Erykah Badu was born Erica Abi Wright on February 26, 1971, in Dallas, Texas. Singer Erykah Badu was exposed to the arts early on, and eventually began to perform in shows at the local Dallas Theater Center. In 1996, Badu's demo caught the attention of music producer Kedar Massenburg, who signed her and paired her with D'Angelo to record the song "Your Precious Love." Kedar Entertainment later merged with Universal Motown. Today, Badu is best known for her soulful music style, which is showcased on albums such as the Grammy Award-winning Baduizm and 1997's Live. [Read more].