- Da Brat
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For other uses, see Brat (disambiguation).
Da Brat Birth name Shawntae Harris Born April 14, 1974 Origin Chicago, Illinois Genres Hip hop Years active 1985–present Labels So So Def Associated acts Left Eye, Angie Martinez Bow Wow, Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Missy Elliott, Kris Kross, Lil' Kim, Lisa Raye, Tyrese Shawntae Harris (born April 14, 1974),[1] better known as Da Brat, is an American rapper and actress. Her debut album, Funkdafied, sold one million copies, making her the first female rapper to have a platinum-selling album.[2]
Contents
Early life
Harris was born and raised in Joliet, Illinois. Her parents were never married and Harris was subsequently raised in two different households.[3] 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 Academy 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."[3] Harris is the younger half-sister of actress LisaRaye McCoy.[4]
Career
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 Raps. For the prize, she got to meet Kris Kross, and they in turn introduced her to their producer, Jermaine Dupri, 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.[3]
Da Brat's debut album Funkdafied 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 100. 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, Anuthatantrum, which included the single "Ghetto Love" featuring T-Boz of TLC.
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 hop remix of Mariah Carey's hit, "Always Be My Baby". She also made her feature film debut that year in Kazaam with Shaquille O'Neal. During the summer of 1997, Da Brat appeared along with Dupri on a remix of Carey's "Honey (So So Def mix)" and recorded the hit remix of "Ladies' Night (Not Tonight)" with Lil' Kim, Left-Eye, Angie Martinez and Missy Elliott. Da Brat was also featured with Kris Kross on their track "Da Bomb" on the album Da Bomb, as well as on their third album Young, Rich and Dangerous.
In 1997, she was featured on "Sock It 2 Me", a track on Missy Elliott's debut album, Supa Dupa Fly. In 1999, she appeared, alongside Krayzie Bone, on the remix to Mariah Carey's cover of Brenda K. Starr's "I Still Believe". She also appeared as a guest artist with Elliott on Carey's remix of "Heartbreaker", and on the remix of Brandy's "U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)". That year, she was also featured on a remix of the Destiny's Child 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, Tyrese. 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 "gangsta" persona, she decided to follow the trend in popular music 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 Ludacris on the main remix of Mariah Carey's "Loverboy" and being featured artist on Destiny's Child's "Survivor" remix. Da Brat also appeared as Louise in Carey's 2001 movie Glitter. In 2003, Brat released her fourth album, titled Limelite, Luv & Niteclubz, and appeared on the 4th season of VH1's The Surreal Life.
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 Boyz, which also featured Bow Wow and Jermaine Dupri. 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 Carey's The Adventures of Mimi Tour in Atlanta, New York City, Long Island, Washington DC, Chicago, and Los Angeles performing her rap verses on the "Heartbreaker" and "Honey" remixes. She was also featured on Kelly Rowland's "Gotsta Go", a bonus track from her 2007 album Ms. Kelly 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 ft Lil WayneLegal 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, Georgia, nightclub in 2000. The victim in that incident received six stitches for a head wound. Harris ended up serving a year's probation, performed 80 hours of community service and paid a $1,000 fine.[5]
On October 31, 2007, she was involved in the altercation that ended in assault at a Halloween party at Studio 72 nightclub in Atlanta, Georgia. 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.[5] In May 2010, she was temporarily released from prison as part of a work-release program [6] after serving 21 months.
On February 28, 2011, Jermaine Dupri announced that Da Brat was officially released from prison, finally completing her sentence.[7]
Discography
Main article: Da Brat discography- Funkdafied (1994)
- Anuthatantrum (1996)
- Unrestricted (2000)
- Limelite, Luv & Niteclubz (2003)
Awards and Nominations
GRAMMY AWARDS
Year Nominated work Award Result 1998 "Not Tonight" Remix Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group Nominated 2004 "Got It Poppin'" Best Female Rap Solo Performance Nominated SOUL TRAIN LADY OF SOUL AWARDS
Year Nominated work Award Result 1995 Funkdafied Best Rap Album Won BILLBOARD AWARDS
Year Nominated work Award Result 1994 Da Brat Top Hot Rap Artist Won 1994 "Funkdafied" Top Hot Rap Single Won 1994 Da Brat Top R&B Artist Female Nominated 1994 "Funkdafied" Top Hot R&B Single Sales Nominated 1995 Da Brat Top Hot Female Rap Artist Won ==Film and television cre
Film
Film Year 1981 Title debbie does dallas Role gaffer Notes 1996 Kazaam Da Brat Credited as Shawntae Harris 1997 Rhyme & Reason Da Brat 2001 Glitter Louise 2001 Carmen: A Hip Hopera Narrator 2002 Civil Brand Sabrina 2006 30 Days Television Year Title Role Notes 1997–
1998The Parent 'Hood Boo 2 episodes 2002 Sabrina, the Teenage Witch Baby K2K 1 episode References
- ^ MSN (2008). "Da Brat: Biography". MSN. http://music.msn.com/music/artist-biography/da-brat/. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
- ^ "Da Brat: Biography". mtv.com. http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/da_brat/artist.jhtml. Retrieved 2009-06-16.
- ^ a b c "Da Brat Biography at MusicianGuide.com". http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608002708/Da-Brat.html.
- ^ "LisaRaye McCoy". New York Times. 2008. http://movies.nytimes.com/person/331141/LisaRaye-McCoy/biography. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
- ^ a b "Da Brat Sentenced To Three Years In Prison For Atlanta Nightclub Fight". http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1593369/20080822/da_brat.jhtml.
- ^ http://www.ballerstatus.com/2010/05/28/da-brat-out-of-prison-on-work-release-ready-to-get-to-work/
- ^ http://www.cinemablend.com/celebrity/Rapper-Da-Brat-Released-From-Prison-30387.html
External links
- Da Brat at Allmusic
- Da Brat at the Internet Movie Database
The Surreal Life Season 1 (2003) Season 2 (2004) Season 3 (2004) Season 4 (2005) Joanie Laurer · Adrianne Curry · Da Brat · Christopher Knight · Marcus Schenkenberg · Verne Troyer · Jane WiedlinSeason 5 (2005) Season 6 (2006) Fame Games (2007) Categories:- American television actors
- African American rappers
- American people convicted of assault
- Celebrity Fit Club participants
- Female rappers
- Prisoners and detainees of Georgia (U.S. state)
- Rappers from Chicago, Illinois
- Musicians from Chicago, Illinois
- People from Chicago, Illinois
- So So Def artists
- The Surreal Life participants
- 1974 births
- Living people
- Pseudonymous rappers
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