Misplaced Pages

#521478

62-533: Natalie Renée McIntyre (born September 6, 1967), known by her stage name Macy Gray , is an American R&B and soul singer and actress. She is known for her distinctive raspy voice and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday . Gray has released ten studio albums, and received five Grammy Award nominations, winning one. She has appeared in a number of films, including Training Day , Spider-Man , Scary Movie 3 , Lackawanna Blues , Idlewild , For Colored Girls , and The Paperboy . Gray

124-401: A weighted average , assigned the film a score of 46 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "B−" on a scale of A to F. Roger Ebert found the film at odds with itself, noting how the script has poor storytelling elements but contains "nice dialogue touches" delivered by the characters, saying that "it's

186-464: A Boy "(2006). Rico Love co-wrote Usher's " Throwback " (2005), Keri Hilson's " Energy "(2008), Pleasure P 's " Boyfriend #2 "(2008). The-Dream wrote Rihanna 's " Umbrella "(2007), J. Holiday 's " Bed " and Usher's " Moving Mountains " and " Trading Places "(2008). Ne-Yo wrote Mario's " Let Me Love You ", Rihanna's " Take a Bow " and " Unfaithful ", Beyoncé's " Irreplaceable "(2006) and “ Me & U ”(2006) by Cassie. According to Billboard ,

248-509: A Gray concert on July 5. On July 7, 2007, Gray performed at the Brazilian leg of Live Earth at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil. Gray and her band members wore clothes bearing political messages. Gray's dress carried the message "Darfur Red Alert". In 2008, Gray launched a new campaign under the name "Nemesis Jaxson", with the single "Slap a Bitch". Early in 2009, Gray recorded

310-714: A biology teacher. She has a younger brother, Nate, who owns a gym in West Philadelphia and was featured on the season five finale of Queer Eye . She began piano lessons at age seven. A childhood bicycle mishap resulted in her noticing a mailbox of a man named Macy Gray; she used the name in stories she wrote and later decided to use it as her stage name. She was late developing and did not learn to hold conversation until just before her tenth birthday. Gray attended elementary school with Brian Warner (later known as musician Marilyn Manson ) although they did not know each other. She attended more than one high school, including

372-562: A boarding school which asked her to leave due to her behavior. She attended the University of Southern California and studied scriptwriting. While attending the University of Southern California , she agreed to write songs for a friend. A demo session was scheduled for the songs to be recorded by another singer, but the vocalist failed to appear, so Gray recorded them herself. I started forming bands and writing songs just for fun and then I really got into it and got attached to it. Then

434-400: A church wedding, and he rebuffs her attempts to patch things up until she interrupts the ceremony at a crucial point. Watched by the entire wedding assembly, she apologizes for the way she treated him. He invites her to stay for the wedding reception and dinner afterwards, and they embrace, as the congregation applauds them. Academy Award winner Tom Fleischman is the re-recording mixer of

496-586: A collaboration between both acts, which became the longest-running No. 1 hit in Hot 100 history. Carey also released a remix of her 1995 single " Fantasy ", with Ol' Dirty Bastard as a feature, a collaboration format that was unheard of at this point. Carey, Boyz II Men and TLC released albums in 1994 and 1995— Daydream . In the late 1990s, neo soul , which added 1970s soul influences to the hip hop soul blend, arose, led by artists such as Erykah Badu , Lauryn Hill and Maxwell . Hill and Missy Elliott further blurred

558-458: A concert in Barbados for profanity (which was part of the show), but she was not aware that it was against the law in that country. She gave a public apology that night to avoid arrest. In March, Gray released her fourth studio album (sixth overall), Big . Two singles, " Finally Made Me Happy " and " Shoo Be Doo ", were released from the album. "What I Gotta Do", another track from the album,

620-533: A development deal, recording new songs based on her life experiences, with a new sound, and began shopping her to record labels. In 1998, she landed a record deal with Epic Records . She performed on "Love Won't Wait", a song on the Black Eyed Peas ' debut album Behind the Front . Gray worked on her debut album in 1999 with producer Darryl Swann . Released in the summer of 1999, On How Life Is became

682-492: A distinctive record production style and a smooth, lush style of vocal arrangement. Electronic influences and the use of hip hop or dance -inspired beats are typical, although the roughness and grit inherent in hip hop may be reduced and smoothed out. Contemporary R&B vocalists often use melisma , and since the mid-1980s, R&B rhythms have been combined with elements of hip hop culture and music, pop culture and pop music. According to Geoffrey Himes speaking in 1989,

