Person Open DS/UK/21689 Badu; Erykah (26 February 1971); American singer songwriter, producer and actress Badu Erykah 26 February 1971 American singer songwriter, producer and actress Female (cisgender) Erica Abi Wright Dallas, Texas, United States (born)

American Musician; Singer Songwriter Actor Black No known disability No known religious affiliation Former partner of Andre 3000 (rapper), The D.O.C. (rapper) and Jay Electronica (rapper) Mother of Seven Sirius Benjamin, Puma Sabti Curry and Mars Merkaba Thedford Heterosexual Erykah Badu is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Badu's career began after opening a show for D'Angelo in 1994 in Fort Worth; record label executive Kedar Massenburg was impressed with her performance and signed her to Kedar Entertainment. Her first album, Baduizm, was released in February 1997. It spawned three singles: "On & On", "Next Lifetime" and "Otherside of the Game". The album was certified triple Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Badu has been called the queen of neo soul. Her voice has been compared to jazz singer Billie Holiday. Early in her career, Badu was recognizable for her eccentric style, which often included wearing very large and colorful headwraps. She was a core member of the Soulquarians. As an actress, she has played a number of supporting roles in movies including Blues Brothers 2000, The Cider House Rules and House of D. She also has appeared in the documentaries Before the Music Dies and The Black Power Mixtapes. Activism and Views: Badu became a vegan in 2006: "Vegan food is soul food in its truest form. Soul food means to feed the soul. And to me, your soul is your intent. If your intent is pure, you are pure." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erykah_Badu (2020) International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) 2nd edition - ICA 2004 ISBN 2-9521932-2-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 Yes Events with human rights abusers In 2014, Badu came under fire by the US-based Human Rights Foundation, for performing at the birthday celebration of King Mswati III, ruler and monarch of eSwatini. Mswati, credited as Africa's last absolute monarch, is considered to be a serial human-rights abuser, ruling in luxury in a country famed for its poverty and spiralling HIV rates. Badu presented Mswati with a $100 bill, and a good-luck stone. In a January 2019 concert, Badu elicited boos from fans after giving support of musician R. Kelly, saying "I dunno how everybody else feel about it but I'm putting up a prayer right now for R." Badu has been criticized for her perceived support of R. Kelly following the release of Lifetime's Surviving R. Kelly. R. Kelly has been accused of sexual abuse and running a "sex cult" with underage girls. RAHEHarper 12/5/2017 RAHAKirkbride 12/19/2023 93bed718-bd23-4f06-8984-bd203d6861fa