I wanted some live instrumentation with it. Since I was in Philly and had the opportunity to play with a human drum machine, a.k.a. Questlove Thompson, I was trying to get as much as I could. The sample [Donald Byrd and Isaac Hayes’ “I Feel Like Loving You Today”] was originally done by my roommate in college, whose name was Waldo. I took that sample and we created what you hear as “Sometimes” with the Roots.”
One of the most direct examples of the loose-jam session vibe that runs throughout the album is on the track Afro (Freestyle Skit). After the intensity of Next Lifetime, Badu gleefully stops the listener, “Excuse us ladies and gentlemen.” She then playfully sings of “Picking your afro-daddy, cos it’s flat on one one side” performing what is akin to a duet with the background trumpet. Poyser recalls the spontaneity of the session in which the song was recorded, “We’re messing around, and she starts soloing over the 12-bar blues — she calls them 12 ba-blues, as a joke. I think I was playing chords underneath with two hands, like “Heart and Soul” style. Then she grabbed the mic, started singing and that was it. Really, we were just playing around. She might have been talking about Questlove — she definitely wasn’t talking about me.” Considering the song is said to be inspired by Questlove on the liner notes, this could be an accurate assumption. This spontaneous approach to creation is demonstrated throughout the album and most evident on this track with Badu and collaborators not bound by the conventions of a pop album structure. The track would also foreshadow Badu’s use of a loose song structure most evident on her 2003 album Worldwide Underground.
While Baduizm deals with themes of vulnerability and desire, there is an underlying attitude of self-assurance and control that echo throughout the album. Badu noted the overwhelming social response to her debut album as a reaction to her rejection of abiding by the conventions of what it is to be a female African American artist, “I came at a time where I think we needed a feminine political statement to be made and some kind of political African statement in America.” Certainly is an example of this with Badu rejecting the advances of a man while questioning, “Who gave you permission to re-arrange me? Certainly not me.” Beginning with a cascade of piano, the song launches into a bass heavy groove embellished with keys. Chinwah, further elaborated on the inspiration behind the instrumental arrangements, noting, “There were certain Quincy Jones albums we used to listen to together. A lot of Bernard Ighner’s “Everything Must Change” — it influenced both of us from a songwriting standpoint, inspiring us to infuse a jazzy sound into what we were doing.” Certainly would appear twice on the album, with Certainly (Flipped it) configured on the fourth side of the album. Both versions contain the same lyrics, however the instrumental composition and Badu’s vocal take would differ significantly between each track. The former would contain a retro influence of jazz and soul, while Flipped it would embrace synths, flat drums and evoke hip-hop style sensibilities. Badu’s vocals and lyrics differ between each version similarly, with a more street approach on Flipped It. Erykah noted the diversity in music that she would be exposed to as a child foreshadowing her own use of combining musical genres during her career, “Growing up, being born in 1971, by the time it was 1978, hip-hop was in the mainstream in the radio. A fusion of hip-hop and soul music was prominent in my home.” The contrast between the two versions demonstrate the dualism present throughout the project, with influences on the album both musically and vocally ranging from soul/jazz and also contemporary genres like hip-hop and RNB, even extending to differing interpretations of the same song.
Badu reimagines Atlantic Starr’s 1983 single Touch A Four Leaf Clover performing a rousing cover entitled Four Leaf Clover. Badu’s interpretation differs musically with the original version, substituting 80’s drum machines and synths with piano and acoustic drums. The re-composition allowed for Badu to record her own cover while also changing the instrumental arrangement to be cohesive within the sound of the album.
One of the many highlights of Baduizm are the ballads, giving opportunity for Badu to showcase her powerfully emotive and unique vocal range. Next Lifetime is arguably one of the greatest displays of Erykah’s vulnerable, yet playful vocals on the album. While she labeled her voice in a 2011 interview as “human” she also considered herself a blues singer. Next Lifetime further demonstrates the use of a blues vocal style and Badu’s emotive technique with her voice. The strong yet intermittent background harmonies create an emotive musical experience recalling the subject nature of the song. Badu notes the creation of the track and the meaning of the song, “I wrote that song in college. Once I got to New York, I got new music from this guy named Tone the Backbone, who was in a local DJ group called the Da Beatminerz. It’s a song about a woman who digs this guy a lot but she’s in a relationship already so she has a choice, she can see him on the down-low or she can say I’ll see you next life time, so that’s what she chooses to do, just to give another example of a way that you can live.”
