Erica Abi Wright, born February 26, 1971, records as Erykah Badu. Raised in Dallas by her mother, the actress Kolleen Wright, she performed at the Dallas Theater Center and The Black Academy of Arts and Letters as a child and was freestyling on local radio by 14. She studied theater at Grambling State University, left before graduating, and moved to Brooklyn to finish her debut. Baduizm arrived in 1997, went triple platinum and made her the central voice of neo soul, with "On & On," "Next Lifetime" and "Otherside of the Game." The live album that followed carried "Tyrone," and Mama's Gun, Worldwide Underground and the two New Amerykah records deepened her reputation. She has also worked as a DJ, doula and actress, and announced the collaborative album Abi and Alan with The Alchemist.