Me'Shell Ndegéocello

About

Also known as: Me'Shell N'Degeocello, Me'Shell Ndeeocello, Me'Shell Ndegeocell, Me'Shell NdegéOcello pres the spirit music jamia, Me'Shell NdegéOcello pres. the spirit music jamia, Me'Shell Ndegéocello, Me'shell Ndegeceollo, Me'shell Ndegeocello, Me'shell Ndegeoncello, Me'shell Ndegocello, Me'shell Ndegéocello presents the Spirit Music Jamia, Meschell Ndegeocello, Meshell Ndegocello, Meshell Ndegéocello, Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur, Me’Shell NdegéOcello, Michelle Lynn Johnson, Michelle N'dgeocello

Meshell Ndegeocello's surname means "free like a bird" in Swahili, and that spirit of liberation runs through everything she does. A singer, bassist, and songwriter whose sound pulls from funk, soul, jazz, hip hop, reggae, and rock, she has been credited with helping spark the neo soul movement. Her 13 Grammy nominations and three wins tell part of the story, but her catalogue tells it better. Her biggest commercial moment was a duet cover of Van Morrison's "Wild Night" with John Mellencamp, which hit No. 3 on the Billboard charts, yet she has always been more interested in bold creative moves than pop formulas. She has played bass for Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Alanis Morissette, and Zap Mama, and her music has turned up on well over a dozen film soundtracks. In 2023 she joined the Blue Note label for her 13th studio album, The Omnichord Real Book, a project rooted in funk, soul, and gospel that draws on jazz real book tradition.