Dani Stevenson | |
---|---|
Also known as | Dani Stevens, The Bride |
Born | 1980 Atlanta, Georgia, United States |
Origin |
Harlem, New York, United States |
Genres | Contemporary R&B, jazz, soul, funk, Hip hop |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, backing vocalist |
Years active | 2001–present |
Labels |
Universal Records (2002–2004) Elektra Records (2002–2003) Starrlet Ent. (2010–present) |
Associated acts | Missy Elliott, Nelly, Rhemario Webber, DMX, Norman Hedman, Deezle |
Dani Stevenson (born 1980) is an American contemporary R&B singer–songwriter. She is best known for her background vocals on Nelly's single, "Hot in Herre" and her own singles, "Honk Your Horn" (featuring Missy Elliott) and "Yo, Yo, Yo" which was featured in the film XXX starring Vin Diesel.
At the age of 12, Dani Stevenson moved from her hometown Atlanta, Georgia, to Harlem, New York. Upon her arrival in Harlem, she had deep aspirations of pursuing a music career. She went on to perform the National Anthem at a junior high graduation and appeared in various talent contests. In 1998, she performed at the Greenwich Village open-mike circuit.
By August 2001, Stevenson met up with producer Rhemario Webber through a mutual friend and the two teamed up to craft a 10-track demo. The result was a contract deal with Universal Records in February 2002. After signing to Universal, the label suggested Stevenson to contribute vocals to labelmate Nelly's 2002 single, "Hot in Herre"; Stevenson agreed and collaborated with Nelly and producer Pharrell Williams. Stevenson recalled, "Nelly was writing lyrics in his two-way; Pharrell [from the Neptunes] wanted the song to be sexy. He sang it the way he wanted me to sing it, and then I just put my own little stamp on it. It only took about 15 minutes."
Following the song's success, Universal Records gave her the go to prepare a debut album. Stevenson alongside Webber wrote 11 out of the 13 tracks and incorporated the 10-track demo to the debut. The debut album was tentatively titled Is There Another?! and was scheduled for a release in March 2003. The Missy Elliott–produced "Honk Your Horn" was released as the album's lead single in September 17, 2002. Although it was released to the general public that year, it did not begin to chart until October 2003, a year following its original release. On August 6, 2002, the soundtrack to XXX was released and featured Stevenson's song, "Yo, Yo, Yo". The song would be released in April 29, 2003, as the second single from Stevenson's debut. By 2004, Is There Another?! had passed its scheduled release date and its singles still failed to make a proper entry on the Billboard charts. As a result, Stevenson left Universal Records and her debut album was shelved.