SECTION 10

#1732802526522

744-526: A friend of mine asked me to be a singer in his jazz band. He gave me all these jazz CDs and I studied all these different singers and I kind of taught myself how to sing for a gig, but I didn't take it seriously until later. She then met writer-producer Joe Solo while working as a cashier in Beverly Hills. Together, they wrote a collection of songs and recorded them in Solo's studio. The demo tape gave Gray

806-454: A future with her. Kate just wants their "fight" to happen, and after unsuccessfully trying to incite Nick at the dinner table, she pays a restaurant employee to call her mobile phone and makes out that Nick is having an affair with an ex-girlfriend. Nick figures it out and finally plays along. The next day, after his attempt to woo Kate fails, he returns to Boston. A week later, Kate finds a special gift Nick had left her that prompts her to admit

868-587: A promotion because she is "not stable enough". Her coworker, Darcy, invents a story claiming Kate is engaged to Nick, a freelance videographer who lives in Massachusetts , with whom Kate had her picture taken during a friend's wedding. All seems to work out well for Kate, who gets her promotion, but after Nick saves a little girl from a fire and winds up in the news, Kate is asked to bring her alleged fiancé to dinner with Mercer and his wife. She goes to Boston to ask Nick to do it and to "break up" with her during

930-521: A remake of Kuti's classic track "Water No Get Enemy" alongside prominent neo soul , hip hop and R&B artists, D'Angelo , the Soultronics , Nile Rodgers , Roy Hargrove , and Kuti's son, Femi Kuti . She recorded a duet with Zucchero called "Like the Sun (From Out of Nowhere)", which featured Jeff Beck on guitar released in 2004 on Zu & Co. , a duet collection. Her song "Time of My Life"

992-500: A shame the plot is so contrived, because parts of this [movie] are really pretty good." Janet Maslin of The New York Times called it a "light, undemanding comedy", commending its use of sitcom humor, bits of satire and the performances of Aniston, Douglas and Bacon, concluding that it "bounces busily among these players until it has to slow down and pretend to be sincere." Marc Savlov of The Austin Chronicle heavily criticized

1054-469: A vagina". She went on to state that she did not support the inclusion of transgender women in women's sports. In the days following the interview, she said that her words had been misunderstood, along with rejecting criticism she had received online for her views. In a subsequent appearance on the Today television show, she said, "Being a woman is a vibe and it's something I'm very proud of and something that it

1116-548: A worldwide smash. The first single, " Do Something ", stalled on the charts, but the second single, " I Try ", made the album a success. "I Try" (which was originally featured in Love Jones and the Jennifer Aniston -starring romantic-comedy Picture Perfect in 1997) was one of the biggest singles of 1999, and subsequent singles (" Still " and " Why Didn't You Call Me ") ensured the album became triple platinum in

1178-517: Is best known for her international hit single " I Try ", taken from her multi-platinum debut album On How Life Is . Gray was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2014 in her hometown of Canton, Ohio. Natalie McIntyre was born in Canton, Ohio , the daughter of Laura McIntyre, a math schoolteacher, and Otis Jones. Her stepfather was a steelworker, and her sister is

1240-515: Is far more diverse and incorporates more sonic elements than before, as it expands its appeal and commercial viability. Trap music 's influence maintained a strong presence on the music charts with R&B singer Beyoncé 's songs " Drunk in Love ", " Flawless " and " 7/11 ", Bryson Tiller 's debut studio album, Trapsoul and Mary J. Blige 's " Thick of It ". Latin R&;B is gaining ground since

1302-564: Is featured on the Shrek the Third soundtrack. It has been considered Gray's comeback album, after a four-year hiatus since her last studio album. The album was critically acclaimed and seen by some as her best work to date. It features collaborations with Natalie Cole , Fergie , Justin Timberlake , and will.i.am , who co-executive produced the album with Gray. It was moderately successful in

SECTION 20

#1732802526522

1364-517: Is very precious to me. I think that if you in your heart feel that's what you are, then that's what you are regardless of what anybody says or thinks". Studio albums Gray won five of seventeen nominations, including Grammy Awards , MTV Video Music Awards and Brit Awards . Contemporary R%26B Contemporary R&B (or simply R&B ) is a popular music genre that combines rhythm and blues with elements of pop , soul , funk , hip hop , and electronic music . The genre features

