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Biography
Infobox musical artist| name = Da Brat| birth_name = Shawntae Harris| birth_date = birth date and age|1974|04|14 Joliet, Illinois , United States | origin = Chicago, Illinois | occupation = rapper , actress | genres = Hip hop | years_active = 1992–present| labels = So So Def | associated_acts = Left Eye , Angie Martinez , Bow Wow (rapper)|Bow Wow , Mariah Carey , Jermaine Dupri , Missy Elliott , Kris Kross , Lil' Kim , Lisa Raye , Tyrese Gibson|Tyrese | background=solo_singer Shawntae Harris (born April 14, 1974), 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.
Early life
Harris was born and raised in Joliet, Illinois . Her parents were never married and Harris was subsequently raised in two different households.cite web|url= http://www.musicianguide.com/biographies/1608002708/Da-Brat.html|title= Da Brat Biography at MusicianGuide.com 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." Harris is the younger half-sister of actress LisaRaye McCoy .cite web|url= http://movies.nytimes.com/person/331141/LisaRaye-McCoy/biography|title=LisaRaye McCoy|accessdate=2008-05-20|year=2008|publisher=New York Times
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& #33; 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.
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 (Da Brat song)|Ghetto Love " featuring T-Boz of TLC (band)|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 music|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 (Mariah Carey song)|Honey (So So Def mix) " and recorded the hit remix of "Ladies' Night (Not Tonight)" with Lil' Kim , Left-Eye of TLC (band)|TLC , Angie Martinez and Missy Elliott . Da Brat was also featured with Kris Kross on their track "Da Bomb" on the album Da Bomb (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 (Brenda K. Starr song)|I Still Believe ". She also appeared as a guest artist with Elliott on Carey's remix of " Heartbreaker (Mariah Carey song)|Heartbreaker ", and on the remix of Brandy Norwood|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 rap|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 (Mariah Carey song)|Loverboy " and being featured artist on Destiny's Child 's "Survivor" remix. Da Brat also appeared as Louise in Carey's 2001 movie Glitter (film)|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 (rapper)|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 (Mariah Carey album)|E=MC˛ on a track entitled "4real4real". She also co-wrote a song with Mariah Carey called "O.O.C." which appears on E=MC˛ and contributes backing vocals on the track.
In 2007, she participated in the fifth season of the VH1 reality series Celebrity Fit Club (U.S. TV series)#Season 5 - 2007: Men vs. Women|Celebrity Fit Club .
In 2011, she did a remix with Kelly Rowland called "Motivation" featuring Lil Wayne .
Legal troubles, prison sentence, and 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.
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.cite web|url= http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1593369/20080822/da_brat.jhtml|title= Da Brat Sentenced To Three Years In Prison For Atlanta Nightclub Fight In May 2010, she was temporarily released from prison as part of a work-release program cite web|url= http://www.ballerstatus.com/2010/05/28/da-brat-out-of-prison-on-work-release-ready-to-get-to-work/ |title=Da Brat Out of Prison On Work Release, Ready To Get To Work |publisher=Ballerstatus.Com |date=2010-05-28 |accessdate=2012-04-09 after serving 21 months.
On February 28, 2011, Jermaine Dupri announced that Da Brat was officially released from prison, completing her sentence.cite web|url= http://www.cinemablend.com/celebrity/Rapper-Da-Brat-Released-From-Prison-30387.html |title=Rapper Da Brat Released From Prison |publisher=Cinemablend.com |date=2011-03-01 |accessdate=2012-04-09
Discography
Main|Da Brat discography
Funkdafied (1994)
Anuthatantrum (1996)
Unrestricted (Da Brat album)|Unrestricted (2000)
Limelite, Luv & Niteclubz (2003)
Awards and nominations
Grammy Awards
Year
Nominated work
Award
Result
Grammy Awards of 1998
"Not Tonight" Remix
Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
nom
Grammy Awards of 2004
"Got It Poppin'"
Best Female Rap Solo Performance
nom
Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards
Year
Nominated work
Award
Result
Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards 1995
Funkdafied
Best Rap Album
won
BET Awards
Year
Nominated work
Award
Result
BET AWARDS 2001
Herself
Best Female Hip-Hop Artist
nom
BET AWARDS 2004
Herself
Best Female Hip-Hop Artist
nom
Billboard Awards
Year
Nominated work
Award
Result
Billboard Awards 1994
Da Brat
Top Hot Rap Artist
won
Billboard Awards 1994
"Funkdafied"
Top Hot Rap Single
won
Billboard Awards 1994
Da Brat
Top R& B Artist Female
nom
Billboard Awards 1994
"Funkdafied"
Top Hot R& B Single Sales
nom
Billboard Awards 1995
Da Brat
Top Hot Female Rap Artist
won
Film and television credits
Year
Title
Role
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
Year
Title
Role
Notes
1994
sortname>All
Musical Guest
Season 1, Episode 1
1997– 1998
sortname>The
Boo
2 episodes
2002
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
Baby K2K
1 episode
References
Reflist
External links
Allmusic|class=artist|id=p44743
MTV artist|da_brat
IMDB name|0004771
Da BratThe Surreal Life
Persondata|NAME= Brat, Da |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Harris, Shawntae |SHORT DESCRIPTION= Rapper, actress |DATE OF BIRTH= April 14, 1974 |PLACE OF BIRTH= Chicago , Illinois |DATE OF DEATH= |PLACE OF DEATH= DEFAULTSORT:Brat, Da Category:American television actors Category:African American rappers Category:American people convicted of assault Category:American people of Native American descent Category:Celebrity Fit Club participants Category:Midwest hip hop musicians Category:Female rappers Category:Prisoners and detainees of Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Rappers from Chicago, Illinois Category:Musicians from Chicago, Illinois Category:People from Chicago, Illinois Category:So So Def artists Category:The Surreal Life participants Category:1974 births Category:Living people Category:Pseudonymous rappers
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