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Biography
BLP sources|date=April 2011Infobox musical artist | name = Meshell Ndegeocello| image = Meshell Ndegeocello.jpg| caption = Meshell Ndegeocello performing in Washington, D.C., 2007| background = solo_singer| birth_name = Michelle Lynn Johnson| alias = Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur Me'Shell NdegéOcello| birth_date = birth date and age|1968|8|29|birth_place = Berlin , Germany| death_date =| origin = Washington, D.C. , United States| instrument = Singing|Vocals , bass guitar|bass | genre = Funk , jazz , soul music|soul , contemporary R& B|R& B , hip hop music|hip hop , reggae , rock music|rock | occupation = Musician , songwriter , Rapping|rapper | years_active = 1993–present| label = Maverick Records|Maverick , Reprise Records|Reprise , Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros , Shanachie Records|Shanachie , EmArcy Records|EmArcy , Decca Records|Decca , Universal Music Group|Universal , Downtown Records|Mercer Street/Downtown | associated_acts = John Mellencamp | website = URL| http://www.meshell.com| notable_instruments = Meshell Ndegeocello (born Michelle Lynn Johnson, August 29, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter , rapping|rapper , bassist , and Singing|vocalist . Her music incorporates a wide variety of influences, including funk , soul music|soul , hip hop music|hip hop , reggae , contemporary R& B|R& B , rock music|rock , and jazz . She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career,cite web |url= http://articles.latimes.com/2002/oct/24/news/wk-pop24 |title=Head, heart and soul |accessdate=2009-02-28 |last=Lecaro |first=Lena |date=2002-10-24 |work=Los Angeles Times |pages=E–12cite web |url= http://www.rosebudus.com/rosebud/news/07-12.html |title=Grammy Nominations For J J Cale, Bettye LaVette and Meshell Ndegeocello - Just Announced |accessdate=2009-02-28 |date=2007-12-06 |work=News, December 2007 |publisher=The Rosebud AgencyDead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot and has had ten career Grammy Award nominations.cite web |url= http://www.nyrock.com/worldbeat/08_2002/081402b.asp |title=Meshell Ndegeocello to Perform at 'You Rock My Soul' GMHC Benefit Concert at Carnegie Hall on November 11th |accessdate=2009-02-28 |date=2002-08-14 |work= NY Rock She has been credited for having "sparked the neo soul|neo-soul movement."cite web |url= http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur7644.cfm |title=Me'Shell Ndegeocello: One Tough "Cookie" |accessdate=2009-02-28 |last=Yarbrough |first=Kenya |date=2002-08-09 |work=EURweb |publisher=Rabercom Enterprises
Biography
Ndegeocello was born Michelle Lynn Johnson in Berlin , 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.Citation needed|date=June 2009 Named Michelle Lynn Johnson at birth, Ndegeocello adopted her surname at the age of 17, which she says means "free like a bird" in Swahili language|Swahili . 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 .cite web|url= http://www.freemyheart.com |title=FreeMyHeart.com |publisher=FreeMyHeart.com |date=2001-03-03 |accessdate=2011-07-18
Personal life
Ndegeocello is bisexual and previously had a relationship with feminist author 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.cite web|last=Zwerin |first=Mike |url= http://www.iht.com/articles/1994/02/23/meshell.php |title=Me'Shell - Debut on Madonna Label - NYTimes.com |publisher=International Herald Tribune |date=1994-02-23 |accessdate=2011-07-18 She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on some of her later work.cite web|last=Layman |first=Will |url= http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/n/ndegeocellomeshell-dance.shtml |title=Me'Shell Ndegeocello: The Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidels < PopMatters |publisher=Popmatters.com |date= |accessdate=2011-07-18 She is a Muslim . http://backup.curvemag.com/Detailed/500.html Get Comfortable: A Q& A With Meshell Ndegeocello
Career
