Flamboyantly attired R&B icon Erykah Badu has released multiple multi-platinum albums since her watershed 1997 record Baduizm.

Born Erica Abi Wright, Badu and her two siblings were raised primarily by their mother and grandmother in Dallas, Texas. Following in her actress mother's footsteps, Badu briefly studied theater in college before dropping out to pursue music full-time. Her emergence on the neo-soul scene came in the form of her 1996 cover of "Your Precious Love" - a duet with established singer/songwriter/producer D'Angelo. Two years later, her debut album Baduism won Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. She has since released five studio albums and one live record, as well as appearing (very) occasionally in films.

Badu has been tied to several rappers throughout her career. Her relationship with André 3000 of Outkast spawned her first child and his hit song "Ms. Jackson". She had her second and third children with The D.O.C. and Jay Electronic, respectively. Badu also dated rapper Common in the early 2000's, reportedly dumping him over the phone when she fell for someone else.

Badu has been a practicing doula for several years and is working toward her midwife certification. [Image via AP]