Yoon Mirae
| Yoon Mi-rae | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Natasha Shanta Reid |
| Also known as | Tasha Reid, Baby Tasha, T |
| Born |
May 31, 1981 Fort Hood, Texas, United States |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Associated acts |
|
| Yoon Mi Rae | |
| Hangul | 윤미래 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 尹未來 |
| Revised Romanization | Yun Mi-rae |
| McCune–Reischauer | Yun Mi-rae |
Natasha Shanta Reid (born May 31, 1981), better known by her Korean name Yoon Mi-rae, is an American-born South Korean rapper and singer. She is currently a member of Korean hip hop trio MFBTY. She is considered to be one of the best female rappers in Korea.
Yoon was born on May 31, 1981 in Fort Hood, Texas to a South Korean mother and an African-American father. Her father had been a radio DJ while serving with the U.S. military in Korea, and Yoon cites his record collection as an influence to pursue her music career. After she moved to Korea as a child, she often faced discrimination because of her mixed heritage. Yoon dropped out of school at age 15 and later took a high school equivalence exam.
Yoon was discovered in 1995 when she accompanied a friend to an audition for a new Korean hip hop group. She did not audition herself, but a World Records representative heard her singing outside of the audition room and signed her to join a new group called Uptown. The group debuted in 1997 when Yoon was just 16.
In 1999, she also formed hip hop and R&B duo Tashannie with singer Annie. They released one album, called Parallel Prophecies.
Uptown broke up in 2000 after several group members were arrested on drug charges. Yoon's then-boyfriend, rapper Tiger JK, was also arrested and spent a month and a half in jail. Yoon herself went into hiding during that period.
Yoon debuted as a solo artist in 2001, under the moniker T. She released her first album, As Time Goes By, the same year and her second and third albums, named respectively Gemini and To My Love, the following year.
In 2006, she joined Jungle Entertainment, a label founded by her now-husband Tiger JK. The following year, she released the album T3 – Yoon Mi Rae, on which she shared the difficulties she faced as a mixed race artist in Korea. That year, she performed in Seoul with American singer Amerie, who is also of Korean and African-American heritage.
In 2012, Yoon became the face of computer brand Hewlett-Packard in Korea, having signed a one-year contact to appear in their print media and radio advertisements. She was also a judge on the third and fourth seasons of television talent competition Superstar K.
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