Shawntae Harris better known as
Da Brat, is an American rapper and actress. Her debut album,
FunkdafiedFunkdafied is the debut album by female rapper Da Brat. It was released in 1994 and sold over one million copies, making her the first solo female rapper to go platinum...
, sold one million copies, making her the first female rapper to have a
platinum-selling albumMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
.
Early life
Harris was born and raised in
Joliet, IllinoisJoliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
. Her parents were never married and Harris was subsequently raised in two different households. She lived part of the time with her mother and grandmother, and had attended a strict Pentecostal church four times a week, where she played drums and sang in the choir. She also lived with her father and his mother, where she had fewer restrictions. Harris attended
Kenwood AcademyKenwood Academy is a public 4-year high school located in the Kenwood neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, USA. Kenwood Academy accepts high school students living in its attendance area: From Lake Michigan to Cottage Grove Avenue east to west, and 47th to the Midway Plaisance north to south...
from 88–89, where she ran track and played basketball, and she graduated from Academy of Scholastic Achievement in 1992.
Regarding her soon-to-be rap name, Harris told the
Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she got the name because she is "a spoiled only child."
Harris is the younger half-sister of actress LisaRaye McCoy.
1992–1995: Early success
In 1992, Harris got a big break when she won the grand prize in a local rap contest sponsored by
Yo! MTV RapsYo! MTV Raps was a two-hour American television music video program, which ran from August 1988 to August 1995 through its original Yo! MTV Raps name and later by Yo! . The program was the first hip hop music show on the network, based on the original MTV Europe show, aired one year earlier. The U.S...
. For the prize, she got to meet
Kris KrossKris Kross was an American rap duo of the 1990s comprising Chris "Mac Daddy" Kelly and Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith. The duo are best known for their hit 1992 song "Jump", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks and was certified double platinum as a single...
, and they in turn introduced her to their producer,
Jermaine DupriJermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
, who signed her to his So So Def label. Dupri cultivated Da Brat's image as a "female Snoop Doggy Dogg", and she became one of the first female "reality-based" rappers.
Da Brat's debut album
FunkdafiedFunkdafied is the debut album by female rapper Da Brat. It was released in 1994 and sold over one million copies, making her the first solo female rapper to go platinum...
was released in 1994 and entered the rap albums chart at Number #1. The album went platinum, which made her the first female solo rapper to sell one million units. The single also entitled "Funkdafied" reached #1 on the rap singles chart and #6 on the
Billboard Hot 100The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. She had a follow-up hit from the same album, "Give It 2 You", which reached #26 on the Hot 100.
1996–1999: Collaborations and film projects
In 1996, Da Brat released her second full-length album,
AnuthatantrumAnuthatantrum is a rap album by Da Brat. It was released in 1996 and went Gold in 1997. A debut single culled from the album was "Ghetto Love", which featured TLC member Tionne Watkins and peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100...
, which included the single "
Ghetto Love"Ghetto Love" is the second single released from Da Brat's second studio album, Anuthatantrum.-Background:Released in early 1997, "Ghetto Love" was Da Brat's second and final single from Anuthatantrum after the gold-selling "Sittin' on Top of the World". The song became Da Brat's second biggest...
" featuring T-Boz of
TLCTLC is an American musical trio whose repertoire spanned R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and new jack swing. Originally consisting of singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins, rapper-singer Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and singer Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas it found success in the 1990s while also enduring a series of spats...
.
During the rest of the '90s, Da Brat came to be known more for her "featured" appearances on other rappers' and R&B singers' albums rather than for her own solo work. She contributed a rhyme to the
hip hopHip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
remixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
of
Mariah CareyMariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
's hit, "
Always Be My Baby"Always Be My Baby" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her fifth studio album, Daydream. It was released by Columbia Records on March 9, 1996 as the third US single and fourth overall. The song was written by Carey, Jermaine Dupri and Manuel Seal, who also produced the song...