1426-663: The "Billboard" 200 . His debut single " Run It! " peaked atop on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and the US Radio Songs . During this time also came the emergence of R&B songwriters . Bryan-Michael Cox co-wrote Usher's " Burn " and " Confessions Part II "(2005), Mariah Carey's " Shake It Off " and " Don't Forget About Us " (2006), and Chris Brown's " Say Goodbye "(2006). Keri Hilson would co-write songs Mary J. Blige 's " Take Me as I Am " (2006), Omarion's " Ice Box " (2006), and Ciara's " Like

1488-420: The Billboard Hot 100 were African-American recording artists and accounted for 80% of the number-one R&B hits that year. Along with Usher's streak of singles, Top 40 radio and both pop and R&B charts were topped by Outkast 's " Hey Ya! ", Snoop Dogg 's " Drop It Like It's Hot ", Terror Squad 's " Lean Back " and Ciara 's " Goodies ". Chris Molanphy of " The Village Voice " later remarked that "by

1550-725: The West End musical Thriller – Live for BBC Children in Need Pop Goes the Musical. In 2015, Gray was featured on the song "Into the Deep" by Galactic . In 2016, Gray was featured on the song "Leave Me Lonely" by Ariana Grande . In 2018, Gray was featured alongside Dolly Parton on a re-recording of " Two Doors Down " for the Dumplin' soundtrack . In 2020, Gray was featured on the single "Out Of Love" by Canadian band Busty and

1612-592: The progressive soul movement of the early 1970s "expanded the musical and lyrical boundaries of [R&B] in ways that haven't been equaled since". This movement was led by soul singer-songwriter/producers such as Curtis Mayfield , Marvin Gaye , and Stevie Wonder . Norman Whitfield 's productions at Motown , the record label of Gaye, were also pioneering for setting the soul vocals and simple hooks of earlier rhythm and blues records against strong backbeats , vocal harmonies, and orchestral sounds, all of which thickened

1674-439: The texture of the music. Gaye's own music on albums such as What's Going On (1971) incorporated jazz influences that led the genre into a looser musical direction. The nearest precursor to contemporary R&B came at the end of the disco era in the late 1970s, when Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones added more electronic elements to the sound of the time, creating a smoother dancefloor-friendly style. The first result

1736-758: The 2008 Summer Sundae music festival in Leicester , England, performing cover versions of Rod Stewart 's " Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? ", Deee-Lite 's " Groove Is in the Heart " and Radiohead 's " Creep ". For the gig, her band wore pink Andy Warhol wigs. On September 28, 2008, Gray sang the American national anthem as part of the Israeli flag-raising ceremony at the Israeli consulate of Los Angeles. Also in 2008, Gray collaborated with Australian DJ and singer Kaz James on

1798-512: The 40th anniversary of the 1972 Stevie Wonder album Talking Book , Gray covered the entire record and released her Talking Book as a tribute. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey 's Where Are They Now , Gray opened up about her problems with drug abuse, stating that she was ill-prepared for the level of fame she received. The interview coincided with the release of her album The Way , released in October 2014 on Kobalt Records. A world tour

1860-566: The Bass . The band also released a notable cover of Gray's " I Try " in 2016. In 2021, Gray competed in season three of the Australian version of The Masked Singer as "Atlantis". On February 20, 2022, Gray performed The Star-Spangled Banner at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game . Gray represented her home state of Ohio at the 2022 America Song Contest with the song "Every Night". In 2023, Gray competed in season ten of The Masked Singer as

1922-771: The UK, where it reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and was certified gold by the BPI . In 2002, she appeared in Spider-Man and contributed a remix of her song "My Nutmeg Phantasy" to its accompanying soundtrack. Gray also worked with Santana on the track "Amoré (Sexo)", for his album Shaman . Also in 2002, she appeared on the Red Hot Organization 's compilation CD in tribute to Nigerian Afropop pioneer Fela Kuti , Red Hot and Riot . She appeared on

Macy Gray - Misplaced Pages Continue

1984-533: The UK. A greatest hits collection and a live album were subsequently released: The Very Best of Macy Gray (2004) and Live in Las Vegas (2005). Additionally, Gray was featured on Marcus Miller 's 2005 album Silver Rain , on a cover of Prince 's 1986 song " Girls & Boys ". She also appeared on the soundtrack to the film Chicago with Queen Latifah and Lil' Kim on " Cell Block Tango /He Had it Comin'". Gray began 2007 by being kicked off-stage at

