A blend of jazzy grooves and acid wit heralded the bohemian neo-soul star’s arrival

On her debut, Baduizm, Erykah Badu makes herself one of the late ’90s’ most irresistible singer-songwriters by attaching her slightly buttery, slightly vinegary pipes to jazz-informed, hip-hop-friendly grooves and an outlook at once spacey and grounded. “Other Side of the Game” took the point of view of a woman whose husband is deeply in the gangsta life; “Next Lifetime” displayed a sense of humor about Badu’s New Age beliefs by promising that reincarnation would eventually bring her together with a potential lover.