THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

408-Erykah Badu-On & On.

1997-Number 12 single.

Best Bit-At 0.39. Some music critics were impressed enough to draw comparisons, calling her the ‘Billie Holiday of the 1990’s’ (see also best songs 624.)

Erykah Badu was born Erica Abi Wright on February 26th, 1971, in Dallas, Texas, United States, she has been dubbed ‘The Queen of Neo Soul.’ In her youth she changed the spelling of her name from Erica to Erykah, as she believed her original name was a ‘slave name,’ the term ‘kah’ signifies the inner self. She chose the name Badu as it is her favourite Jazz scat sound, and is also the term used for the 10th child among the ‘Akan’ people, living in Ghana. Erykah Badu had her first taste of show business at the age of four, singing and dancing at the ‘Dallas Theater Center,’ and by the age of 14 she was free-styling for a local radio station. In the early 1990’s she recorded a 19-song demo called ‘Country Cousins,’ which attracted the attention of the music producer Kedar Massenburg. He set her up to record a duet with the American singer/songwriter D’Angelo, which produced the track ‘Your Precious Love,’ which led to Massenburg signing her to a record deal with ‘Universal Records.’ Erykah Badu has also ventured into acting, making her debut in a supporting role in the 1998 film ‘Blues Brothers 2000.’ She has also appeared in the 1999 drama film ‘The Cider House,’ receiving numerous awards and nominations, including a win at the 2000 ‘Black Reel Awards,’ for best supporting actress. She has continued to appear in films, and in promotional musical documentaries, alongside her recording career. In 1996 she became involved with the American rapper André 3000 of the ‘Hip-Hop’ group OutKast, with whom she had her first child, their relationship ended in 1999. In late 2000, OutKast released the song ‘Ms. Jackson,’ which was inspired by André 3000’s then relationship with Badu and her mother (see also best songs 351.)

The discography of Erykah Badu includes five studio Albums released between 1997-2010, and 31 singles released between 1996-2019, there is also one mixtape, one official compilation Album, and one live Album available. In America on Billboard, all five of her studio Albums have made the top 20, with her debut ‘Baduizm,’ (1997) and her fourth studio Album ‘New Amerykah Part One (4th World War,’) (2008) both peaking the highest at Number 2. On the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, she has had four top 40 hits, with ‘Bag Lady’ from 2000 charting the highest at Number 6, while ‘On & On’ made Number 12. In the UK, Erykah Badu has had six top 40 charting singles, including three as a featured artist, with ‘On & On’ peaking the highest at Number 12.

‘On & On’ was the debut single from Erykah Badu, and was released as the first of four singles from her debut studio Album ‘Baduizm,’ from February 1997, the song was co-written by Erykah Badu, and JaBorn Jamal, with the production being by Madukwu Chinwah, and Erykah Badu. ‘On & On’ is a ‘Neo Soul’ song, which features teachings of the ‘Five-Percent Nation’ in its lyrics. The Five-Percent Nation, is an Afro-American Nationalist movement influenced by the Nation of Islam, that was founded in 1964, in the Harlem section of the borough of Manhattan, New York City, by Clarence 13X, (1928-1969) who was previously known as Clarence Edward Smith. The Five-Percent Nation teaches the belief that black people are the original people of the planet Earth, and are therefore the fathers (Gods) and mothers (Earths) of civilisation. The Nation teaches that the black man, insofar as the Nation defines this race, is himself God, with the black race being a race of actual gods.

It was Kedar Massenburg who on seeing Badu perform live, first signed her to the ‘Universal’ record label, it was also Massenburg who coined the phrase ‘Neo Soul’ to describe the kind of music Badu was making. ‘Neo’ means new, and ‘Soul’ in this context was used to describe something old, that had always been there. What Massenburg could hear in ‘Neo Soul’ is a blending of ‘Hip-Hop,’ African/American music, ‘Funk,’ ‘Soul,’ and ‘Jazz,’ creating new sounds. Kedar Massenburg who was born on March 1st, 1963, in New York City, United States, promoted Erykah Badu by giving away 1,000 copies of ‘On & On’ at the 1996 ‘Soul Train Music Awards.’ He has recalled, ‘And man, when I heard it banging out of somebody’s car going down the street that same night, I knew I had something.’

Erykah Badu in ‘On & On’ is telling us that we are all made in God’s image, and we all deserve the same respect. She tells us that most intellects are convinced that God doesn’t exist, but the fear of a higher being, or some other unknown force scares us.

‘Peace and blessings manifest with every lesson learn, if your knowledge were your wealth then it will be well earn. If we were made in his image then call us by our names, most intellects do not believe in God, but they fear us just the same.’