Me'shell Ndegeocello
Encyclopedia
Meshell Ndegeocello is an American singer-songwriter
, rapper
, bassist
, and vocalist
. Her music incorporates a wide variety of influences, including funk
, soul
, hip hop
, reggae
, R&B
, rock
, and jazz
. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career, and has had ten career Grammy Award
nominations. She has been credited for having "sparked the neo-soul
movement."
, Germany, to army
lieutenant
and saxophonist father Jacques Johnson and health care worker mother Helen. She was raised in Washington, D.C.
where she attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts
and Oxon Hill High School
. In early press releases from Maverick Records
her birth year was erroneously listed as 1969. The 1968 birth date has been confirmed through a previous manager and lifelong friend.
Named Michelle Lynn Johnson at birth, Ndegeocello adopted the surname Ndegeocello, which she says means "free like a bird" in Swahili
at the age of 17. Meshell Ndegeocello is pronounced Mee-shell N-deh-gay-o-chel-o. Early pressings of Plantation Lullabies
were stickered with the instructions. The spelling has changed in the hands of record labels a few times during her career; however, the correct spelling of her stage name
is now Meshell Ndegeocello.
Rebecca Walker
. She suffers from photosensitive epilepsy
and is susceptible to seizures induced by flash photography when she is performing live. Her son Solomon was born in 1989. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on some of her later work.
She unsuccessfully tried out for Living Colour
's bassist position, vacated in 1992 by Muzz Skillings
. Going solo, she was one of the first artists to sign with Maverick Records
, where she released her debut album, Plantation Lullabies
. This recording presented a distinctly androgynous persona.
Her biggest hit is a duet with John Mellencamp
, a cover version
of Van Morrison
's "Wild Night
", which reached #3 on the Billboard
charts. Her only other Billboard Hot 100
hit besides "Wild Night
" has been her self-penned "If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night)
", which peaked at #73 in 1994. Also in 1994, Nedegeocello collaborated with Herbie Hancock
on "Nocturnal Sunshine," a track for the Red Hot Organization
's compilation album, Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS
epidemic in relation to the African American
community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by Time
magazine.
She had a No. 1 Dance hit in 1996 with a Bill Withers
cover song called "Who Is He (and What Is He To You?)" (briefly featured in the film Jerry Maguire
) as well as Dance Top 20 hits with "Earth", "Leviticus: Faggot", "Stay" and the aforementioned "If That's Your Boyfriend.. Last Night)". Ndegeocello played bass on the song "I'd Rather be Your Lover" for Madonna
on her album Bedtime Stories. Ndegeocello was also tapped, at the last minute, to perform a rap on the same song. This came after Madonna & producers decided to remove Tupac Shakur's rap (which he did while they were dating in 1994), after he had criminal charges filed against him.
Her music has been featured in a number of film
soundtrack
s including How Stella Got Her Groove Back
, Lost & Delirious, Batman & Robin, Love Jones, Love & Basketball
, Talk To Me
, Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls,The Best Man
, Higher Learning
, Down in the Delta
, The Hurricane, and Soul Men.
She has appeared on recordings by Basement Jaxx
, Indigo Girls
and The Blind Boys of Alabama
. On The Rolling Stones
' 1997 album Bridges to Babylon
she plays bass on the song "Saint Of Me
". On Alanis Morissette
's 2002 album Under Rug Swept
she plays bass on the songs "So Unsexy
" and "You Owe Me Nothing in Return". On Zap Mama
's album ReCreation (2009) she plays bass on the song "African Diamond".
She can also be seen in the documentary
Standing in the Shadows of Motown
, singing The Miracles
' "You've Really Got a Hold on Me
" and The Temptations
' "Cloud Nine
". In the late 1990s, she toured with Lilith Fair
. She also did a remake of the song, "Two Doors Down
" on the 2003 release, Just Because I'm A Woman: The Songs of Dolly Parton.
Ndegeocello was also a judge for the 2nd annual Independent Music Awards
to support independent artists' careers.
Her song “Tie One On” was chosen as the Starbucks
iTunes
Pick of the Week on February 23, 2010.
on a track featuring Ron Black for the Red Hot Organization's tribute album to Fela Kuti
, Red Hot and Riot. Proceeds from the album went to various AIDS charities, per the Red Hot Organization's mission.
In June 2010, she contributed a cover of U2
's "40" to the Enough Project
and Downtown Records
' Raise Hope for Congo compilation. Proceeds from the compilation fund efforts to make the protection and empowerment of Congo’s women a priority, as well as inspire individuals around the world to raise their voice for peace in Congo.
