Some people say Lauryn Hill is everything that Erykah Badu wanted to be. This doesn't sound anything like Lauryn Hill and it shouldn't. Erykah carved out a nice sound for herself on this album that should guarantee her longevity in music as long as she expands on it. A great, jazzy "chillin' out" album.


A cooled debut...   May 2, 2004
brother_ike (L-Boogie)
17 out of 18 found this review helpful

Erykah Badu was part of that neo-soul movement from the mid to late 90s that were trying to make REAL R&B rather than all the bad boy hip hop kinda mess that most acts were making. `Baduism' is a real cool debut, a nice collection of chilled, jazzy numbers about love & spiritualism etc. The main song here is `On & On', the big single that I personally can play over and over. But there's a lot of other good stuff here, the production is inventive and Badu has a nice style. `Next Lifetime' is a deep & meaningful song with a lot of truth. All the melodies here are real nice and the album is likely to stay in your hifi for a long time. Well Recommended for those in need of some intelligent R&B.


My Personal Favorite Album   February 24, 2002
Anthony Humphrey (Manhattan)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

Erykah Badu is a very gifted & talented singer, songwriter and actress. Her soothing blends of old-school jazz & soul influences create an amazing backdrop of seductive beats, and a distinctive vocal style. With a musical approach that contains highly mature lyrics, Badu scats her way through an album of masterpieces.

From the opening "Rimshot Intro" all the way to the closing "Rimshot Outro", Badu offers us an in depth look into her wonderful life filled with poetic visions and respected insights. "On & On" is a treasure, as is the hip-hop influenced "Apple Tree". "Otherside of the Game" is silky smooth and my personal favorite track "Next Lifetime" is a tale of reincarnated love.

Though some found "Afro" humarious, it carried a very distinct message, that Badu plays nobodys fool. Other sure fire favorites include "Certainly", "Four Leaf Clover", "Drama" and "Sometimes".

The lyrical content varies from track to track, and its nice to hear Badu's unique style of blended music put together onto one terrific album. She is definetly gifted and I hope that all her releases leave me as happy as this one in the future.


Original. Marvelous. Distinguished.   September 22, 2002
The Groove (Boston, MA)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

Erykah Badu's debut album is loaded with old school jazz and modern r&b that's as tighly woven as her famous mile-high headdress. "Badizum" is a classy, towering release; for me, it conjures up images of a Saturday evening at your local jazz club or a cool, sun-drenched Sunday morning. It gives off a calming, peaceful vibe, and it's a near-masterpiece that can't be likened to anything else. Badu's voice, often compared to the grittiness of Billie Holliday, is elegantly restrained; yet, it is its modesty that makes it all the more powerful. There's the jazzed-up swing of the hit "On and On," the soulful swagger of "Four Leaf Clover," and the bangin' "Rimshot." Badu's voice is effortlessly smooth as she croons her way through these slightly hip-hop-flavored slices of r&b. I was first introduced to the music of Badu at a beach party a few years back. The single was "On and On," whose hook made me take a mental note to run and grab her disc. I'm glad I did. And so will you.


"Reality today"   November 27, 2000
Pharoah S. Wail (Inner Space)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

My recent purchase of Erykah's newest cd, Mama's Gun, urged me to revisit Baduizm and also Erykah Badu Live today. I imagine that Erykah's music is in the "R&B" section of most retail outlets. Since I am a person who generally detests "modern R&B", this 5 stars speaks volumes about Erykah as an artist. Whereas most MTV-era R&B is happy just to be lovey-dovey, radio-friendly fluff, Erykah has chosen to actually express spirit, soul, and emotion, all the while avoiding the cliches in which almost all of her contemporaries indulge.

"Other Side Of The Game" is the story of a woman trapped in a bad situation by both love and circumstance. "Drama" seems to be both a veiled plea for the worlds peoples to be helped, as well as a simple answer to those same problems. "Sometimes" is another masterpiece! The way the main lyrics weave in and around the background vocals is perfect and it really brings the words to life and gives them even more dimension. The list goes on, but my words won't do justics to any of these songs anyway.

Erykah is proof-positive that the Soul and Ecstatic Spirit of traditional African cultures and religions can indeed hold a strong place in modern popular music. With so much popular music being little more than pandering to the lowest-common-denominator in hopes of cashing in, Baduizm was and still is a life-breath of ancient wisdom made accessible to the masses. Oh, and did I mention her voice is beautiful?