About

— The Analog Vault // Essential Listening —

A seminal album for the neo-soul movement, Erykah Badu’s breathtaking debut LP elevated the fledgling subgenre into the mainstream, and the American singer-songwriter to universal reverence. Released in 1997, Baduizm was an instant shot in the arm for a stagnant R&B landscape, propelled by Badu’s grit-laden double-reed voice and bluesy delivery that justifiably drew comparisons to greats such as Billie Holiday and Nina Simone.

Lyrically, Baduizm was the poetic, existential and spiritual counterpoint to the slick superficiality of the contemporary status quo. Musically, Badu's organic and emotive approach was lush and laidback, harkening back to classic soul and R&B, but juxtaposing them with modern hip-hop beats. Anchored by hits such as "On & On", "Next Lifetime", "Otherside of the Game", and "Appletree" - Baduizm’s inspiring confluence of social consciousness and bewitching soul remains timeless. - The Analog Vault

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Two years after D'Angelo brought the organic sound and emotional passion of R&B to the hip-hop world with 1995's Brown Sugar, Erykah Badu's debut performed a similar feat. While D'Angelo looked back to the peak of smooth '70s soul, though, Badu sang with a grit and bluesiness reminiscent of her heroes, Nina Simone and Billie Holiday. "On & On" and "Appletree," the first two songs on Baduizm, illustrated her talent at singing soul with the qualities of jazz. With a nimble, melodic voice owing little to R&B from the past 30 years, she phrased at odds with the beat and often took chances with her notes. Like many in the contemporary rap world, though, she also had considerable talents at taking on different personas; "Otherside of the Game" is a poetic lament from a soon-to-be single mother who just can't forget the father of her child. 

Erykah Badu's revolution in sound - heavier hip-hop beats over organic, conscientious soul music - was responsible for her breakout, but many of the songs on Baduizm don't hold up to increased examination. For every intriguing track like "Next Lifetime," there's at least one rote R&B jam like "4 Leaf Clover." Jazz fans certainly weren't confusing her with Cassandra Wilson - Badu had a bewitching voice, and she treasured her notes like the best jazz vocalists, but she often made the same choices, the hallmark of a singer rooted in soul, not jazz. Though many fans would dislike (and probably misinterpret) the comparison, she's closer to Diana Ross playing Billie Holiday - as she did in the 1972 film Lady Sings the Blues - than Holiday herself. — (via AllMusic)

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When Baduizm debuted on February 11, 1997, it was … jam-packed with concepts that spoke to a higher consciousness. Lead single “On & On,” the song that first brought her to wider public attention, makes several references to the teachings of the Five Percent Nation, a cultural movement grounded in the belief that all black people are divine. A core part of the Five-Percenter doctrine revolves around the idea of the black man as God. But Baduizm was more concerned with the empowered black woman, putting her work, relationships, family values, and quest for knowledge under the lens.

The album’s melodies and instrumentation reflected a range of influences, most notably jazz, soul, hip-hop, and R&B. Blended as they were on Baduizm, the result was branded as neo-soul, a concept attributed to record exec and D’Angelo manager William “Kedar” Massenburg. He signed Badu to her first label deal and released Baduizm on Kedar Entertainment, his imprint via Universal Records. Massenburg was already marketing D’Angelo as an alternative R&B artist when an early Badu demo landed in his lap, and “Erykah [was] a natural for me to follow that blueprint,” he boasted to Billboard.

Erykah Badu’s role in neo-soul made her a visionary of the modern soul revival, and it’s an influence that reverberates still through Janelle Monàe, Solange, D.R.A.M., and many more. But more than just representing a moment in time, Badu emerged from the neo-soul haze unscathed, with a classic debut firmly in her pocket and an unwavering drive to inspire and create. That’s what she’s here for. And she’s still fly. – (via Pitchfork)

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Label: Motown  Format:2 × Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Gatefold 
Reissued: 2023 / Original: 1997
Genre: Soul
Style: Neo Soul, Contemporary R&B, Female Vocals

File under: TAV Essential Listening
File under: Funk/Soul
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