Me'Shell NdegéOcello

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soul, funk, female vocalists, neo-soul, jazz… see all

Me’Shell NdegéOcello (b. August 29, 1968) is a singer, bassist, and multi-instrumentalist. She was born Michelle Johnson to Army lieutenant (and saxophonist) father Jacques Johnson and her mother, Helen in Berlin, Germany.

Raised in Washington, D.C., Meshell Suihailia Bashir Shakur (as she became known) adopted the surname Ndegeocello, which means “free like a bird”, while still in her teens. She has been hailed in the music press as a redeemer of soul music. Her music incorporates funk, soul, hip-hop, reggae, rock and jazz. She has been nominated for 9 Grammys. She has frequently toured with Lilith Fair.

Ndegeocello honed her chops on the D.C. Go go circuit in the late 1980s before venturing out as a solo artist. She emerged as a recording artist in 1993 on Maverick Records/Sire Records with her debut, Plantation Lullabies. This recording presented a distinctly androgynous persona. Her music has been featured in a number of film soundtracks including How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Batman and Robin. She has also appeared on recordings by Basement Jaxx and The Blind Boys of Alabama, among others. Her biggest hit is a duet with John Mellencamp, a cover version of Van Morrison’s “Wild Night”, which reached #3 on the Billboard charts.

Her singles “If That’s Your Boyfriend (He Wasn’t Last Night)”, “Leviticus: Faggot”, and her cover of Bill Withers “Who Is He and What Is He To You?” have all charted in the Billboard top 20. She sang background vocals on the song “I’d Rather be Your Lover” by Madonna, on her album “Bedtime Stories.”. She also sang with Chaka Khan on the single “Never Miss the Water”, as well as providing her typical solid bass skills.

1	Lovely Lovely	188
2	Grace	184
3	Virgo	177
4	Elliptical full track	174
5	Evolution	166
6	Shirk	165
7	Beautiful	140
8	Headline	132
9	Michelle Johnson	129
10	Solomon	120
11	Article 3	107
12	Fool of Me	89
13	Poison Ivy	81
14	Bitter	68
15	Faithful	55

Top Albums

The World Has Made Me The Man Of My Dreams
Me'Shell NdegéOcello
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Comfort Woman
Me'Shell NdegéOcello
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Bitter
Me'Shell NdegéOcello
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The Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidel
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JNellz wrote:
yesterday morning

http://www.last.fm/group/Vibes+and+Stuff

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Justin1983 wrote:
Monday afternoon

Dug out my CDs of her a couple days ago--totally missed her music.

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cyskowarek wrote:
Sunday afternoon

niezly głos :)

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fairlydemented wrote:
Sunday morning

I adore her so much.

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carlacoutinho wrote:
8 days ago

It's a great sound and balance! Delicious!

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Csavoth61 wrote:
14 days ago

There is no other. This is Miles Davis made manifest in spirit, chops, vibe and groove. All hail the Queen. Serious.

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mikeyfreedom71 wrote:
14 days ago

her music definitely lifts me internally, she resonates a deep sympathy for life!

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daber1980 wrote:
16 days ago

She's great!

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DanielEscouto wrote:
23 days ago

Amazing, today listen in first time.... excelent, trip...modern...] listen me too www.myspace.com/danielescouto

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JNellz wrote:
28 days ago

http://soulmusic4u.blogspot.com/

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[deleted-user] wrote:
last month

sounds like india, grace jones and diana king rooolled in one.
wangentz wrote:
last month

i love her!

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maxwellveli wrote:
last month

NEW MAXWELL SONG! Finally! True Maxwell fans I heard a demo of a new Maxwell song. I heard from a inside source at the label that he is working with some producer named Fanatic who has produced Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Anthony Hamilton, Raheem DeVaughn. The song is on his youtube page. go to www.youtube.com/alphabigmama The song is called "Test Drive".

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maloyamaloti wrote:
last month

she is the best,honest artist,guided by power of love...ah,i adore her 4 last 10 years.

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[deleted-user] wrote:
June 2008

Dead Nigga Boulevard. She's an amazing songwriter, musician ... One hell of an underrated talent, basically. Another one.
PopplagiWest wrote:
June 2008

Saw her at the Mercury Lounge twice in the past month and she was just like others have described - approachable, friendly and when I saw her, she was really engaged with the music and loved what she was doing. She is the real thing, I am so thankful for her music - her own quote says it best, "Everyone is trying to get paid, no one wants to be Miles Davis anymore. I want to be Miles Davis."

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Betehadeso wrote:
June 2008

went to one of her shows too... only problem was, she only looked up twice. No one could connect to her throughout - but then the music was damn good. Love her work.

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MsMoo2u wrote:
June 2008

Afterlife: She puts on a hell of a show. The music is unforgettable. Seen Me'shell twice, pre release concerts at Bars. Saw the "Bitter" tour at Blind Pig in Ann Arbor MI, and at Joe's Pub in NYC during the "Cookie" tour. She's down to earth, most unpretentious, I got to meet her as she casually had a smoke out front prior to showtime in NYC.

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JNellz wrote:
June 2008

if that's your boyfriend, he wasn't last night. ;)

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afterlife_party wrote:
May 2008

What kind of a show does she put on by the way?

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