Ndegeocello honed her skills on the D.C. go-go circuitWhere|date=July 2011 in the late 1980s with the bands Prophecy, Little Bennie and the Masters, and Rare Essence Cite news|last = Wiltz|first=Teresa|title=Meshell Ndegeocello Breaks Step With Pop | newspaper = Washington Post|pages=N01|date=2005-06-19|url= http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/17/AR2005061700715_pf.html|postscript = 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 (magazine)|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, Ndegeocello 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)|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 (entertainer)|Madonna on her album Bedtime Stories (Madonna)|Bedtime Stories .Citation needed|date=April 2011 Ndegeocello was also tapped, at the last minute, to perform a rap on the same song. This came after Madonna and producers decided to remove Tupac Shakur's rap (which he did while he and Madonna were dating in 1994), after he had criminal charges filed against him.Citation needed|date=December 2011 Her music has been featured in a number of film soundtrack s including How Stella Got Her Groove Back , Lost & Delirious , Batman & Robin (film)|Batman & Robin , Love Jones (film)|Love Jones , Love & Basketball (film)|Love & Basketball , Talk to Me (1996 film)|Talk To Me , '' Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls , The Best Man (1999 film)|The Best Man , Higher Learning , Down in the Delta , The Hurricane (1999 film)|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 (film)|Standing in the Shadows of Motown , singing The Miracles ' " You've Really Got a Hold on Me " and The Temptations ' " Cloud Nine (The Temptations song)|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 The Independent Music Awards|Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.cite web|url= http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima_new/pastjudges.asp |title=Past Judges |publisher=Independent Music Awards |date= |accessdate=2011-07-18
Her song “Tie One On” was chosen as the Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week on February 23, 2010.cite web|author=Posted by Heringer |url= http://www.mark-heringer.com/2010/02/starbucks-itunes-pick-of-week-meshell.html |title=Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week - Meshell Ndegeocello - Tie One On |publisher=www.mark-heringer.com |date=2010-02-23 |accessdate=2011-07-18
Activism
In 2002, Ndegeocello collaborated with Yerba Buena 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"Where|date=July 2011 to the Enough Project and Downtown Records ' http://raisehopeforcongomusic.org/ 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 .
1993: '' If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night) (Maverick)
References
Reflist
External links
Commons category
official|www.meshell.com
discogs artist|Me'Shell NdegéOcello
http://www.freemyheart.com FreeMyHeart, defined as the "definitive" website by Meshell herself
http://www.maximumfun.org/blog/2009/01/meshell-ndegeocello-revolutionary-soul.html Extensive audio interview on public radio program The Sound of Young America
http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=fho-uBgvcCY Meshell live at Glastonbury, 1994 footage (pt.1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=n5yrYbrvoAU& feature=related Meshell live at Glastonbury, 1994 footage (pt.2)
http://www.societyhae.com/profiles/blogs/the-garden-party-weeksville Meshell performance and interview at Weeksville, 2011
Persondata|NAME = Ndegeocello, Meshell |ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Johnson, Michelle Lynn |SHORT DESCRIPTION = American Songwriter, musician, and LGBT activist |DATE OF BIRTH = August 29, 1968 |PLACE OF BIRTH = Berlin , Germany |DATE OF DEATH = |PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Ndegeocello, Meshell Category:1968 births Category:African American female guitarists Category:African American female singer-songwriters Category:African American rappers Category:American funk bass guitarists Category:American funk singers Category:American hip hop musicians Category:American jazz bass guitarists Category:American jazz singers Category:American multi-instrumentalists Category:American reggae musicians Category:American rhythm and blues bass guitarists Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American rock bass guitarists Category:American rock singer-songwriters Category:American soul singers Category:Bisexual musicians Category:Female bass guitarists Category:Female rappers Category:Funk rock Category:American Muslims Category:Converts to Islam Category:LGBT Muslims Category:LGBT African Americans Category:LGBT musicians from the United States Category:Living people Category:Military brats Category:Musicians from Washington, D.C. Category:Neo soul singers Category:People from Berlin Category:EmArcy Records artists Category:Maverick Records artists Category:Downtown Records artists Category:LGBT rights activists from the United States
