- Remy Ma
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Remy Ma 
Remy Ma in July 2005Background information Birth name Reminisce Smith Also known as Remy Born May 30, 1981 Origin Castle Hill, Bronx, United States Genres Hip hop Occupations Rapper, songwriter Instruments Rapping Years active 1999–present Labels Sure Shot, Remynisce, Capitol Associated acts Big Pun, Cuban Link, Papoose, Jacki-O, Shawnna Website remyma.com Reminisce Smith (born May 30, 1981),[1] better known by her stage name Remy Ma, formerly known as Remy Martin, is a Grammy nominated American rapper and former member of Fat Joe's rap crew, Terror Squad. Ma was featured on the group's hit song "Lean Back" from their second album True Story and M.O.P.'s "Ante Up (Remix)." Her debut solo album, There's Something about Remy: Based on a True Story, was released on February 7, 2006. She is one of seven female rappers to ever have a number one single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with Terror Squad's number one single "Lean Back." She has also won two Vibe awards, two Source awards, an ASCAP pop award and a BET award for "Best Female Hip Hop", as well as two other nominations. Remy cites Big Punisher and Roxanne Shante as her biggest influences.[2]
Contents
Biography
Remy Ma grew up in Castle Hill Projects in the Bronx, New York and often saw the consequences and terrors of her family's drug abuse with her own eyes. She was forced to take care of her little brothers and sisters at a young age and retreated from her home issues by writing poetry. She learned about how hard society was on women and minorities. She then took out her anger by framing her poetry into raps that she would use against her school mates during lunch sessions. Her reputation quickly grew around the Bronx and word eventually got to the late MC, Big Pun of her and her work. After one meeting and a freestyle session, Pun immediately became her mentor.[2] Remy made her first appearances in the music industry on Big Pun's album "Yeeeah Baby" (under the name Remi Martin) on the tracks "Ms. Martin" & "You Was Wrong".[3] After the death of Big Pun, rapper Fat Joe signed Smith to his imprint label under SRC and Universal and made her a member of Terror Squad. Following the success of Lean Back, which garnered Remy a Grammy nomination, her debut solo album, There's Something About Remy: Based on a True Story, went on to sell only 150,000 units in its first year of release due to Universal Records' poor promotion. Fat Joe and Remy were frustrated at the way the album was being promoted by Universal and how the label wasn't releasing the right singles. With the solo albums lackluster debut, Smith decided to end her relationship with Fat Joe and the Terror Squad, breaking her deal with SRC/Universal in the process.
Remy Ma released 2 singles from her debut album There's Something About Remy, the club-anthems "Whuteva" and "Conceited". The album moved 37,000 units in its opening week and 158,000 units within the first year. The album received outstanding reviews from XXL Magazine with XL to Rollingstone and Vibe Magazine. She currently writes updates and posts it via Her official twitter and MySpace pages.
Reality show, second album and supergroup
After her departure from Terror Squad, which was confirmed on April 10, 2007, Smith had a slew of new deals and offers coming from both record companies and television alike. She was in talks to record her own reality TV show in which cameras would follow her hectic life as a female rapper in the male-dominated rap scene. She was also busy recording what would be her second album, titled PunisHER, named after her late mentor Big Pun. Also in the works was Remy Ma's debut album as part of the all-female rap supergroup 3Sum, alongside female rappers Shawnna and Jacki-O.[4] All of these plans were officially postponed and put on hold after taking part in a shooting incident that could possibly put her career to a complete halt.
Shooting incident
On July 13, 2007, Smith turned herself in to New York City police in relation to a shooting early that morning outside a Manhattan nightclub. Police say that while she was with a group of people outside the Pizza Bar, a Manhattan nightspot, a fight broke out at 4 a.m. During the entire incident, a gunshot to the torso wounded Makeda Barnes-Joseph, who has been accused of robbing Smith for thousands of dollars.[5] Police sources indicate that Barnes-Joseph later identified Smith as the shooter.[6] Security tapes from inside the club showed no evidence of any altercations or arguments. Smith pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder, assault, and criminal weapon possession.[7] Smith was later charged with witness tampering and assault after an August 2007 incident in which she was accused of causing several male friends to attack a witness' boyfriend.[8]
Smith retained the services of the attorney Ivan Fisher. However, on March 27, 2008, Smith was convicted of assault, illegal weapon possession and attempted coercion in connection with these charges. She was immediately taken into custody pending sentencing scheduled for May 13. She was acquitted of witness tampering and gang assault, charges which involved the purported intimidation of the boyfriend of a witness.[9] At her sentencing, the Judge noted her disregard for the victim following the shooting—commenting that the rapper rifled through the victim's purse looking for the alleged stolen money, as Barnes-Joseph sat seriously wounded in the car. Smith then exited the vehicle, jumped into a waiting car and drove off, leaving Barnes-Joseph bleeding in the front seat. It was not disclosed if Smith had in fact retrieved any stolen money from the victim's purse.
