"I go on and on / My cypher keeps moving like a rolling stone..." Those are the lyrics from singer/songwriter Erykah Badu's "On & On" off of her 1997 debut album, Baduizm. Badu herself is a testament to going "on and on" since she's been in the limelight singing, producing and breaking barriers in music nearly 25 years.
On her debut, Baduizm ignited a neo-soul wildfire selling over three million albums, earning two Grammy Awards, and birthing its own concert album, Live, just nine months later.
Erykah Badu was born Erica Abi Wright, the Southern-girl daughter of Kolleen Wright, who worked as an actress in local theatrical productions. From Erica to Erykah, she honed her skills as a singer, dancer and actress and even worked as a host with Steve Harvey in a Dallas comedy club before her first EP dropped.
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Still being able to headline tours and sell out shows in 2020, Erykah attributes her longevity to her clean lifestyle: thinking, living and eating clean, which includes being a vegan.
"I guess it’s the daily routine," admits Badu. "I don’t have any particular thing I do ritualistically. I do the same thing every day. I get up. Drink a lot of water. Have a wheatgrass shot. Drink some green juice. Eat as healthy as I can. I’m not trying to win an award for being the best vegetarian, just want to be healthy. Take a salt bath. Do things that my parents were never able to do. I’m blessed to do anything I want so I decide to take the best care of my body and my family in the same way. Holistically. Vitally."
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Badu's clean lifestyle offers three ways we can all live better:
IDENTIFY: Find out what negative beliefs, memories, or emotions you may be carrying around with you. What sparked their creation? Then find out how and why you could be still holding onto them.
CLEANSE: Drink plenty of water to help flush impurities out of the body. Incorporate prayer into your daily routine; it cleanses the spirit. Use your clean mind and body to set a new course: a course on the path toward healing.
FAST: Fasting the body allows you to assess your mind and get into a conscious state. It can create an opportunity for you to listen to your spirit, evaluate your personal needs and execute accordingly.
In the song "Green Eyes" from her second album Mama’s Gun, Badu sings, “My eyes are green ’cause I eat a lot of vegetables.” Badu, who has become very outspoken about her vegan lifestyle, stated that, “Vegan food is soul food in its truest form. Soul food means to feed the soul. And to me, your soul is your intent. If your intent is pure, you are pure.” Badu is quick to point out that she doesn’t force her lifestyle on her kids and has full confidence that they will know how to take care of their bodies with vegetables, preventative medicine, water, rest and healthy activity in the future.
In addition to her 15 years of a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle, it has been reported that Badu is also pursuing a certification in Reiki, a Japanese-Buddhist practice of stress relief and healing through the palms.
