Erykah Abi Wright, simply known as Erykah Badu, is a well-known American actress, singer, songwriter, social activist, as well as record producer. Badu’s major career step happened in 1994 when she performed as an opening act for an R&B singer D’Angelo.
It was during that concert when Kedar Massenburg, a well-known president and the CEO of a record label “Kedar Entertainment”, noticed Badu’s talents. Soon enough Badu was signed to his recording company and in 1997 released her debut studio album “Baduizm”. The album spawned four singles and debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts, gaining Badu critical acclaim for her musical style.
Erykah Badu Net Worth $12 Million
Considered to be one of the most important albums for the genre of neo-soul, “Baduizm” introduced Erykah Badu to a wide audience, helped her gain a lot of popularity, and earned her the nickname “Queen of Neo-Soul”.
A famous singer, how rich is Erykah Badu then? According to sources, Erykah Badu’s net worth is estimated to be $12 million. The majority of Erykah Badu’s net worth and wealth comes from her involvement in the music industry, as well as her acting career.
Erykah Badu was born in 1971, in Dallas, Texas, where she had her first exposure to the entertainment industry at the age of four, when together with her mother she performed at the Dallas Theatre Centre. Badu initially attended Grambling State University, however, she dropped out to pursue a singing career. Badu was then discovered by Massenburg and signed to his record label. Soon after, Erykah Badu released her debut album “Baduizm”, which helped her establish herself in the neo-soul genre.
Following the success of “Baduizm”, Badu came out with “Live”, a live concert album that was released in 1997. The album peaked at #4 on the Billboard charts and received a Platinum certification from the RIAA. “Live” was not only critically acclaimed but also earned Badu a Grammy Awards nomination for Best R&B Album. Badu’s success was at its peak at the time, however, she took some time off to raise her son.
Badu returned to the industry in 2000 with the release of her second studio album “Mama’s Gun”. The album which contains a range of musical styles has been enjoying success as well and was even placed among the Top 10 Albums of 2000 by Rolling Stones magazine. As a singer, Erykah Badu has released five studio albums and has successfully launched nine tours. However, Erykah Badu is not only a musician but an actress as well.
Badu made her acting debut in 1997 in a sketch comedy show “All That”, and a year later debuted with a role in a musical comedy film “Blues Brothers 2000” with Dan Aykroyd, John Goodman, and James Brown. Since then Erykah Badu has starred in a variety of movies, including “House of D” directed by David Duchovny, “Dave Chappelle’s Block Party” produced by Dave Chappelle, as well as “The Cider House Rules” with Paul Rudd and Charlize Theron.
