Brilliant, defiant, and 100% unique—that's Ms. Erykah Badu. Indeed, the neo-soul pioneer possesses a near-pathological devotion to artistic progress. After initially piercing the American consciousness in the late '90s with her smooth, jazz-inflected style, she bolted for more experimental terrain: Her lyrics morphed into sociopolitical critique, her albums became increasingly conceptual, and her voice blossomed into a supple instrument capable of expressing rage and compassion, pain and joy, and everything in between. There's no pinning Badu down, and that's exactly how she wants it.