In 2010, Ndegeocello contributed to the essay anthology It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living
, edited by Dan Savage
and Terry Miller in the vein of the It Gets Better Project.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
, bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
, and vocalist
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
. Her music incorporates a wide variety of influences, including funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
, soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
, R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career, and has had ten career Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations. She has been credited for having "sparked the neo-soul
Neo soul
The term neo soul was originally coined by Kedar Massenburg of Motown Records in the late 1990s as a marketing category following the commercial breakthroughs of artists such as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell...
movement."
Biography
Ndegeocello was born Michelle Lynn Johnson in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany, to army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
and saxophonist father Jacques Johnson and health care worker mother Helen. She was raised in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
where she attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts
Duke Ellington School of the Arts
The Duke Ellington School of the Arts is a high school located at 35th Street and R Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C., and dedicated to arts education. One of the high schools of the District of Columbia Public School system, it is named for the American jazz bandleader and composer Edward...
and Oxon Hill High School
Oxon Hill High School
Oxon Hill High School is a public senior high school located in Oxon Hill, an unincorporated area in Prince George's County, Maryland, and a suburb of Washington, D.C...
. In early press releases from Maverick Records
Maverick Records
Maverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
her birth year was erroneously listed as 1969. The 1968 birth date has been confirmed through a previous manager and lifelong friend.
Named Michelle Lynn Johnson at birth, Ndegeocello adopted the surname Ndegeocello, which she says means "free like a bird" in Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
at the age of 17. Meshell Ndegeocello is pronounced Mee-shell N-deh-gay-o-chel-o. Early pressings of Plantation Lullabies
Plantation Lullabies
Plantation Lullabies is the debut album by Me'shell Ndegeocello. It was released 19 October 1993 on Maverick Records. The album peaked at #166 on the Billboard Top 200 list in 1994; with the single "If That's Your Boyfriend " reaching #73 on the Hot 100.Me'shell got three Grammy nominations in...
were stickered with the instructions. The spelling has changed in the hands of record labels a few times during her career; however, the correct spelling of her stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
is now Meshell Ndegeocello.
Personal life
Ndegeocello is bisexual and previously had a relationship with feminist authorAuthor
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
Rebecca Walker
Rebecca Walker
Rebecca Walker is an American writer. She has been named by Time Magazine as one of the 50 future leaders of America.-Early life:...
. She suffers from photosensitive epilepsy
Photosensitive epilepsy
Photosensitive epilepsy is a form of epilepsy in which seizures are triggered by visual stimuli that form patterns in time or space, such as flashing lights, bold, regular patterns, or regular moving patterns.-Symptoms:...
and is susceptible to seizures induced by flash photography when she is performing live. Her son Solomon was born in 1989. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on some of her later work.
Career
Ndegeocello honed her skills on the D.C. go-go circuit in the late 1980s with the bands Prophecy, Little Bennie and the Masters, and Rare EssenceRare Essence
Rare Essence, is an American go-go band, originally from Washington, D.C.-Career:The band developed from a relationship between four childhood friends: Quinten "Footz" Davidson, Andre "Whiteboy" Johnson, Michael "Funky Ned" Neal and John Jones...
She unsuccessfully tried out for Living Colour
Living Colour
Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. Stylistically, the band's music is a creative fusion influenced by free jazz, funk, neo-psychedelia, hard rock, and heavy metal...
's bassist position, vacated in 1992 by Muzz Skillings
Muzz Skillings
Muzz Skillings is an American bassist, singer, guitarist and songwriter. He is best known for having been the original bassist with Living Colour....
. Going solo, she was one of the first artists to sign with Maverick Records
Maverick Records
Maverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
, where she released her debut album, Plantation Lullabies
Plantation Lullabies
Plantation Lullabies is the debut album by Me'shell Ndegeocello. It was released 19 October 1993 on Maverick Records. The album peaked at #166 on the Billboard Top 200 list in 1994; with the single "If That's Your Boyfriend " reaching #73 on the Hot 100.Me'shell got three Grammy nominations in...
. This recording presented a distinctly androgynous persona.
Her biggest hit is a duet with John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
, a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
's "Wild Night
Wild Night
"Wild Night" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and is the opening track on his fifth studio album Tupelo Honey. It was released as a single in 1971 and reached number twenty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart....
