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Meshell Ndegeocello’s Genius in Plantation Lullabies
Meshell Ndegeocello is a talented and influential bass player and singer-songwriter who has made a significant impact on the music industry.
One of Meshell Ndegeocello’s most notable works is her 1993 album “Plantation Lullabies,” which was released to critical acclaim and earned her a spot on the Billboard 200 chart, where it charted at number 166.
Released in 1993, “Plantation Lullabies” was released during a time when the music industry was undergoing significant changes. The early 1990s saw the rise of alternative and indie rock, as well as the emergence of hip-hop and R&B as mainstream genres. Additionally, the industry was still recovering from the impact of the compact disc, which had replaced the vinyl record as the primary format for music consumption. At the same time, there was a growing number of women and people of color in the industry, particularly in the fields of R&B, hip-hop, and alternative music. This increased representation helped to bring more diverse perspectives and voices to the mainstream. In that sense, Meshell Ndegeocello, a black woman, was one of the voices that helped to break barriers and bring more diversity to the music industry.
One of the standout features of “Plantation Lullabies” is Ndegeocello’s innovative and masterful use of the bass guitar. On tracks like “I’m Diggin’ You (Like an old Soul record)” (the album opener), “Dred Loc” and “Soul On Ice”, Ndegeocello showcases her impressive technical skills and ability to create complex, yet minimal and nuanced bass lines that drive the music forward.
But “Plantation Lullabies” is more than just a showcase for Ndegeocello’s musical prowess – it’s also a deeply personal and political record. Throughout the album, Ndegeocello tackles themes of race, sexuality, and identity with honesty and vulnerability, using her music as a platform to speak out against injustice and discrimination. In the R&B and hip-hop scene, at the time, there was a wave of socially conscious and politically charged music that was emerging. Themes such as race, class, gender and sexuality were addressed by all sorts of artists. In that sense, Meshell Ndegeocello’s “Plantation Lullabies” aligns with that context and it was seen as a socially conscious and politically charged album that addresses themes such as race, sexuality, and identity.
One of the standout tracks on the album is “If That’s Your Boyfriend (He Wasn’t Last Night),” which addresses issues of infidelity and consent in a way that was groundbreaking at the time. The song became a hit, and its relatable and thought-provoking lyrics helped to solidify Ndegeocello’s reputation as a talented and insightful songwriter.
In conclusion, “Plantation Lullabies” is a groundbreaking and influential album that showcases Meshell Ndegeocello’s undeniable genius as a musician and artist. Its impact can still be felt today, and it remains a testament to Ndegeocello’s talent and vision. The album not only deals with personal and political themes that were groundbreaking at the time but also features some of the most killer bass lines, that stood the test of time, and are great for practicing technique, groove and time.
This album is a must-listen for any music fan, and its message and sound continue to resonate with audiences today.
Plantation Lullabies is available at Amazon.com
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Photo: Self-portrait by Melissa Auf Der Maur
Melissa Auf Der Maur is a Canadian bassist who played with Tinker, Hole, and The Smashing Pumpkins. She released her own work and is a photographer with photos published in Nylon, Bust, and National Geographic. She released her ‘90s Rock Memoir “Even The Good Girls Will Cry” on 17 March 2026.
KB: Did you always want to be a singer-musician growing up?
I’ve played music my whole life. In school, I played trumpet and sang in a children’s choir, so music was always within me. My mother was the first female disc jockey on the Montreal airwaves; her record collection played a huge role in my inspiration and love of music.
KB: When did you start playing bass, and why this instrument?
When I was 19, the early 90s music explosion began to percolate in tiny clubs around the world. I was lucky to be a ticket girl at Montreal’s underground music club. In one year, I saw Hole, Sonic Youth, Smashing Pumpkins, White Zombie, and The Breeders – all had female bass players. That’s when the seed was planted. By the age of 22, I was the bass player of Hole.
KB: Which brands of basses have you used in your career, and which one are you using now?
The first bass that I learned on was a vintage Squier Precision. Hole was sponsored by Fender guitars, so I upgraded to Fender Custom Shop Precisions. That is all I play, but I have a cool vintage 8-string Greco that I use on recordings to thicken up guitar parts.
KB: What equipment do you use or have you used with your basses?
Ampeg SVT amps and cabinets, a couple of Sans-Amp pedals, and that is it.
KB: How did you become a member of Hole, and what is your fondest memory of that time?
Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins was helping scout a replacement for (RIP) Kristen Pfaff, Hole’s bass player. My band, Tinker, opened for them on the Siamese Dream tour, so Billy had seen me play and could vouch for me. Courtney trusted her talented friend, and that was it. I initially said “no thank you” due to my commitment to my photographic studies and the drama and chaos surrounding the band during the “Live Through This” album release. Courtney took it as a good sign that I said no, so convinced me to reconsider, and soon after, I accepted their invitation, in the name of helping put females in the male-dominated landscape of rock music. My fondest memory is every show we played as a mostly female band, symbolizing what a woman could do in a rock band. Every show had a purpose: get more women to play music.
KB: You are a photographer as well. What makes a great picture? Do you shoot in color or b/w?
I started shooting photographs at age 15. Initially only shot black & white and worked in the art school darkroom. In university, I took a color photography course, and shifted mostly and forever to that, because it was easier to process film on the road when I joined a rock band. I experimented with many cameras, point and shoots, manual, polaroids, medium format, and vintage finds. The trick to a good photograph is to shoot many and all the time – the magic is in the edit and selection process.
KB: Are there artists you would love to collaborate with or wish you had?
??I’ve been lucky to collaborate with some of my favorite musicians in my career. I would still love to collaborate with a new generation heavy electronic artist on an analog bass, heavy electronic drums, and synths collaboration project. Take me out of my usual zone, merging the past and future: my love of 80s dark new wave and new artists exploring that genre. It was very futuristic back then, and we are now, after all, living in the future. I am in the mood to play bass to heavy beats I want to dance to.
KB: What are your 7 favorite bass lines in music across all genres? And why these 7?
“Mountain Song” – Jane’s Addiction (love a rambling, rolling bass line – feels like the ocean waves)
“Black Top – Helmet” (was the first bass line I taught myself)
“Gold Dust Woman” – Hole from “The Crow 2” Soundtrack (it was my first bass line contribution to the band)
“Get Ready” – The Temptations (Motown just feels so good, because of the bass)
“Lucretia My Reflection” – Sisters of Mercy (makes me want to hit the dance floor and play bass simultaneously)
“Be My Druidess” – Type O Negative (full chord bass playing at its best by iconic, demonic, Peter Steele, RIP)
“Romantic Rights” – Death from Above (1979 – unique distorted overdriven tone, combined dance rhythm and melodic intelligence, all in one shot – also! Shout out to a bass & drum only band, which is awesome, and we should have more of, but the bass player needs to be a killer to fill that role.
KB: What are you currently up to?
Releasing my ‘90s Rock Memoir “EVEN THE GOOD GIRLS WILL CRY”. Visceral healing process, it was to get it out of me and write it, but I suspect the real magic will begin by putting it into the world and reflecting with others on what the magic of the ‘90s was all about. Powerful music decade that carried us into what is now a brave new world of digital corporate weirdness – may the past shed a light on our future. That’s my hope for this book release and tour.
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