Da Brat
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Da Brat |
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Da Brat (born Shawntae Harris on April 14, 1974 in Chicago, Illinois) is a rapper who emerged in the early 1990s and was the first solo female rap artist to go platinum. Throughout the 90s, she could typically be seen wearing baggy cargo pants, a backwards baseball cap, a nose stud, and having explicit lyrics. She is the half-sister of actress Lisa Raye.
Early success
The Jermaine Dupri protégé had chart success in 1994 with her single and video entitled "Funkdafied," taken from her debut album of the same name (Funkdafied).the brat is also a bysexual
During the rest of the decade, she remained somewhat low-key and came to be known more for her "featured" appearances on other rappers' and R&B singers' albums than for her own solo work.
In the summer of 1996 she contributed a rhyme to the hip hop remix of Mariah Carey's hit, "Always Be My Baby". During the summer of 1997, Da Brat appeared along with Dupri on a remix of Carey's "Honey (So So Def mix)" and with Lil Kim on her single "Not Tonight". That year, she also was featured on "Sock It 2 Me", a track on Missy Elliott's debut album, which became a popular single in early 1998. She also did a track called "Ghetto Love" featuring T-boz of TLC, this song & video was well received and was in heavy rotation for a short period of time.
In 1999, Da Brat 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 Missy Elliott on Carey's remix of "Heartbreaker", and on the remix of Brandy's "U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)" with Shaunta.
Return to solo work and new image
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" and "What Chu Like", 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 sex her image up; the video for "What Chu Like" featured Da Brat and Tyrese rolling around half naked on a beach. In keeping with her new image, Da Brat "accidentally" exposed her nipples live on MTV's Total Request Live while she was hosting the show. That year, she also appeared in a remix of Destiny's Child's "Jumpin' Jumpin'" along with Dupri and Bow Wow.
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 made her feature film debut 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.
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, Wantagh, Washington DC, Chicago,and Los Angeles performing her rap verses on the "Heartbreaker" and "Honey" remixes.
In 2007, she will be appearing on the fifth season of Celebrity Fit Club.
Filmography
- 2006: 30 Days (post-production)
- 2002: Civil Brand
- 2001: Glitter
- 2001: Carmen: A Hip Hopera
- 1996: Kazaam
Discography
Albums
| Album cover | Album information |
|---|---|
| File:Funkdafied.jpg | Funkdafied
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Anuthatantrum
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Unrestricted
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| File:Brattatatat.jpg | Limelite, Luv & Niteclubz
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TBC
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Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 | US R&B/Hip-Hop | |||
| 1994 | "Funkdafied" | #6 | #6 | Funkdafied |
| "Fa All Y'all" | #37 | #37 | ||
| 1995 | "Give It To Ya" | #87 | #26 | |
| 1996 | "Sittin' On Top of the World" | #54 | #30 | Anuthatantrum |
| 1997 | "Ghetto Love" (with T-Boz) | #18 | #16 | |
| 2000 | "That's What I'm Looking For" | - | #46 | Unrestricted |
| "Whatchu Like" | - | #26 | ||
| 2003 | "In Love Wit Chu" (featuring Cherish) | - | - | Limelite, Luv & Niteclubz |
Guest appearances
- 1994 "Da Bomb" (Kris Kross ft Da Brat)
- 1995 "Da B Side" Da Brat, Jermaine Dupri & The Notorious B.I.G. [Went out as a single, went big but never hit the charts. Was available on the edited version of "Funkdafied" and the Bad Boys soundtrack.]
- 1995 "No One Else (Puff Daddy Remix)" US #22 (Gold) (Total feat. Lil' Kim, Foxy Brown, & Da Brat)
- 1996 "Always Be My Baby (Mr. Dupri Mix)" US #1 (2.2x Platinum) (Mariah Carey feat. Da Brat, Xscape)
- 1997 "Not Tonight (Remix)" US #6 (Platinum) ]]Lil Kim, Angie Martinez, Da Brat, Left Eye, and Missy Elliot)
- 1997 "In My Bed" US #4 (Gold) (Dru Hill ft Da Brat, J. Dupri)
- 1997 "The Way That You Talk" US #65 (Jagged Edge feat. Da Brat & JD)
- 1997 "Honey (So So Def Mix)" US #1 (2.2x Platinum) (Mariah Carey feat.Mase, The Lox, Da Brat & Jermaine Dupri)
- 1997 "Sock It To Me" US #12 (Gold) (Missy Elliot, Da Brat)
- 1998 "The Party Continues" US #29 (Gold) (Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat, Usher)
- 1999 "Secret Love" US #99 (Kelly Price ft Da Brat, J. Dupri)
- 1999 "Heartbreaker (Remix)" US #1 (1.8x Platinum) (Mariah Carey feat. Da Brat, Missy Elliot)
- 1999 "U Don't Know Me" US 79 (Brandy ft Shaunta, Da Brat, Eve)
- 1999 "I Still Believe" US #4 (1.5x Platinum) (Mariah Carey, Da Brat, Krayzie Bone)
- 2000 "Jumpin` Jumpin" US #3 (Gold) (Destiny's Child, Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat & Lil` Bow Wow)
- 2001 "Survivor (Remix)" US #2 (Gold) (Destiny's Child feat. Da Brat)
- 2001 "Loverboy (Remix)" US #2 (Gold) (Mariah Carey, Ludacris, Shawnna, Twenty II, Da Brat, Cameo)
- 2001 "Where The Party At" US #3 (Gold) (Jagged Edge, Nelly, JD, Da Brat & Lil` Bow Wow)
- 2005 "I Think They Like Me"-Remix- US #15 (Dem Franchize Boyz, J.Dupri, Da Brat and Bow Wow)
- 2007 "Ice Box Remix" (Omarion ft. Da Brat)
- 2007 "Gotsa Go" (Kelly Rowland ft. Da Brat)