Since the shooting, Barnes-Joseph has undergone several surgeries to repair damage done to her as a result of the shooting. Allegedly, she still experiences numbness in both legs and digestive problems as a result of the damage the bullet did to her intestines. In 2007, Barnes-Joseph filed an $80 million civil lawsuit against Smith for damages, along with pain and suffering. According to her lawyers, Smith is serving her eight-year term at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women in Bedford Hills, New York located in Westchester County and is expecting to be released in 2015. Ma wed her fiancee, rapper Papoose, while in prison in May 2008.[10][11]
Smith wrote a letter to her fans via GLobal Grind in Late 2009 stating "I really miss everything but I especially can't wait to get back in the studio and onstage again, I've been writing like crazy," she wrote in a blog entry. "First off I'd like to send love to C-Murder, his family and children...Some people are aware, but I realize that a lot of people don't know that I have a son. He just turned 9 years old and I was able to celebrate his birthday with him and Pap, they stayed with me for 5 days and 4 nights. We had so much fun. I cooked breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I baked cookies, cakes, and banana pudding. We watched movies, played board games and took a lot of pictures...I just want to say that I so love the 'Wendy Williams Show.' I try to watch it. I love watching the videos that are sent in of little kids saying 'How You Doin?' I couldn't pay my son to do that! I have to go on her show though when I get home."[citation needed]
In June 2011, it was announced that after losing her appeal, Smith would have a parole hearing in September 2014 with an eligibility date set for January 31, 2015, according to court documents. If parole is denied she may remain in New York’s Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women until March 23, 2016 - her sentence’s maximum expiration date.[12]
Discography
Albums
- There's Something About Remy: Based on a True Story (2006)
Mixtapes
- Most Anticipated (2005)
- The BX-Files (2007)
- Shesus Khryst (2007)
- BlasRemy (2008)
DVDs
- Remy Ma: From the Grind to the Glamor (2005)
- Shesus Khryst (2007)
References
- ^ Brown, Marisa. "Remy Ma > Biography". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p737334. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
- ^ a b "Remy Ma Biography". Sing365.com. http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Remy-Ma-Biography/2360A63B23EA755A48257118000938BD. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
- ^ "Yeeeah Baby: Big Pun: Music". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004SCCO. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
- ^ Up for Discussion Jump to Forums. "Remy Ma Gets Real, Preps Two New Albums". Billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/news/remy-ma-gets-real-preps-two-new-albums-1003545087.story#/news/remy-ma-gets-real-preps-two-new-albums-1003545087.story. Retrieved 2010-05-16.
- ^ Sophia Chang, Rapper Remy Ma sought in shooting, AP, July 14, 2007.
- ^ Veronika Belenkaya, Warren Woodberry Jr, Dorian Block, and Robert F. Moore, Remy Ma's gun rap, New York Daily News, July 15, 2007.
- ^ AP, Rapper Remy Ma Arraigned in NYC Shooting, AP, July 16, 2007.
- ^ IHT, Judge rejects bid to raise New York rapper Remy Ma's bail, retrieved May 14, 2008.
- ^ Samuel Maull for Associated Press. (March 27, 2008). Rapper Remy Ma is Convicted of Assault USA Today. Retrieved July 13, 2008.
- ^ SOHH [1] SOHH. Retrieved July 13, 2008.
- ^ Remy Ma Trying to overturn prison sentence.
- ^ Remy Ma Up For Parole In January 2015
External links
- Official website
- Remy Ma page at MTV
- Official twitter
Categories:- 1981 births
- African American rappers
- American prisoners and detainees
- Female rappers
- Living people
- People from Cliffside Park, New Jersey
- People from the Bronx
- Prisoners and detainees of New York
- Rappers from New York City
- Terror Squad members
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