With her 1997 debut Baduizm, Erykah Badu became the female figurehead of the neo-soul scene. Over stripped down and smokey production, her feathery voice wove tales of love, loss, and spiritual salvation. Her followup, 2000's Mama's Gun, saw her embracing the production input of the hip-hop figures ?uestlove and J Dilla, while her lyrics expanded into the realm of social commentary. Two installments of her New Amerykah series in 2008 and 2010 underscored her status as a timeless soul singer.