Her self-determination and sense of purpose have served her well, earning her four Grammy awards and multi-platinum sales, without even a hint of artistic or personal compromise. Her voice evokes the texture and color of Billie Holiday, Diana Ross and Chaka Khan while maintaining a signature sound all its own.

Born Erica Wright, February 26, 1971 in Dallas, Texas, Erykah has reached the top of the charts, yet she keeps her roots close to home. Dallas remains her base of operations and the center of her world. She lives only minutes from where she grew up in south Dallas.

Beyond her artistic pursuits, Erykah has demonstrated her devotion to her community by talking to students at local high schools about the perils of promiscuity, drug abuse, and the pitfalls of poor nutrition, serving as celebrity spokeswoman for the AIDS Arms LifeWalk, and giving free concerts at the Black Forest Theater, which she had refurbished in South Dallas.

"I'm gonna do what I feel, and I think the audience likes my truth," Erykah explains. "I think it has relevance in this world, and that's what I wanna share-my story, my truth."

Indeed, Erykah's truth has powerfully reverberated in the minds and hearts of many. Her debut album, Baduizm, now considered a landmark for R&B music, has gone Platinum five times. She has been nominated for Grammys on each album she has released.

Erykah first performed onstage at the age of four, primed for the limelight by her mother, Kolleen Wright, a professional actress. By the age of 10, she was composing music and absorbing the R&B music of the 60s, 70s and 80s as well as the emerging hip hop culture, all while studying voice, dance and art. The seeds of a diverse and creative artist were being sown.

While attending Booker T. Washington High School For The Performing Arts, she had a regular spot rapping on a local radio show and was known to listeners as "Apples." Then, seizing her own sense of identity, she renamed herself entirely, transforming herself from Erica Wright to Erykah Badu: "kah" for the "inner self" and "ba-du," after the scat singing of the jazz greats. A star was born, an intelligent and ambitious woman who confidently stood behind the image she projected. The real thing.

In 1994, Erykah got her big musical break opening live for recording artist D'Angelo, whose manager at the time was Kedar Masserburg. Kedar signed her to his up and coming label, Kedar Entertainment. Kedar then went on to be the president of Motown, and Erykah became one of the biggest acts of the recent Motown era, striking Grammy gold with Baduism. Her third album, Mama's Gun, spawned the single "Bag Lady," which remained #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks chart for 7 weeks.

Erykah gave birth to a son, Seven, the same day her second LP, Live! was released in the U.S.-quite untraditionally, just a few months after her debut. Erykah named her son Seven because it is "...a divine number which cannot be divided." Live! went double platinum, soaring to success alongside Baduizm. It hit the top 40 led by a song about a deadbeat boyfriend that was originally improvised onstage in London, "Tyrone".

Soon after, Erykah took her talents to the silver screen, appearing in the film Blues Brothers 2000 as a mystical jazz diva, and in the critically acclaimed Cider House Rules. She has since starred alongside Robin Williams and Tea Leone in House of D, a film directed by David Duchovny.

Her most recent release, Worldwide Underground, is a gutsy, organic creation-recorded mostly on tour, which gives the collection an energetic, impromptu feel. This album features collaborations with artists such as Lenny Kravitz, Queen Latifah, and Angie Stone. Production was handled by a group of Erykah's longtime collaborators and musicians she's recently dubbed "Freakquency." From Stevie Wonder-style choral arrangements to old school hip hop beats pronounced by explosive horn riffs, the entire album is a testament to Ms. Badu's continuing sophistication when it comes to her craft.

Erykah's celebrated career has garnered her numerous awards. In addition to four Grammys, her work has been honored with three Soul Train Lady of Soul awards, an Aretha Franklin "Entertainer of the Year" Award, a Billboard Music Video award, a BET Music Video award and an American Music Award. But this adulation has never tempted her to forget her roots.

In 2003 Erykah announced the formation of her nonprofit group B.L.I.N.D. (Beautiful Love Incorporated Non Profit Development). B.L.I.N.D. works to create social change through economic, artistic, and cultural development, beginning in the south Dallas community. The organization's first project was refurbishing the Black Forest Theater, a venue where a younger Erykah had gone to watch local acts perform. The theater now serves as B.L.I.N.D. headquarters and a space where Erykah has hosted live shows featuring artists such as Prince, The Roots' ?uestlove, George Clinton, Paul Okenfold and Snoop Dogg.

In July of 2004, Erykah welcomed a new addition to her family with the birth of her daughter, Puma. 2005 has quickly shaped up to be a watershed year for Erykah. She is currently at work on her much-anticipated 4th studio album, slated for release in Spring 2006, and has taken on yet another film role. She has also spread her entrepreneurial wings with the launch of her own label-Control FreaQ Records-and by joining forces with Queen Latifah and Jill Scott to found Sugar Water, LLC, which is operating The Sugar Water Festival summer concert tour this summer and expanding into Europe and Asia in 2006.