". She also made her feature film debut that year in
KazaamKazaam is a 1996 comedy film directed by Paul M. Glaser and stars Shaquille O'Neal as the title character Kazaam, a genie who appears from a magic boombox to grant a boy three wishes.-Plot:...
with
Shaquille O'NealShaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
. During the summer of 1997, Da Brat appeared along with Dupri on a remix of Carey's "
Honey (So So Def mix)"Honey" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her sixth studio album, Butterfly. It was released as the lead single from the album on August 26, 1997 by Columbia Records. The song was written by Carey, Puff Daddy, Q-Tip and Stevie J, all of whom served as the song's producers...
" and recorded the hit remix of "Ladies' Night (Not Tonight)" with
Lil' KimKimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A.....
, Left-Eye,
Angie MartinezAngela "Angie" Martinez is an American radio personality and occasional rapper.-Radio career:Angie Martinez got her first break in radio at the age of 16 answering hot lines at the urban radio station WQHT . There she met popular DJ Funkmaster Flex, and began working as his protégé...
and
Missy ElliottMelissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
. Da Brat was also featured with
Kris KrossKris Kross was an American rap duo of the 1990s comprising Chris "Mac Daddy" Kelly and Chris "Daddy Mac" Smith. The duo are best known for their hit 1992 song "Jump", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks and was certified double platinum as a single...
on their track "Da Bomb" on the album
Da BombDa Bomb was the second studio album from hip-hop duo Kris Kross, whose members hit puberty a year after its debut album Totally Krossed Out. They tried a hardcore/gangsta look to fit with the new style of hip-hop...
, as well as on their third album
Young, Rich and Dangerous.
In 1997, she was featured on "
Sock It 2 Me"Sock It 2 Me" is a song recorded by American rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott. It was written by Shawntae Harris, William Hart, Elliott and producer Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley for her debut album Supa Dupa Fly and released as the album's second single in a slightly re-recorded form...
", a track on
Missy ElliottMelissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
's debut album,
Supa Dupa FlyUpon its release, Supa Dupa Fly received critical acclaim among music critics. Writers lauded record producer Timbaland's production as unique and revolutionary, whose "lean, digital grooves are packed with unpredictable arrangements and stuttering rhythms"...
. In 1999, she appeared, alongside
Krayzie BoneAnthony Henderson better known as Krayzie Bone, is an American rapper and is a former member of the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.-Solo career:Krayzie Bone recorded his solo debut, Thug Mentality 1999, in 1998...
, on the remix to
Mariah CareyMariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
's cover of
Brenda K. StarrBrenda K. Starr is an American singer-songwriter. She is well known originally in dance-pop, but now mostly in salsa-based music...
's "I Still Believe". She also appeared as a guest artist with Elliott on Carey's remix of "
Heartbreaker"Heartbreaker" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on September 21, 1999 by Columbia Records as the lead single from Carey's seventh studio album, Rainbow . The song was written by Carey and Jay-Z and produced by the former and DJ Clue...
", and on the remix of
BrandyBrandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu....
's "U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)". That year, she was also featured on a remix of the
Destiny's ChildDestiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
single "Jumpin', Jumpin'".
2000–2003: Return to solo work
In early 2000, Da Brat released her third full-length album
Unrestricted, which produced the moderately successful singles "That's What I'm Looking For" (U.S. #56) and "What Chu Like" (U.S. #26), featuring soul singer,
TyreseTyrese Darnell Gibson , also known simply as Tyrese, is an American R&B singer, rapper, actor, author, former fashion model and MTV VJ. After releasing several albums, he transitioned into films, with lead roles in several Hollywood releases.-Early life:Gibson was born in Los Angeles, California,...
. The album was not well received compared to Brat's earlier work. However, the new album and new millennium did inspire an image makeover for Da Brat. Abandoning her "
gangstaGangsta Rap is a subgenre of hip hop music that evolved from hardcore hip hop and purports to reflect urban crime and the violent lifestyles of inner-city youths. Lyrics in gangsta rap have varied from accurate reflections to fictionalized accounts. Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word...
" persona, she decided to follow the trend in
popular musicPopular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
and attempted to add to her sex appeal.
