Meshell Ndegeocello | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Ndegeocello performing in 2016 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur Me'Shell Ndegéocello |
| Born | Michelle Lynn Johnson (1968-08-29)August 29, 1968 (age 57) Berlin, Germany |
| Origin | Washington, D.C., United States |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, musician |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, bass, keyboards, drums, guitar |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels | Maverick/Reprise/Warner Bros,Shanachie,EmArcy,Decca/Universal,Mercer Street/Downtown,Naïve,Blue Note |
| Website | www |
Meshell Ndegeocello (/mɪˈʃɛlənˌdeɪɡeɪoʊˈtʃɛloʊ/mish-EL ən-DAY-gay-oh-CHEL-oh;[2] bornMichelle Lynn Johnson on August 29, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and bassist. She has gone by the nameMeshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on some of her mid-career work.[3] Her music incorporates a wide variety of influences, includingfunk,soul,jazz,hip hop,reggae androck. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career,[4][5] being nominated for 13Grammy Awards, and winning three.[6][7] She also has been credited for helping to "spark theneo-soul movement".[8]
Ndegeocello was born Michelle Lynn Johnson inWest Berlin, Germany, to US ArmySergeant Major and saxophonist father Jacques Johnson and health care worker mother Helen. She was raised in Washington, D.C., where she attendedDuke Ellington School of the Arts andOxon Hill High School.
Ndegeocello adopted her surname, which she says means "free like a bird" inSwahili. Early pressings ofPlantation Lullabies were affixed with stickers to help pronounce her name. The spelling has changed in the hands of record labels a few times during her career; the correct spelling of her stage name as of 2001 isMeshell Ndegeocello.[9]
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Ndegeocello honed her skills on the D.C.go-go circuit in the late 1980s with the bands Prophecy, Little Benny and the Masters, andRare Essence.[10] Going solo, she was one of the first artists to sign withMaverick Records, where she released her debut album,Plantation Lullabies. This recording presented a distinctlyandrogynous persona.
Her biggest hit is aduet withJohn Mellencamp, acover version ofVan Morrison's "Wild Night", which reached No. 3 on theBillboard charts. Her only otherBillboard Hot 100 hit besides "Wild Night" has been her self-penned "If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night)", which peaked at No. 73 in 1994. Also in 1994, Ndegeocello collaborated withHerbie Hancock on "Nocturnal Sunshine," a track for theRed 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" byTime magazine.
She had a No. 1 dance hit in 1996 with aBill Witherscover song called "Who Is He (And What Is He to You)?" (briefly featured in the filmJerry 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" forMadonna on her albumBedtime Stories. Ndegeocello was also tapped, at the last minute, to perform spoken word on the same song. This came after Madonna and producers decided to removeTupac Shakur's rap (which he did while he and Madonna were dating in 1994), after he had criminal charges filed against him. Ndegeocello also performed spoken word onChaka Khan's single "Never Miss the Water", from the albumEpiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan, Vol. 1, released in 1996. The song reached No. 1 on Billboard's Dance Club Play Chart and No. 36 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Chart.
Her music has been featured in a number of film soundtracks includingHow 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,Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom,Soul Men, andBiker Boyz.
She has appeared on recordings byBasement Jaxx,Indigo Girls,Scritti Politti, andThe Blind Boys of Alabama. OnThe Rolling Stones' 1997 albumBridges to Babylon she plays bass on the song "Saint of Me". OnAlanis Morissette's 2002 albumUnder Rug Swept, she plays bass on the songs "So Unsexy" and "You Owe Me Nothing in Return". Also that year, she appeared onGov’t Mule’s recordThe Deep End, Volume 2, playing on a cover of TheStaple Singers’ song "Hammer and Nails". And in 2009, she appeared onZap Mama's albumReCreation, playing bass on the song "African Diamond".
She can also be seen in the documentaryStanding in the Shadows of Motown, singingThe Miracles' "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" andThe Temptations' "Cloud Nine". In the late 1990s, she toured withLilith Fair. She also did a remake of the song "Two Doors Down" on the 2003 releaseJust Because I'm a Woman: Songs of Dolly Parton.
Ndegeocello was also a judge for The 2nd, 12th, 13 and the 2015 14th Annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.[11]
Her song "Tie One On" was chosen as theStarbucksiTunes Pick of the Week on February 23, 2010.[12][13]
In 2016, she provided the theme song, "Nova", for theOprah Winfrey-produced showQueen Sugar.[14] She also collaborated with French-Cuban duoIbeyi in the song "Transmission/Michaelion" for the albumAsh reciting a poem byFrida Kahlo.
