20 Facts About Meshell Ndegeocello

Meshell Ndegeocello is a German-born American singer-songwriter, rapper, and bassist.

Meshell Ndegeocello has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on some of her later work.

Meshell Ndegeocello has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career, being nominated for eleven Grammy Awards, and winning one.

Meshell Ndegeocello has been credited for helping to "spark the neo-soul movement".

Meshell Ndegeocello was raised in Washington, DC where she attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts and Oxon Hill High School.

Meshell Ndegeocello adopted her surname, which she says means "free like a bird" in Swahili.

Meshell Ndegeocello honed her skills on the DC go-go circuit in the late 1980s with the bands Prophecy, Little Bennie and the Masters, and Rare Essence.

Meshell Ndegeocello unsuccessfully tried out for Living Colour's bassist position, vacated in 1992 by Muzz Skillings.

Meshell Ndegeocello's biggest hit is a duet with John Mellencamp, a cover version of Van Morrison's "Wild Night", which reached No 3 on the Billboard charts.

Also in 1994, Meshell Ndegeocello collaborated with Herbie Hancock on "Nocturnal Sunshine," a track for the Red Hot Organization's compilation album, Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool.

Meshell Ndegeocello played bass on the song "I'd Rather be Your Lover" for Madonna on her album Bedtime Stories.

Meshell Ndegeocello was tapped, at the last minute, to perform a rap on the same song.

Meshell Ndegeocello performed a rap on Chaka Khan's single "Never Miss the Water", from the album Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan, Vol.

Meshell Ndegeocello has appeared on recordings by Basement Jaxx, Indigo Girls, Scritti Politti, and The Blind Boys of Alabama.

Meshell Ndegeocello can be seen in the documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown, singing The Miracles' "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" and The Temptations' "Cloud Nine".

Meshell Ndegeocello did a remake of the song "Two Doors Down" on the 2003 release Just Because I'm a Woman: Songs of Dolly Parton.

Meshell Ndegeocello was a judge for The 2nd, 12th, 13 and the 2015 14th Annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.

In 2002, Meshell Ndegeocello collaborated with Yerba Buena on a track featuring Ron Black for the Red Hot Organization's tribute album to Fela Kuti, Red Hot and Riot.

In 2010, Meshell Ndegeocello contributed to the essay anthology It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living, edited by Dan Savage and Terry Miller in the vein of the It Gets Better Project.

Meshell Ndegeocello is bisexual and previously had a relationship with feminist author Rebecca Walker.