African Celebrities: American rapper

Showing posts with label American rapper. Show all posts

Thursday, 27 February 2014

Lil' Kim

Kimberly Denise Jones, popularly known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, model, and actress.

She was born on July 11, 1974 in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of the New York City borough Brooklyn, to parents Linwood Jones and Ruby Jones (now Ruby Jones-Mitchell). At the age of 9 her parents separated, and her father raised her until he expelled her form home when she was a teenager. Thus she lived with her friends and even on the streets.

Lil' Kim has earned numerous honors and awards. He debut album Hard Core (1996) was certified Double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and is considered a classic hip-hop album. Throughout her career Lil' Kim has sold over 11 million albums worldwide and has earned several accolades for her work. Pop culture have given her titles such as Queen bee and Queen of Hip-Hop.

In February 2014, Lil Kim announced she was pregnant with her first child.

Lil' Kim with her mother Ruby Jones Mitchell, at her mother's wedding

Lil' Kim (left) with her mother Ruby Jones Mitchell (right)

Thursday, 13 February 2014

Missy Elliott

Melissa Arnette Elliott popularly known as Missy Elliott is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. She was born on July 1, 1971 in Portsmouth, Virginia. She is the only child of Patricia, a power-company coordinator and Ronnie, a U.S. Marine.

Her first major success came as a songwriter with childhood friend and producer Timbaland on projects for Aaliyah, Total, SWV, and 702.

In the late 1990s, Missy Elliott expanded her career as a solo artist and female rapper, eventually winning five Grammy Awards and selling over 30 million records in the United States.

Missy Elliott is the only female rapper to have six albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one double platinum for her 2002 album Under Construction.

Missy Elliott

Miss Elliott

Missy Elliott

Missy Elliott on her 40th Birthday in July 2008, at Tao, in Las Vegas

Missy Elliott on her 37th Birthday in July 2008, in New York City

Da Brat

Shawntae Harris better known by her stage name as Da Brat is an American Grammy-nominated rapper and actress. She was born on April 14, 1974 in Joliet, Illinois and raised on Chicago's West Side. Da Brat is the younger half-sister of actress LisaRaye McCoy.

Her debut album, Funkdafied (1994), sold one million copies, making her the first female solo rap act to have a platinum-selling album, and the second overall female rap act (solo or group) after Salt-N-Pepa.