In December 2016, the world premiere of Ndegeocello'sCan I Get a Witness? The Gospel of James Baldwin, a new theatrical music and art work, was held in Harlem, New York.[15]
In June 2021,The Beatles Channel onSirius XM Radio began broadcastingA Shot of Rhythm and Blues: Exploring The Beatles and Black Music, a four-part series hosted by Ndegeocello.[16][17][18] The series explores the relationship between the English rock bandthe Beatles and the black musicians that inspired them.[16][17][18]
Ndegeocello joined theBlue Note label with the debut release of her 13th studio albumThe Omnichord Real Book (2023). The title refers to a set of lead sheets from songs from funk, soul, gospel and more influenced by her father as if a compilation of standards like areal book in jazz repertoire.[19]
In 2002, Ndegeocello collaborated withYerba Buena on a track featuring Ron Black for theRed Hot Organization's tribute album toFela Kuti,Red Hot and Riot. Proceeds from the album went to variousAIDS charities, per the Red Hot Organization's mission.
In June 2010, she contributed a cover ofU2's "40" to theEnough Project andDowntown 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 anthologyIt Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living, edited byDan Savage and Terry Miller in the vein of theIt Gets Better Project.
Ndegeocello isbisexual and previously had a relationship with feminist authorRebecca Walker. Ndegeocello's first son was born in 1989.[20][21] He provides backing vocals along with his classmates (credited as The Aeroplane Kids) on the hit song "Aeroplane" byRed Hot Chili Peppers from their 1995 albumOne Hot Minute. He was classmates with bassistFlea's daughter.[22]
Since 2005, Ndegeocello has been married to Alison Riley, with whom she has a second son.[23]
| Year | Album | Chart positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [35] | US R&B [36] | US Jazz [37] | AUS [38] | BEL [39] | FRA [40] | SWI [41] | UK [42] | ||
| 1993 | Plantation Lullabies | 166 | 35 | — | 100 | — | — | — | — |
| 1996 | Peace Beyond Passion | 63 | 15 | — | 30 | — | — | 46 | 100 |
| 1999 | Bitter | 105 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2002 | Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape | 67 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003 | Comfort Woman | 150 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2005 | The Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidel | — | — | 9 | — | — | 127 | — | — |
| 2007 | The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams | 186 | 60 | — | — | — | 92 | — | — |
| 2009 | Devil's Halo | 185 | 64 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2011 | Weather | — | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2012 | Pour une Âme Souveraine: A Dedication to Nina Simone | — | 46 | — | — | 190 | 117 | — | — |
| 2014 | Comet, Come to Me | 161 | 22 | — | — | 194 | — | — | — |
| 2018 | Ventriloquism | — | — | — | — | 86 | — | 62 | — |
| 2023 | The Omnichord Real Book | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2024 | No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin | — | — | — | — | — | — | 67 | — |
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [43] | US R&B [44] | US Dance [45] | AUS [46] | UK [42] | |||||||
| 1993 | "Dred Loc" | — | 86 | — | 134 | — | Plantation Lullabies | ||||
| "If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night)" | 73 | 20 | 23 | 79 | 74 | ||||||
| "Outside Your Door" | 113 | 41 | — | 149 | — | ||||||
| 1994 | "Call Me" | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Wild Night" (withJohn Mellencamp) | 3 | — | — | 18 | 34 | Dance Naked (John Mellencamp) | |||||
| 1996 | "Who Is He and What Is He to You" | — | 34 | 1 | 115 | 80 | Peace Beyond Passion | ||||
| "Leviticus: Faggot" | — | — | 15 | — | — | ||||||
| "Never Miss the Water"(withChaka Khan) | 102 | 36 | 1 | — | 59 | Non-album single | |||||
| 1997 | "Stay" | — | 67 | 15 | — | — | Peace Beyond Passion | ||||
| 1999 | "Grace" | — | — | — | — | — | Bitter | ||||
| 2002 | "Pocketbook" (featuringMissy Elliott,Tweet andRedman) | — | 116 | — | — | — | Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape | ||||
| "Earth" | — | — | 29 | — | — | ||||||
| 2006 | The Article 3 (EP) | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||||
| Exit Music – Songs with Radio Heads EP 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 2007 | "Lovely Lovely" | — | — | — | — | — | The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams | ||||
| 2014 | "Conviction" | — | — | — | — | — | Comet, Come to Me | ||||
| 2018 | "Tender Love" | — | — | — | — | — | Ventriloquism | ||||
| "Sometimes It Snows in April" | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Waterfalls" | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 2019 | "True Vine" (featuring Justin Hicks and Kenita Miller) | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | ||||
| 2023 | "Virgo" | — | — | — | — | — | The Omnichord Real Book | ||||
| "Vuma" (featuring Thandiswa andJoel Ross) | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "The 5th Dimension" (featuring the HawtPlates) | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "Clear Water" (featuringDeantoni Parks,Jeff Parker, andSanford Biggers) | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | |||||||||||