", which reached #3 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts. Her only other Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
hit besides "Wild Night
Wild Night
"Wild Night" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and is the opening track on his fifth studio album Tupelo Honey. It was released as a single in 1971 and reached number twenty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart....
" has been her self-penned "If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night)
If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night)
"If That's Your Boyfriend " is a single by Meshell Ndegeocello. It was released in 1993 on Maverick Records. It also appears on her debut album Plantation Lullabies that was released on October 19, 1993 on Maverick Records...
", which peaked at #73 in 1994. Also in 1994, Nedegeocello collaborated with Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
on "Nocturnal Sunshine," a track for the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
's compilation album, Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
epidemic in relation to the African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine.
She had a No. 1 Dance hit in 1996 with a Bill Withers
Bill Withers
William Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands"...
cover song called "Who Is He (and What Is He To You?)" (briefly featured in the film Jerry Maguire
Jerry Maguire
Jerry Maguire is a 1996 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding, Jr. It was written, co-produced, and directed by Cameron Crowe...
) as well as Dance Top 20 hits with "Earth", "Leviticus: Faggot", "Stay" and the aforementioned "If That's Your Boyfriend.. Last Night)". Ndegeocello played bass on the song "I'd Rather be Your Lover" for Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
on her album Bedtime Stories. Ndegeocello was also tapped, at the last minute, to perform a rap on the same song. This came after Madonna & producers decided to remove Tupac Shakur's rap (which he did while they were dating in 1994), after he had criminal charges filed against him.
Her music has been featured in a number of film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
s including How Stella Got Her Groove Back
How Stella Got Her Groove Back
How Stella Got Her Groove Back is a 1998 romance film, directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan. The film stars Angela Bassett, Taye Diggs, Whoopi Goldberg and Regina King. This film is an adaptation of Terry McMillan's bestselling novel by the same title...
, Lost & Delirious, Batman & Robin, Love Jones, Love & Basketball
Love & Basketball (film)
Love & Basketball is a 2000 American romantic drama film, written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. This film stars Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan...
, Talk To Me
Talk to Me
Talk to Me is a 1996 made-for-TV drama film that features Yasmine Bleeth and Ricky Paull Goldin.-Plot:The movie involves Diane Shepherd who is an idealistic talk-showproducer who is conscience-stricken when she clashes with her...
, Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls,The Best Man
The Best Man (1999 film)
The Best Man is a 1999 romantic comedy-drama film, written and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. It was produced by Spike Lee's production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks. The film stars Taye Diggs, Nia Long, Morris Chestnut and Sanaa Lathan, and is considered to be a male-centered answer to...
, Higher Learning
Higher Learning
Higher Learning is a 1995 American drama film, starring an ensemble cast. It also featured Tyra Banks' first performance in a theatrical film...
, Down in the Delta
Down in the Delta
Down in the Delta is a 1998 drama film directed by Maya Angelou. The film stars Alfre Woodard, Al Freeman, Jr., Esther Rolle, Loretta Devine, and Wesley Snipes.-Cast:* Alfre Woodard ... Loretta Sinclair* Al Freeman Jr. ... Earl Sinclair...
, The Hurricane, and Soul Men.
She has appeared on recordings by Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx are a British electronic dance music duo from London, England consisting of Felix Buxton born 1971 and Simon Ratcliffe born 1 December 1969. They first rose to popularity in the late 1990s...
, Indigo Girls
Indigo Girls
The Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duo, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. They met in elementary school and began performing together as high school students in Decatur, Georgia, part of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
and The Blind Boys of Alabama
The Blind Boys of Alabama
The Blind Boys of Alabama are a gospel group from Alabama that first formed at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind at Talladega, Alabama in 1939. The three main vocalists of the group and their drummer/percussionist are all blind....
. On The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
' 1997 album Bridges to Babylon
Bridges to Babylon
Bridges to Babylon is a studio album by British rock band The Rolling Stones, released by Virgin Records on 29 September 1997. It would prove to be the band's final studio album of the 1990s and their last full-length release of new songs until 2005's A Bigger Bang...
she plays bass on the song "Saint Of Me
Saint of Me
"Saint of Me" is a single by The Rolling Stones from their 1997 album Bridges to Babylon. Mick Jagger sings about various people in history who had converted to Christianity, notably St. Paul and St. Augustine. Jagger then states that they will never make a saint out of him.-Recording:The song is...