In 2001, Brat continued her trend of being featured on other artist's remixes, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles chart along with rapper
LudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
on the main remix of
Mariah CareyMariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
's "
Loverboy"Loverboy" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on July 16, 2001 by Virgin Records as the lead single from Carey's eighth studio album, Glitter . Written and produced by Carey, Larry Blackmon, Thomas Jenkins, Clark Kent, "Loverboy" is built around a sample from...
" and being featured artist on
Destiny's ChildDestiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
's "Survivor" remix. Da Brat also appeared as Louise in Carey's 2001 movie
GlitterGlitter is a 2001 film starring R&B singer, songwriter Mariah Carey. It was produced by 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures and directed by Vondie Curtis-Hall. It centers on the life and times of a struggling singer from the early club music scene in the 1980s.-Production:Carey has said about...
. In 2003, Brat released her fourth album, titled
Limelite, Luv & NiteclubzLimelite, Luv & Niteclubz is the fourth and most recent studio album by American rapper Da Brat. It included the single In Love wit Chu.-Track listing:#"World Premiere" feat. Jermaine Dupri, M.O.P., Q Da Kid#In Love wit Chu feat. Cherish...
, and appeared on the 4th season of
VH1VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's
The Surreal LifeThe Surreal Life is a reality television series that sets a select group of past-their-prime celebrities and records them as they live together in Glen Campbell's former mansion in the Hollywood Hills for two weeks...
.
2005–present: Current activities
In 2005, she made a comeback of sorts when she was featured on the remix to the song "I Think They Like Me," by
Dem Franchize BoyzDem Franchize Boyz was a Southern Rap group from Atlanta signed to E1 Music. The group comprises four members: Parlae , Pimpin' , Jizzal Man , and Buddie .-History:...
, which also featured Bow Wow and
Jermaine DupriJermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
. The song peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles chart and #15 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2006, she was an onstage guest on
Mariah CareyMariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
's
The Adventures of Mimi TourThe Adventures of Mimi: The Voice, The Hits, The Tour was a 2006 concert tour of arenas by American R&B singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was one of a few tours in her then-sixteen year career and was named after a fan's "Carey-centric" diary of the same name...
in Atlanta,
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
,
Long IslandLong Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, Washington DC,
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, and
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
performing her rap verses on the "Heartbreaker" and "Honey" remixes. She was also featured on
Kelly RowlandKelendria Trene "Kelly" Rowland is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, and television personality. She rose to fame as one of the founding members of the American girl group Destiny's Child...
's "Gotsta Go", a bonus track from her 2007 album
Ms. KellyMs. Kelly is the second solo studio album by American R&B singer Kelly Rowland. It was released by Columbia Records in collaboration with Music World Entertainment and Sony Music during the third quarter of 2007, beginning with most European territories on June 22...
and is also featured on a bonus track from Carey's
E=MC² on a track entitled "4real4real". She also co-wrote a song with Mariah Carey called "O.O.C." which appears on
E=MC² and contributes backing vocals on the track.
In 2007, she participated in the fifth season of the VH1 reality series
Celebrity Fit Club.
In 2011, she did a remix with Kelly Rowland called "Motivation" featuring
Lil WayneDwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
.
Legal troubles, prison sentence, & controversy
In 2001, Harris pleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless conduct after she had beaten a woman with a gun during a dispute over VIP seating in a
Buckhead, GeorgiaBuckhead is a town in Morgan County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2008 census, the town had a total population of 233 people.-Geography:Buckhead is located at .reference...
, nightclub in 2000. The victim in that incident received six stitches for a head wound. Harris ended up serving a year's
probationProbation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
, performed 80 hours of community service and paid a $1,000 fine.
On October 31, 2007, she was involved in the altercation that ended in assault at a Halloween party at Studio 72 nightclub in
Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. Harris sparred verbally with a hostess, and later, when the hostess proceeded to talk to her manager, Harris attacked her from behind, striking her in the face with a rum bottle. Harris entered a guilty plea to aggravated assault charges. She was sentenced to three years in prison, seven years of probation, and 200 hours of community service. In May 2010, she was temporarily released from prison as part of a work-release program after serving 21 months.
On February 28, 2011, Jermaine Dupri announced that Da Brat was officially released from prison, completing her sentence.
