Meshell Ndegeocello - Bitter

Bitter (Numbered Limited Deluxe Edition 2LP on colored vinyl)

First worldwide release on vinyl!

Expanded to a 2LP set that includes bonus instrumental tracks making their debut on vinyl

Limited and individually foil-stamp numbered

Michelle Lynn Johnson, better known as Meshell Ndegeocello (born August 29, 1968), is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on some of her later work.

Her music incorporates a wide variety of influences, including funk, soul, jazz, hip hop, reggae and rock. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career, being nominated for 11 Grammy Awards, and winning one. She also has been credited for helping to "spark the neo-soul movement. Ndegeocello adopted her surname, which she says means "free like a bird" in Swahili. Ndegeocello honed her skills on the D.C. go-go circuit in the late 1980s with the bands Prophecy, Little Bennie and the Masters, and Rare Essence. She unsuccessfully tried out for Living Colour's bassist position, vacated in 1992 by Muzz Skillings.

Going solo, she was one of the first artists to sign with Maverick Records, where she released her debut album, Plantation Lullabies. Her 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. Her only other Billboard Hot 100 hit besides "Wild Night" has been her self-penned "If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night)," which peaked at No. 73 in 1994. Also in 1994, Ndegeocello collaborated with Herbie Hancock on "Nocturnal Sunshine," a track for the Red Hot Organization's compilation album, Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool.

The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by Time magazine. She had a No. 1 dance hit in 1996 with a Bill Withers cover song called "Who Is He (And What Is He to You)?" (briefly featured in the film Jerry Maguire) as well as Dance Top 20 hits with "Earth," "Leviticus: Faggot," "Stay" and the aforementioned "If That's Your Boyfriend.. Last Night)." Ndegeocello played bass on the song "I'd Rather be Your Lover" for Madonna on her album Bedtime Stories. Ndegeocello was also tapped, at the last minute, to perform a rap on the same song. Ndegeocello also performed a rap on Chaka Khan's single "Never Miss the Water", from the album Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan, Vol. 1, released in 1996. The song reached No. 1 on Billboard's Dance Club Play Chart and No. 36 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Chart.

Her music has been featured in a number of film soundtracks including How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Lost & Delirious, Batman & Robin, Love Jones, Love & Basketball, Talk to Me, Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls, The Best Man, Higher Learning, Down in the Delta, The Hurricane, Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom, and Soul Men.

Side A

1. Adam

2. Fool Of Me

3. Faithful

4. Satisfy

5. Bitter

Side B

1. May This Be Love

2. Sincerity

3. Loyalty

Side C

1. Beautiful

2. Eve

3. Wasted Time

4. Grace

5. Wasted Time (Alternate Version) [Bonus Track]

Side D

1. Fool Of Me (Instrumental)

2. Bitter (Instrumental) [Bonus Track]

3. Beautiful (Instrumental) [Bonus Track]

4. Wasted Time (Instrumental) [Bonus Track]

5. Grace (Instrumental) [Bonus Track]

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