Culture Erykah Badu sees five doctors a day. Sort of. There’s Dr Exercise, Dr Nutrition, Dr Meditation, Dr Sleep and Dr Sun, she tells me from New York, where she has already had a busy morning seeing each of them in turn.
‘I didn’t feel like getting up at 5am,’ she admits. ‘The first thing I wanted to do was go to Instagram and see what the people said about what I posted yesterday. But instead of that I stay true to the discipline.
’ Barefaced and framed by a simple T-shirt, she sits but never slouches; as poised as she is relaxed, her every sentence is like a bedtime story: ‘Now I’m ready for you.’ Born Erica Wright in Dallas, Texas , and known globally as the godmother of neo soul, the 53-year-old first embarked on her wellness journey as a dance student, aged 19. Since then, her path has led her to mindfulness, spirituality , veganism, midwifery and her own line of cannabis, tailored specifically to women.
Even ‘wokeness’ as it is defined today can be traced back to Badu. The day we meet also happens to be a Friday, her weekly day of fasting. ‘It was maybe 1994 when I started it, I think they call it intermittent fasting — I did it because I wanted to show nature, the universe and God that I was grateful.
Because I knew that I was going to get a record deal, I knew that my success was on the horizon.’ Whether it was the fasting or a genre-awakening debut album that would shape music history, Badu’s success is unquestionable. Since the release.
