Erykah Badu

Erykah Badu has three children. Her son, Seven Sirius Benjamin, was born in 1997 to Badu and André 3000, while her daughters Puma Sabti Curry and Mars Merkaba Thedford were born in 2004 and 2009. Puma's father is The D.O.C., and Mars's father is Jay Electronica.

Badu became a vegetarian in 1989 and later adopted a vegan lifestyle. She has also worked as a doula, studied holistic health, and advocated for natural childbirth, breastfeeding, and healthy birth outcomes.

Born Erica Abi Wright in Dallas, Texas, Badu was raised by her mother, actress Kolleen Wright, alongside her younger brother Eevin and sister Koryan. She began singing and dancing at age four and performed at the Dallas Theater Center and The Black Academy of Arts and Letters under the guidance of her godmother Gwen Hargrove and her uncle Curtis King.

Badu attended Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, where she studied singing, dance, and theater. As a teenager, she freestyled on Dallas radio under names including DJ Apples and Apples the Alchemist. She later attended Grambling State University to study theater before leaving in 1993 to pursue music.

In 1994, Badu and her cousin Robert "Free" Bradford recorded a 19-song demo with their band Erykah Free. The recording attracted the attention of Kedar Massenburg, who signed Badu to Kedar Entertainment and paired her with D'Angelo for the song "Your Precious Love."

Badu's debut album, Baduizm, arrived in 1997 and helped place neo soul at the center of contemporary R&B. The album reached number two on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Its lead single, "On & On," reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned Badu Grammy Awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Album.

Her live album, Live, was recorded while she was pregnant with Seven Sirius Benjamin and released in November 1997. It reached number four on the Billboard 200 and included "Tyrone," a signature song that was improvised during a performance. Badu's vocal style has often been compared with that of jazz singer Billie Holiday.

Badu collaborated with The Roots on "You Got Me," which won the 1999 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. She was also a core member of the Soulquarians, an associated collective that included artists such as Common, D'Angelo, Questlove, J Dilla, James Poyser, Q-Tip, and Roy Hargrove.

Badu followed Baduizm with Mama's Gun in 2000. The album included "Bag Lady," her first top-10 Billboard Hot 100 single, and a collaboration with Common, "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)." The latter reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned Badu another Grammy Award.

Her third album, Worldwide Underground, was released in 2003 with a more jam-oriented and unconventional structure. She continued that experimentation with New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) in 2008 and New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh) in 2010. The first album explored institutional racism, poverty, cultural identity, religion, and other social concerns, while the second took a more personal approach to romance and relationships.

In 2015, Badu released the mixtape But You Caint Use My Phone, her first release through her own label, Control Freaq. She has also collaborated with artists including Flying Lotus, Robert Glasper, Janelle Monáe, Tyler, the Creator, Bonobo, Teyana Taylor, Bilal, and RM. Her music and performances have continued to include spiritual and experimental elements.

Badu made her film debut in Blues Brothers 2000 and played Rose Rose in The Cider House Rules in 1999. She later appeared in House of D, Dave Chappelle's Block Party, The Land, What Men Want, and The Piano Lesson. Her performance in The Cider House Rules earned her a Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Badu founded Beautiful Love Incorporated Non-Profit Development, known as B.L.I.N.D., to support inner-city youth through music, dance, theater, and visual arts. The organization renovated and reopened Dallas's Black Forest Theater as a community center and performance space. Badu has also supported arts education and charitable initiatives in Dallas.

Her creative work has extended into fashion and business. She became the face of Tom Ford's White Patchouli fragrance campaign and Givenchy's 2014 spring collection, collaborated with designer Kerby Jean-Raymond at New York Fashion Week, and launched the online Badu World Market in 2020.