Da Brat

Shawntae Harris-Dupart (née Harris; born April 14, 1974), better known by her stage name Da Brat, is an American rapper.

Da Brat was born on April 14, 1974 in Chicago, Illinois, and was raised primarily on the West Side of the city.

Her father is David Ray McCoy, a businessman, and mother, Nadine Brewer, a city bus driver.

Her parents never married.

Brat was subsequently raised in two different households.

Da Brat lived part of the time with her mother and grandmother and attended an Apostolic church four times a week, where she sang in the choir.

She is the paternal half-sister of LisaRaye McCoy.

Da Brat attended Kenwood Academy during her sophomore and junior year, where she ran track and played basketball.

During the late 1990s–2000s, she guest performed on Dem Franchize Boyz's single "I Think They Like Me," the remixes of Mariah Carey's "Loverboy," "Always Be My Baby," and "Honey," and on the 1999 mashup "I Still Believe/Pure Imagination."

During the rest of the 1990s, 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.

Born and raised in Chicago, she began her career in 1992 prior to signing with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings that same year.

She graduated from the Academy of Scholastic Achievement, a continuation charter school that caters to at-risk students in 1992.

In 1992, Da Brat'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.

Da Brat was also featured with Kris Kross on the title track of their album Da Bomb (1993) as well as on their third album Young, Rich and Dangerous (1996).

Her debut studio album, Funkdafied (1994) sold one million units, making her the first female hip hop solo act to receive platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and the second female hip hop act (solo or group) to do so after Salt-N-Pepa.

The album spawned the 1994 lead single of the same name, which peaked at number six on Billboard Hot 100 along with her guest appearance alongside Lisa Lopes, Missy Elliott and Angie Martinez on Lil' Kim's 1997 single "Not Tonight."

Furthermore, "Funkdafied" reached number two on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart, while "Not Tonight" reached number three.

Da Brat's debut album Funkdafied was released in 1994 and entered the rap albums chart at number 11.

The album went platinum, making her the first female solo rapper to sell one million copies.

The single "Funkdafied" reached number 1 on the rap singles chart and number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Her follow-up single from the same album, "Give It 2 You", reached number 26 on the Hot 100.

Her second album, Anuthatantrum (1996) spawned the single "Ghetto Love" (featuring T-Boz).

In 1996, Da Brat released her second full-length album, Anuthatantrum, which included the single "Ghetto Love" featuring T-Boz of TLC.

She contributed a rhyme to the hip hop remix of Mariah Carey's hit, "Always Be My Baby" (1996).

She also made her feature film debut that year in Kazaam (1996) with Shaquille O'Neal.

In 1997 she and Dupri appeared on the remix of the Dru Hill hit "In My Bed".

That same year, Da Brat appeared along with Dupri on a remix of Carey's "Honey (So So Def mix)" (1997) and recorded the hit remix of "Ladies' Night (Not Tonight)" (1997) with Lil' Kim, Left-Eye of TLC, Angie Martinez, and Missy Elliott.

Also 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" (1998).

She also appeared as a guest artist with Elliott on Carey's remix of "Heartbreaker" (1999), and on the remix of 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'" (1999).

Her third album, Unrestricted (2000) peaked at number five on the Billboard 200.

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. number 56) and "What'chu Like" (U.S. number 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" persona, she decided to follow the trend in popular music and attempted to add to her sex appeal.

With Carey, she released the 2003 duet "Gotta Thing For You," a hip hop-inspired version of the Bobby Caldwell song "What You Won't Do For Love."

Brat has received two Grammy Award nominations.