Rappin' Granny
Encyclopedia
Vivian L. Smallwood known by her stage name
Rappin' Granny, is a grandmother who performs hip-hop music. She lives in Castaic, California
, near Los Angeles
.
Smallwood was a contestant on the NBC
television series America's Got Talent
who qualified August 16, 2006 season finale for the one-million-dollar grand prize.
, Malcolm in the Middle
, The Shield
, and The Ladykillers
. In Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
(1996) she is even credited as Vivian 'Rappin Granny' Smallwood. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0806614/ She also played "Nano" in Big Bad Beetleborgs
, a show on the former Fox Kids
network.
.
, David Hasselhoff
, and Piers Morgan
) advanced her to the next round by way of a unanimous vote.
Smallwood then returned for the semifinal episode that aired July 26, 2006. After another crowd-pleasing song, the judges again put her through to the next round, by another unanimous vote.
However, the final round was not kind to Smallwood; not only did she not win the million-dollar prize, she finished in the bottom half of the public vote that determined the winner, as announced by host Regis Philbin
.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Rappin' Granny, is a grandmother who performs hip-hop music. She lives in Castaic, California
Castaic, California
Castaic, California, is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Los Angeles County, California, north of Santa Clarita and a few miles from Six Flags Magic Mountain amusement park. It is approximately 39 miles from the downtown Los Angeles Civic Center. As of the 2010...
, near Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
Smallwood was a contestant on the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television series America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent
America's Got Talent is an American reality television series on the NBC television network, and part of the global British Got Talent franchise. It is a talent show that features singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, and other performers of all ages competing for the advertised top prize of...
who qualified August 16, 2006 season finale for the one-million-dollar grand prize.
Background
In 1989 she released a little-known, self-titled music video called "Rock-n-Soul". The video can be seen here. http://music.yahoo.com/ar-297469-videos--Rappin-GrannyActing credits
Smallwood has been a working Hollywood actress since the mid '90s. She has appeared in numerous television shows with small parts and a few feature films. Some of her credits include, Everybody Hates ChrisEverybody Hates Chris
Everybody Hates Chris is an African American television period sitcom inspired by the teenage experiences of comedian Chris Rock , while growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York . The show is set from 1982 to 1987; however, Rock himself was a teenager during years...
, Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle
Malcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...
, The Shield
The Shield
The Shield is an American television drama series starring Michael Chiklis which premiered on March 12, 2002 on FX in the United States and concluded on November 25, 2008 after seven seasons...
, and The Ladykillers
The Ladykillers (2004 film)
The Ladykillers is a 2004 dark comedy film directed, written and produced by the Coen brothers and stars Tom Hanks, with a supporting cast that includes J. K. Simmons, Marlon Wayans, Tzi Ma, Ryan Hurst and Irma P. Hall...
. In Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood is a 1996 parody film by Shawn and Marlon Wayans. Similarly to I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, the film spoofs a number of black, coming-of-age, 'hood films' such as Juice, Jungle Fever, South Central, Higher Learning, Do the Right...
(1996) she is even credited as Vivian 'Rappin Granny' Smallwood. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0806614/ She also played "Nano" in Big Bad Beetleborgs
Big Bad Beetleborgs
Big Bad Beetleborgs is an American television series produced by Saban Entertainment. It aired for two seasons on Fox Kids between September 7, 1996 and March 2, 1998. Reruns later aired on UPN Kids during 1998-1999...
, a show on the former Fox Kids
Fox Kids
Fox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
network.
Rapping
According to an interview that aired on America's Got Talent, Smallwood began rapping at the insistence of her son, who noticed her dancing across the room while hip-hop music was playing in the background. After a number of private performances in front of family members, Smallwood auditioned for the new talent contest co-created by famous music executive Simon CowellSimon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
.
America's Got Talent
In her audition, Rappin' Granny gave a performance that was very popular among the crowd and the judges, all of whom (BrandyBrandy (entertainer)
Brandy 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....
, David Hasselhoff
David Hasselhoff
David Michael Hasselhoff is an American actor, singer, producer and businessman. He is best known for his lead roles as Michael Knight in the popular 1980s US series Knight Rider and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch...
, and Piers Morgan
Piers Morgan
Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan , known professionally as Piers Morgan, is a British journalist and television presenter. He is editorial director of First News, a national newspaper for children....
) advanced her to the next round by way of a unanimous vote.
Smallwood then returned for the semifinal episode that aired July 26, 2006. After another crowd-pleasing song, the judges again put her through to the next round, by another unanimous vote.
However, the final round was not kind to Smallwood; not only did she not win the million-dollar prize, she finished in the bottom half of the public vote that determined the winner, as announced by host Regis Philbin
Regis Philbin
Regis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
.