". On Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
's 2002 album Under Rug Swept
Under Rug Swept
Under Rug Swept is the fifth album by Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette. Released by Maverick Records in the United States on February 26, 2002 and in the United Kingdom a day earlier , it was the first album Morissette had written and produced on her own...
she plays bass on the songs "So Unsexy
So Unsexy
"So Unsexy" is a pop rock song written by Alanis Morissette, and produced by her for her sixth album, Under Rug Swept .-Background and theme:...
" and "You Owe Me Nothing in Return". On Zap Mama
Zap Mama
Zap Mama is a Belgian musical group founded and led by Marie Daulne. Daulne says her mission is to be a bridge between the European and the African and bring the two cultures together with her music...
's album ReCreation (2009) she plays bass on the song "African Diamond".
She can also be seen in the documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
Standing in the Shadows of Motown
Standing in the Shadows of Motown (film)
Standing in the Shadows of Motown is a 2002 documentary film directed by Paul Justman. It recounts the story of The Funk Brothers, the uncredited and largely unheralded studio musicians who performed on Motowns' recordings from 1959 to 1972....
, singing The Miracles
The Miracles
The Miracles are an American rhythm and blues group from Detroit, Michigan, notable as the first successful group act for Berry Gordy's Motown Record Corporation . Their single "Shop Around" was Motown's first million-selling hit record, and the group went on to become one of Motown's signature...
' "You've Really Got a Hold on Me
You've Really Got a Hold on Me
"You've Really Got a Hold on Me" is a 1962 Top 10 hit single by The Miracles for the Tamla label. One of the group's most covered tunes, this million-selling song is a 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee...
" and The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
' "Cloud Nine
Cloud Nine (The Temptations song)
"Cloud Nine" is a 1968 hit single recorded by The Temptations for the Motown label. It was the first of their singles to feature Dennis Edwards instead of David Ruffin in the lineup, was the first of producer Norman Whitfield's psychedelic soul tracks, and won Motown its first Grammy Award...
". In the late 1990s, she toured with Lilith Fair
Lilith Fair
Lilith Fair was a concert tour and travelling music festival, founded by Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan, Nettwerk Music Group's Dan Fraser and Terry McBride, and New York talent agent Marty Diamond. It took place during the summers of 1997 to 1999, and was revived in the summer of 2010. It...
. She also did a remake of the song, "Two Doors Down
Two Doors Down
"Two Doors Down" was a song written and performed by Dolly Parton, which provided a 1978 U.S. country and pop hit for her. The song was sung from the perspective of a woman who has just broken up with her boyfriend and is debating attending a party two doors down the hall from her apartment...
" on the 2003 release, Just Because I'm A Woman: The Songs of Dolly Parton.
Ndegeocello was also a judge for the 2nd annual Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards is an international program that honors top-ranked independent artists and releases in more than 50 Album, Song, Music Video and Design categories....
to support independent artists' careers.
Her song “Tie One On” was chosen as the Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
Pick of the Week on February 23, 2010.
Activism
In 2002, Ndegeocello collaborated with Yerba BuenaYerba Buena
Yerba buena is a rambling aromatic herb of western and northwestern North America, ranging from maritime Alaska southwards to Baja California Sur...
on a track featuring Ron Black for the Red Hot Organization's tribute album to Fela Kuti
Fela Kuti
Fela Anikulapo Kuti , or simply Fela , was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, pioneer of Afrobeat music, human rights activist, and political maverick.-Biography:...
, Red Hot and Riot. Proceeds from the album went to various AIDS charities, per the Red Hot Organization's mission.
In June 2010, she contributed a cover of U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's "40" to the Enough Project
Enough Project
Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress , based in Washington, D.C., created to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Its Co-Founders are John Prendergast and Gayle Smith; its Executive Director is John C. Bradshaw, J.D....
and Downtown Records
Downtown Records
Downtown Records is a record label owned and operated by Downtown Music LLC. Music on the Downtown label is distributed by Universal Music's Fontana Distribution and, for certain releases, as a joint venture with Atlantic Records and also for select releases, by Alternative Distribution Alliance...
' Raise Hope for Congo compilation. Proceeds from the compilation fund efforts to make the protection and empowerment of Congo’s women a priority, as well as inspire individuals around the world to raise their voice for peace in Congo.
In 2010, Ndegeocello contributed to the essay anthology It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living
It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living
It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living is a non-fiction compilation book, edited by Dan Savage and his husband, Terry Miller. It was published March 22, 2011 by Dutton. The book includes selections of essays inspired by the It Gets Better Project, founded...
