Baduizm
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Baduizm is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Erykah Badu. It was released on February 11, 1997, by Kedar Records and Universal Records.<ref>[[[:Template:AllMusic]] Baduizm: Overview]. AllMusic. Retrieved on April 13, 2009.</ref> 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. Recording sessions for the album took place from January to October 1996 in New York City, Philadelphia, and Dallas.<ref name="Miles Marshall Lewis: Tags">Template:Cite web</ref>
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 200 chart 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,<ref name="RIAA">RIAA Template:Webarchive</ref> Gold by British Phonographic Industry<ref name="BPI">Template:Cite web</ref> and Gold by the Canadian Recording Industry Association.<ref name="CRIA">Template:Cite web</ref>
Baduizm was promoted with the release of four singles: "On & On", "Next Lifetime", "Otherside of the Game", and "Appletree". The album received many accolades, including the 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), BaduizmTemplate:'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 and recording
To focus on music full time Badu dropped out from Grambling State University. Badu then began working and touring with her cousin, Robert "Free" Bradford, during this period she recorded a 19-song demo, Country Cousins, which attracted the attention of Kedar Massenburg. Massenburg set a recording session up with D'Angelo to record, "Your Precious Love," and eventually signed her to a record deal with Universal Records.<ref name="autogenerated1">Template:Cite news</ref> Badu was partly influenced by Brandy's debut album, notably "I Wanna Be Down" and "Always on My Mind".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Badu also took inspiration from her ancestry particularly turbans and African drums.<ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref>
Recording sessions started in January through to October 1996 at Battery Studios in New York City, Sigma Sounds & Ivory Studios in Philadelphia, and Dallas Sound Lab in Dallas.<ref name="Miles Marshall Lewis: Tags"/> Badu provided lead and background vocals, along with keyboards, drum machine and other music programming on the album with the help of Madukwu, N'Dambi, Bob Power, Ike Lee III, and Ron Carter.<ref name="hbdirect.com">Template:Cite web</ref> Shortly before the albums release, Badu grew unhappy with the recorded material and travelled back to Philadelphia to work with the Roots. The sessions led to the demo's "Otherside of the Game" and "Sometimes" being included on Baduizm.<ref name="auto"/>
Release and sales
After Baduizm was released, it peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.<ref name="ReferenceA">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The album's success helped establish Badu as one of the leading artists in the flourishing neo-soul genre.<ref name="O'Donnell">O'Donnell, David. Review: Baduizm. BBC Music. Retrieved on August 3, 2009.</ref> 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.<ref name="RIAA"/><ref name="BPI"/><ref name="CRIA"/> As of February 2017 the album has sold 2.8 million copies in United States.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
The album produced four singles; the lead single "On & On" was released in December 1996,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and reached number 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100 charts and the UK Singles Charts, as well as making an appearance on the New Zealand charts.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
A world tour to promote the album featured performances in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Brazil. Band members on tour were Charles "Poogie" Bell, Jr (drums), Bob Power (guitar), Hubert Eaves IV (bass) and Ike Lee III (keyboard). Background vocals were provided by N'dambi, Karen Bernod, Joyce M. Strong and Yahzarah. Opening acts included Chico DeBarge (USA—Leg), The Roots (USA—select dates) and Eric Benet (USA—select dates). Following the tour a Live concert album was recorded and released under Kedar/Universal.Template:Cn
Critical reception
Template:Album ratings 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.<ref>Garry Mulholland Fear of Music p. 292</ref> Vibe magazine's Karen R. Good called the record "a conduit of awakening of something dark, familiar and long slept,"<ref name="Good">Template:Cite magazine</ref> while John Bush from AllMusic felt it was innovative primarily for its sound, "heavier hip-hop beats over organic, conscientious soul music."<ref name="Bush"/>
Badu's particular style of singing drew many comparisons to Billie Holiday.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Entertainment Weekly said Badu echoed Holiday in "her phrasing and cadence,"<ref name="EW"/> 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."<ref name="Kot"/> 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.<ref name="Hilburn">Hilburn, Robert. Review: Baduizm. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on August 3, 2009.</ref> 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."<ref name="Lewis"/>
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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Robert Christgau, the poll's supervisor, was less enthusiastic and dismissed the comparisons to Billie Holiday,<ref name="CG">Template:Cite book</ref> deeming Badu "a mite too bourgie-boho" for his tastes.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Accolades
Template:Main 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="nytimes1998">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="google1998">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazineTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore </ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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 (Template:ISBN). '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."
In the 2020 reboot of their list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time", Rolling Stone ranked Baduizm number 89.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Track listing
Template:Track listing Template:Track listingSample credits
- "Appletree" interpolates "On & On".
- “4 Leaf Clover” covers “Touch A Four Leaf Clover” by Atlantic Starr.
- "No Love" samples "Lucky Fellow" by Leroy Hutson & interpolates "I Love You Too Much" by Stevie Wonder.
- "Drama" interpolates "Pastime Paradise" by Stevie Wonder.
- "Sometimes" samples "I Feel Like Loving You Today" by Donald Byrd and 125th St, NYC.
- "Certainly (Flipped It)" samples "Summer Madness" by Kool & The Gang"
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
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Weekly charts
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref>Template:Cite Ryan</ref><ref name="ARIA Chart">Template:Cite web N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.</ref> | 100 |
| European Albums (Music & Media)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | 42 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1997) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums (OCC)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 94 |
| US Billboard 200<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | 20 |
| US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> | 2 |
Certifications
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Awards
Grammy Awards
| Year | Recipient | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Baduizm | Best R&B Album | Template:Won |
| "On & On" | Best Female R&B Vocal Performance | Template:Won | |
| Best R&B Song | Template:Nom | ||
| Erykah Badu | Best New Artist | Template:Nom |
See also
References
External links
- Baduizm at Discogs
- Album Review at Time
- Soul Sister: Erykah Badu – By Spin
Template:Erykah Badu Template:Grammy Award for Best R&B Album