Da Brat
| Da Brat | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Shawntae Harris |
| Born |
April 14, 1974 Joliet, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, actress |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Labels | So So Def |
| Associated acts | |
Shawntae Harris (born April 14, 1974), better known by her stage name Da Brat, is an American rapper and actress from Joliet, Illinois. Beginning her career in 1991, Harris debut album Funkdafied (1994) sold one million copies, making her the first female solo rap act to receive a platinum certification, and the second overall female rap act (solo or group) after Salt N Pepa. She has received two Grammy Award nominations.
Harris was born on April 14, 1974 in Joliet, Illinois and raised on Chicago's West Side. Her parents never married, and Harris was subsequently raised in two different households. Harris lived part of the time with her mother and grandmother and attended a strict Apostolic church four times a week, where she sang in the choir. Harris attended Kenwood Academy during her sophomore and junior year, where she ran track and played basketball. She graduated from Academy of Scholastic Achievement, a continuation charter school that caters to at-risk students, in 1992.
In 1992, Harris's big break occurred when she won the grand prize in a local rap contest sponsored by Yo! MTV Raps. For the prize, she met the young rap duo Kris Kross. They 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. Harris told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that her stage name was inspired because she is "a spoiled only child." Da Brat's debut album Funkdafied was released in 1994 and entered the rap albums chart at #1. The album went platinum, making her the first female solo rapper to sell one million copies. The eponymous single reached #1 on the rap singles chart and #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her follow-up single from the same album, "Give It 2 You," reached #26 on the Hot 100.
...
Wikipedia