, edited by Dan Savage
Dan Savage
Daniel Keenan "Dan" Savage is an American author, media pundit, journalist and newspaper editor. Savage writes the internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column Savage Love. Its tone is frank in its discussion of sexuality, often humorous, and hostile to social conservatives, as in...
and Terry Miller in the vein of the It Gets Better Project.
Studio albums
- 1993: Plantation LullabiesPlantation LullabiesPlantation Lullabies is the debut album by Me'shell Ndegeocello. It was released 19 October 1993 on Maverick Records. The album peaked at #166 on the Billboard Top 200 list in 1994; with the single "If That's Your Boyfriend " reaching #73 on the Hot 100.Me'shell got three Grammy nominations in...
(MaverickMaverick RecordsMaverick Recording Company is an American record label owned and operated by Warner Music Group, and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
) - 1996: Peace Beyond PassionPeace Beyond PassionPeace Beyond Passion is an album by Me'shell Ndegeocello. It was released June 25, 1996 on Maverick Records. The album peaked at #63 on the Billboard Top 200 list in 1996. The album also peaked at #15 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart. It went on to become Me'shell's most commercially successful...
(Maverick) - 1999: BitterBitter (album)Bitter is the third solo album by Me'shell Ndegeocello. It was released August 24, 1999 on Maverick Records. The album peaked at #105 on the Billboard Top 200 list in 1999...
(Maverick) - 2002: Cookie: The Anthropological MixtapeCookie: The Anthropological MixtapeCookie: The Anthropological Mixtape is an album by Me'shell Ndegeocello. It was released June 4, 2002 on Maverick Records. The album peaked at #67 on the Billboard Top 200 list that year, and was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 2003 Grammy Awards...
(Maverick) - 2003: Comfort WomanComfort WomanComfort Woman is the fifth solo album by Me'shell Ndegeocello. It was released October 14, 2003 on Maverick Records. The album peaked at #150 on the Billboard Top 200 list that year. The album also peaked at #43 on Billboard's R&B Album chart. The LP was the final record released by Maverick,...
(Maverick) - 2005: The Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the InfidelThe Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the InfidelThe Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidel is the sixth album by American multi-instrumentalist Me'shell Ndegeocello, initially released in France on Universal France on February 14, 2005, and then subsequently on the Shanachie label in the United States on June 21 of the same year .The album is...
(ShanachieShanachie RecordsShanachie Records was founded in 1976 by Richard Nevins and Dan Collins. According to Harvey Pekar , it is one of the largest independent record labels in the world, and is currently distributed by E1 Music. Starting as a label that specialized in fiddle music, they began releasing work by Celtic...
) - 2007: The World Has Made Me the Man of My DreamsThe World Has Made Me the Man of My DreamsThe World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams is the seventh studio album by American musician Meshell Ndegeocello. The album was released in August 2007...
(EmArcyEmArcy RecordsEmArcy Records is a jazz record label founded in 1954 by Mercury Records, and today a European jazz label owned by Universal Music Group. The name is a phonetic spelling of "MRC", the initials for Mercury Record Company....
) - 2009: Devil's HaloDevil's HaloDevil's Halo is the eighth studio album by American recording artist Me'Shell Ndegéocello, released October 6, 2009, on Downtown Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2008 to 2009 at engineer S. Husky Höskulds's eightbitaudio studio in Los Angeles, California...
(DowntownDowntown RecordsDowntown Records is a record label owned and operated by Downtown Music LLC. Music on the Downtown label is distributed by Universal Music's Fontana Distribution and, for certain releases, as a joint venture with Atlantic Records and also for select releases, by Alternative Distribution Alliance...
) - 2011: Weather (NaïveNaïve RecordsNaïve Records is a French independent record label based in Paris, specializing in electronic music, pop music, jazz and classical music. It was founded in 1997 by Patrick Zelnik, Gilles Paires and Eric Tong Cuong.-Artists:* Aṣa* Asian Dub Foundation...
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External links
- Official website
- FreeMyHeart, defined as the "definitive" website by Meshell herself
- Extensive audio interview on public radio program The Sound of Young AmericaThe Sound of Young AmericaThe Sound of Young America is a public radio program and podcast based in Los Angeles, California and distributed by Public Radio International...
- Meshell live at Glastonbury, 1994 footage (pt.1)
- Meshell live at Glastonbury, 1994 footage (pt.2)
- Meshell performance and interview at Weeksville, 2011