Badu explores a variety of subject matter on her debut album, touching on perspectives of intelligence, spirituality and the interplay of relationships. In Drama, she sings “With all the problems of the day, How can we go on, So tired of hearing people say “how can we go on” behind subtle keys and percussion. The song takes on an outward position exploring the state of society, a contrast with the introspective perspective prevalent on most of the album. Erykah noted in several interviews for the promotion of Baduizm, the strong influence of Stevie Wonder on her career. Badu directly invokes the influence of Wonder on the tracks No Love and Drama. In Drama, Erykah directly references Wonder’s work, with lyrics from his 1977 song Pastime Paradise interpolated during the bridge. These lyrics bring a particularly political dimension to the song with Badu expressing the need for spirituality in response to social and political unrest. The song would foreshadow Badu’s more direct approach to political subject matter on the classic concept albums New Amerykah: Part One and Two.
Badu would also contribute a track to the soundtrack of the 1997 film Eve’s Bayou during this time. The song entitled A Child Of The Blues would be performed by Badu and renowned trumpeter Terence Blanchard and also written and produced by legendary composer Curtis Mayfield. The song is a stellar composition of jazz and blues, highlighting Blanchard’s extraordinary technique and Badu’s masterful vocals.
The Baduizm era did not comprise of just the album, singles or film clips. Badu performed extensively throughout the year, promoting the album with live performances and interviews on programs such as BET’s Planet Groove. A soundtrack of the Baduizm World Tour would be captured on Live, released in November 1997. The recording was a display of not only the power of Erykah’s vocals under a live setting, but also an opportunity to showcase material on the album reimagined for the stage. Badu would perform songs featured on the album, re-imagined covers songs by artists that inspired her, and also new and unreleased material. Tyrone would find its place on Live both as a band performance and a studio version. Badu noted the making of the iconic track in an interview with ET online, “It just came together on stage actually. You know, the tradition of hip-hop, we just freestyle on stage a lot. And that song was actually free-styled. We used to play around on the rose in rehearsal… it was a real soulful kind of thing,” She further adds, “I got on stage one night and gave [Norman “Keys” Hurt] the cue to play that, and the background singers would just look or nod, they understood, ‘This is what we’re going to do. Are you sure you want to do this?’ And I’m like, ‘OK.”I just started and it just turned into ‘Tyrone.” The song would go on to be nominated for multiple Grammys and become a favorite among fans. The studio version of the song is remarkably minimalistic evoking raw and sparse instrumentation. Ye-Yo, a track developed during the Baduizm sessions and ultimately left off the album (though Badu would chant ye-yo, possibly in reference to this track on Sometimes…) would find its release on Live with Badu playing the song on tour. Ye Yo, meaning mother in Swahili may have been in reference to the fact that Erykah was pregnant with her first child during the tour. She would also use the live setting as an opportunity to further express her own thoughts on spirituality and even call back to her rapping days, in her performance of On & On further showcasing the influence of hip-hop on her work. Live would ultimately be nominated for a Grammy and would represent an auditory testament to the power of Badu’s vocals and live arrangements.
Badu has stated that Baduizm is “an expression of me and the way I feel” and this authentication is evident throughout the album. Each track is a display of Erykah’s soulful vocals, inspired lyrics and eclectic instrumentation. With the release of her debut album, she brought to the mainstream a renewed interest in soul and jazz while also bridging genres, infusing her own interpretation of contemporary hip-hop and RNB that would influence upcoming and future artists. In an interview with Vibe, She noted, “I think I represent an image that is not focused on by the music business. They probably didn’t think it would sell because the music business and music are two different things.” Baduizm would sell, ultimately being certified multi platinum and shifting the perceptions of how an artist can stay true to their artistry but also attain success. Badu would continue to evolve after the release of the album, placing artistic integrity and authenticity as the central pathos in creating an incredible and daring body of work. Baduizm is where it began, but also an indication of where the journey would continue, and represents the debut album of an artist in full artistic control.
“I never saw it fit to be my job to try and fit into any category or label. I just have to do things that feel good and my only job is to be honest. That’s what music is, and that’s what I use it for.” — Erykah Badu.
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Quotes Extracted From:
Essence Magazine
ET Online
Billboard Magazine
Erykah Badu: The First Lady of Neo-Soul By Joel McIver
Jools Holland
Planet Groove
Red Bull Music Academy
Vibe Magazine August 1997 Issue.
