Reflecting on Erykah Badu’s Everlasting Influence on Music on Her Birthday
Singer-songwriter and Texas native Erykah Badu turns 54 today. The Dallas-born songstress and doula recently celebrated her fifth Grammy win earlier this month alongside rapper Rapsody for Best Melodic R&B Performance for their song “3 A.M”. Writer Jazz Monroe, in her 2025 article for Pitchfork, “Rapsody and Erykah Badu Win Best Melodic Rap Performance for ‘3:AM’ at 2025 Grammys”, writes, “Rapsody and Erykah Badu have won Best Melodic Rap Performance, for “3:AM,” at the 2025 Grammys, earning Rapsody her first-ever Grammy and Badu her first in two decades.”
2025 Billboard Women In Music Honoree
Billboard also announced that Badu will be one of the honorees of the 2025 Billboard Women In Music for their Icon Award. The ceremony will take place in March.
Badu, known for her signature hits “On & On”, “Tyrone”, “Other Side Of The Game”,“Bag Lady”, “Next Lifetime” , “Love Of My Life (An Ode To Hip-Hop), and “Window Seat”. According to data retrieved from Best Selling Albums.org, Badu has sold 7,270,000 albums worldwide, with her 1997 debut album Badu being certified 3x platinum by the Record Industry Association of America. Badu is also affectionately known as the “First Lady of Neo Soul”, having been instrumental in paving the way for the earthy, jazz influenced hip hop sound mixed with soul and R&B.
Erykah Badu’s Impact on Neo-Soul and R&B
Writer Sharmaine Johnson, in her 2024 article for Revolt, “Erykah Badu Albums Ranked”, writes, “Erykah Badu, often dubbed the “First Lady of Neo-Soul,” has left an unmeasurable mark on R&B and soul music… Her sound, a fusion of jazz, soul, and Hip Hop, brought a new depth to R&B, building a passionate following and international recognition.” After getting her start performing in local venues around her native Dallas, Badu became a household name within the African American community for her poignant and emotive lyrics that tackle issues of Black women.Her songs held their own against the largely masculine landscape of late 90’s/early 2000’s R&B/Hip-Hop movement characterized by artists such as The Roots, Common, D’Angelo, and Maxwell.
Badu earned a loyal female following that would rival that of Mary J Blige and Beyonce. Writer Feminista Jones, in her 2020 article for Essence, “What ‘Baduizm’ Meant For Black Women Is As Relevant Today As It Was 20 Years Ago”, writes, “Outwardly ethereal and serving more Oshun than Oprah, Badu is also an around-the-way girl with quirks and complications, and her multidimensional personality engaged Black girls and women from all walks of life.”
Beyond Music: Badu as a Doula and Healer
In recent years, while continuing to tour, Badu has been a practicing Doula, helping deliver babies for the likes of Summer Walker and Teyana Taylor.
Happy 54th Birthday to Music Icon Erykah Badu
