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, and although she has no Grammy Award wins, she has been nominated ten times. She has been credited for helping to "sparked the neo-soul movement."