Meshell Ndegeocello

Meshell Ndegeocello
Ndegeocello performing in 2016
Background information
Birth name	Michelle Lynn Johnson
Also known as	Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur Me'Shell Ndegéocello
Born	(1968-08-29) August 29, 1968 (age 56) Berlin, Germany
Origin	Washington, D.C., United States
Genres	Funk soul neo soul jazz hip hop reggae rock progressive soul[1]
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.com

Meshell Ndegeocello (/mɪˈʃɛl ənˌdeɪɡeɪoʊˈtʃɛloʊ/ mish-EL ən-DAY-gay-oh-CHEL-oh;^[2] born Michelle Lynn Johnson on August 29, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell 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, including funk, soul, jazz, hip hop, reggae and rock. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career,^[4][5] being nominated for eleven Grammy Awards, and winning two.^[6] She also has been credited for helping to "spark the neo-soul movement".^[7]

Ndegeocello was born Michelle Lynn Johnson in West Berlin, Germany, to US Army Sergeant Major 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.

Ndegeocello adopted her surname, which she says means "free like a bird" in Swahili. Early pressings of Plantation 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 is Meshell Ndegeocello.^[8]

Ndegeocello honed her skills on the D.C. go-go circuit in the late 1980s with the bands Prophecy, Little Benny and the Masters, and Rare Essence.^[9] 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 No. 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 No. 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.

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 spoken word 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. Ndegeocello also performed spoken word on Chaka Khan's single "Never Miss the Water", from the album Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan, Vol. 1, released in 1996. The song reached #1 on Billboard's Dance Club Play Chart and #36 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Chart.

Her music has been featured in a number of film soundtracks 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, Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom, Soul Men, and Biker Boyz.

She has appeared on recordings by Basement Jaxx, Indigo Girls, Scritti Politti, 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". Also that year, she appeared on Gov’t Mule’s record The Deep End, Volume 2, playing on a cover of The Staple Singers’ song "Hammer and Nails". And in 2009, she appeared on Zap Mama's album ReCreation, playing 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: 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.^[10]

Her song "Tie One On" was chosen as the Starbucks iTunes Pick of the Week on February 23, 2010.^[11][12]

In 2016, she provided the theme song, "Nova", for the Oprah Winfrey-produced show Queen Sugar.^[13] She also collaborated with French-Cuban duo Ibeyi in the song "Transmission/Michaelion" for the album Ash reciting a poem by Frida Kahlo.

In December 2016, the world premiere of Ndegeocello's Can I Get a Witness? The Gospel of James Baldwin, a new theatrical music and art work, was held in Harlem, New York.^[14]

In June 2021, The Beatles Channel on Sirius XM Radio began broadcasting A Shot of Rhythm and Blues: Exploring The Beatles and Black Music, a four-part series hosted by Ndegeocello.^[15][16][17] The series explores the relationship between the English rock band the Beatles and the black musicians that inspired them.^[15][16][17]

Ndegeocello joined the Blue Note label with the debut release of her 13th studio album The 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 a real book in jazz repertoire.^[18]

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" 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.

Ndegeocello is bisexual and previously had a relationship with feminist author Rebecca Walker. Ndegeocello's first son, Solomon, was born in 1989.^[19] Since 2005, she has been married to Alison Riley, with whom she has a second son.^[20]

• 1994 – Madonna, Bedtime Stories: "I'd Rather Be Your Lover" (Maverick/Sire/Warner Bros.)
• 1994 – Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool: "Nocturnal Sunshine" with Herbie Hancock
• 1995 – Higher Learning (soundtrack): "Soul Searchin' (I Wanna Know If It's Mine)" (Epic)
• 1995 – Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality: "For You" with Guru (Chrysalis)
• 1995 – White Man's Burden: "Time Has Come Today" (Chrysalis)
• 1995 – Panther (soundtrack): "Freedom (Theme)" (Mercury)
• 1997 – Love Jones (soundtrack): "Rush Over" with Marcus Miller (Columbia)
• 1997 – Money Talks (soundtrack): "The Teaching" (Arista)
• 1997 – Batman & Robin (soundtrack): "Poison Ivy" (Warner Bros.)
• 1997 – Queen Pen, My Melody: "Girlfriend" (Interscope)
• 1998 – How Stella Got Her Groove Back (soundtrack): "Let Me Have You" (Flyte Tyme/MCA)
• 1998 – Down in the Delta (soundtrack): "My Soul Don't Dream" (Virgin)
• 1999 – Scritti Politti, Anomie & Bonhomie: "Die Alone" (Virgin)
• 1999 – The Best Man (soundtrack): "Untitled" (Sony)
• 1999 – Eric Benét, A Day in the Life: "Ghetto Girl" (Warner Bros.)
• 2000 – Love & Basketball (soundtrack): "Fool of Me" (New Line)
• 2002 – Gov’t Mule, The Deep End, Volume 2: "Hammer & Nails" (Ato)
• 2003 – The Blind Boys of Alabama, Go Tell It on the Mountain: "Oh Come All Ye Faithful", vocals and piano (Real World)
• 2005 – Joshua Redman, Momentum: "Greasy G", bass (Nonesuch)
• 2007 – Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur: "Imagine" by John Lennon (Warner Bros.)
• 2007 – Talk to Me (soundtrack): "Compared to What" with Terence Blanchard (Atlantic)
• 2012 – Robert Glasper Experiment, Black Radio: "The Consequences of Jealousy"
• 2014 – Jason Moran, All Rise: A Joyful Elegy for Fats Waller: producer with Don Was, and vocals (Blue Note)
• 2020 – Pat Metheny, From This Place: "From This Place" (Nonesuch)
• 2022 – Antonio Sanchez, SHIFT (Bad Hombre Vol. II): "Comet, Come to Me" (Warner Bros.)
• 2022 – Robert Glasper, Black Radio III: "Better Than I Imagined" with H.E.R. (Lomo Vista)

• Morris, Wesley (August 1, 2024). "Meshell Ndegeocello Could Have Had Stardom but Chose Music Instead". The New York Times. Retrieved August 12, 2024.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Meshell Ndegeocello.

• Official website
• Meshell Ndegeocello at AllMusic
• Meshell Ndegeocello discography at Discogs
• Meshell Ndegeocello discography at MusicBrainz
• Extensive audio interview on The Sound of Young America