Bleep

Neo soul is practically synonymous with Erykah Badu, who has both defined and pushed the genre far beyond its roots in her thirty year career. In her opening year of 1997, she shot to instant stardom, her spur of the moment freestyles on tour like ‘Tyrone’ becoming enduring classics, all off the back of her debut album Baduizm. While plenty noted similar vocal qualities to Billie Holiday as she stepped onto the scene, helped by the album’s nimble jazzy performances, Badu quickly established her own unique space in R&B, hip hop, and beyond.

Much of the album was finished by the time she had signed with Universal, after which her debut was only further refined into an even more solid artistic statement, accessible and relatable with spiritual undertones colouring the clouds of Badu’s smoky, smooth velvet vocal harmonies. Right out of the gate, she shows the full gamut of her vocal abilities: expressive vibrato, extended runs, misty murmurs, and the occasional yet sophisticatedly placed belt. Molten pulled bass introduces Baduizm, anchoring crisp boom bap rhythms as Badu draws jazz and hip hop into a slick and soulful whole.

While incense hangs in the air, bass paces around the room as Badu soaks up doubt and uncertainty on ‘Other Side Of The Game’, working out relationship strife to fluttering sax and synth details. Her delivery is utterly convincing; whether improvising mesmerisingly over the endless funk breakdown of ‘No Love’ amidst psychedelic piano and synth loops, or musing on world affairs on ‘Drama’, she pours her heart out to the classic crush of hip hop drums.

Almost thirty years on from Baduizm, it remains one of the tightest documents of the burgeoning sound of neo soul.