Discography
- Funkdafied
Funkdafied is the debut album by female rapper Da Brat. It was released in 1994 and sold over one million copies, making her the first solo female rapper to go platinum...
(1994)
- Anuthatantrum
Anuthatantrum is a rap album by Da Brat. It was released in 1996 and went Gold in 1997. A debut single culled from the album was "Ghetto Love", which featured TLC member Tionne Watkins and peaked at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100...
(1996)
- Unrestricted (2000)
- Limelite, Luv & Niteclubz
Limelite, Luv & Niteclubz is the fourth and most recent studio album by American rapper Da Brat. It included the single In Love wit Chu.-Track listing:#"World Premiere" feat. Jermaine Dupri, M.O.P., Q Da Kid#In Love wit Chu feat. Cherish...
(2003)
Awards and Nominations
GRAMMY AWARDS
| Year |
Nominated work |
Award |
Result |
1998The 40th Grammy Awards were held on February 25, 1998. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Rock icon Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss, and R...
|
"Not Tonight" Remix |
Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group |
|
2004The 46th Grammy Awards were held on the February 8, 2004. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. The big winners were Outkast, who won three awards including Album of the Year & Beyoncé Knowles, who won 5 Awards...
|
"Got It Poppin'" |
Best Female Rap Solo Performance |
|
SOUL TRAIN LADY OF SOUL AWARDS
| Year |
Nominated work |
Award |
Result |
| 1995 |
Funkdafied |
Best Rap Album |
|
BILLBOARD AWARDS
| Year |
Nominated work |
Award |
Result |
| 1994 |
Da Brat |
Top Hot Rap Artist |
|
| 1994 |
"Funkdafied" |
Top Hot Rap Single |
|
| 1994 |
Da Brat |
Top R&B Artist Female |
|
| 1994 |
"Funkdafied" |
Top Hot R&B Single Sales |
|
| 1995 |
Da Brat |
Top Hot Female Rap Artist |
|
Film and television cre
Film
| Year 1981 |
Title debbie does dallas |
Role gaffer |
Notes |
Film
| 1996 |
KazaamKazaam is a 1996 comedy film directed by Paul M. Glaser and stars Shaquille O'Neal as the title character Kazaam, a genie who appears from a magic boombox to grant a boy three wishes.-Plot:...
|
Da Brat |
Credited as Shawntae Harris |
| 1997 |
Rhyme & ReasonRhyme & Reason is a 1997 documentary film about rap and hip hop. Documentary filmmaker Peter Spirer interviewed over 80 significant artists in rap and hip hop music...
|
Da Brat |
|
| 2001 |
Glitter Glitter is a 2001 film starring R&B singer, songwriter Mariah Carey. It was produced by 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures and directed by Vondie Curtis-Hall. It centers on the life and times of a struggling singer from the early club music scene in the 1980s.-Production:Carey has said about...
|
Louise |
|
| 2001 |
Carmen: A Hip Hopera Carmen: A Hip Hopera is a 2001 musical film produced for television by MTV and directed by Robert Townsend. The film stars Beyoncé Knowles in her debut acting role, Mos Def, Rah Digga, Wyclef Jean, Mekhi Phifer, Da Brat, Joy Bryant, Jermaine Dupri and Lil' Bow Wow...
|
Narrator |
|
| 2002 |
Civil Brand Civil Brand is a 2002 film written by Joyce Lewis and Preston A. Whitmore II and directed by Neema Barnette. It features N'Bushe Wright, Da Brat, Mos Def, LisaRaye McCoy, and Monica Calhoun. The film is about a group of female inmates fighting back against their abusers and taking over Whitehead...
|
Sabrina |
|
| 2006 |
30 Days |
|
|
Television
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
1997–
1998 |
|
Boo |
2 episodes |
| 2002 |
Sabrina, the Teenage WitchSabrina, the Teenage Witch is an American sitcom based on the Archie comic book series of the same name.The show stars Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina Spellman, a teenager with magical powers, who lives with her aunts Hilda and Zelda , and their magical talking cat Salem...
|
Baby K2K |
1 episode |
External links