2046-468: The US and over 20   million copies worldwide. Confessions had four consecutive Billboard Hot 100 number one singles—" Yeah! ", " Burn ", " Confessions Part II " and " My Boo ". It won three Grammy Awards in 2005, including Best Contemporary R&B Album , Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "My Boo" and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Yeah!" In 2004, all 12 songs that topped

2108-689: The US and quadruple platinum in the UK. In 2001 , Gray won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "I Try", which was also nominated for the Song of the Year and Record of the Year Grammys. She then collaborated with Fatboy Slim , the Black Eyed Peas, and Slick Rick (on the song "The World Is Yours", from the Rush Hour 2 soundtrack), as well as acting for the first time, in

2170-592: The US, where it debuted and peaked at number 39 on the Billboard 200, becoming Gray's highest-charting album since The Id . Big reached number 62 on the albums chart in the UK, her lowest-charting UK album, but it achieved some success in several other countries, including Switzerland, the Czech Republic, and Finland, reaching the Top 40 on their album charts. PBS 's Soundstage live concert series premiered

2232-688: The album ("Beauty in the World" and "Lately") were top 10 hits on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs Chart. Upon its release, The Sellout received generally mixed reviews from most music critics. Metacritic gave it an average score of 57, based on 15 reviews; Andy Gill of The Independent gave it three out of five stars; while AllMusic writer John Bush shared a similar sentiment and panned Gray's songwriting. However, The Boston Globe ' s James Reed commended its production, and Jeremy Allen of NME gave

2294-574: The album a 7/10 rating. In 2011, Gray signed a deal with 429 Records and started recording a series of covers for her next studio album Covered . The album was officially released on March 26, 2012. The album's first single was " Here Comes the Rain Again " (originally performed by Eurythmics ). On February 16, 2012, Gray participated in the Sanremo Festival as a guest, performing alongside Gigi D'Alessio and Loredana Bertè . For

2356-423: The early 2000s, urban music "was" pop music." Between 2005 and 2009 Raymond, Knowles and Keys released albums— B'Day , Here I Stand , I Am... Sasha Fierce and The Element of Freedom . Mariah Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi (2005) debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and earned ten Grammy Award nominations. The second single " We Belong Together " topped the Hot 100 charts for 14 weeks, and

2418-553: The early 2000s, which featured massive crossover success on the Billboard charts by R&B and hip hop artists. In 2001, Alicia Keys released " Fallin' " as her debut single, peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 , Mainstream Top 40 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. It won three Grammy Awards in 2002, including Song of the Year , Best R&B Song , and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance . It

2480-460: The evening. Nick, who likes Kate, agrees to please Kate. Meanwhile, Sam, a colleague that Kate had always wanted, takes notice of her because she is engaged, and they have sex on two occasions. Nick arrives in New York and stays at Kate's apartment, and as they get to know each other, she starts to like him. When they are at the dinner with Mercer, Nick compliments Kate and expresses his desire for

2542-403: The fake to Mercer and her coworkers, stating that she was dressing for the job she wanted (repeating a line that Mercer had used on her earlier regarding her instability). When she tells him she is quitting, Mercer admits how he had exaggerated his own past at one point in his life. He lets Kate keep her job and suggests she take a few days off to go see Nick. Kate walks in while Nick is recording

Macy Gray - Misplaced Pages Continue

2604-486: The film for having the aesthetics of "an over-long, over-nice, made-for-TV movie that goes nowhere quick." He gave notice to Aniston's performance lacking sustainability to capture the big screen, and bringing the rest of the main cast to her acting level. The film opened at number 5 at the North American box office making $ 7.8 million in its opening weekend. It eventually earned over $ 44 million worldwide, against

2666-539: The film. Picture Perfect also consists of other Academy Award nominees such as Les Lazarowitz , Jane Robinson , and Debra Schutt . The movie was shot in June and July 1996. Kaley Cuoco later revealed that "I was the last name in the credits (credited as ‘little girl’).. when I saw the movie, they had cut my one line". On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 47% of 43 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.4/10. Metacritic , which uses

2728-833: The genre. The use of effects such as Auto-Tune and new computerized synths have given R&B a more futuristic feel while still attempting to incorporate many of the genre's common themes such as love and relationships. According to Christgau in 2017, "almost all R&B goes for voice-plus-sound rather than voice-plus-song, with the sound ranging from precision track-and-hook to idiosyncratic atmospherics." Early 2010s artists Usher and Chris Brown began embracing new electronic influences while still keeping R&B's original feel. Usher's " OMG " and " DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love ", and Chris Brown's " Yeah 3x " are all EDM-oriented. Singers Miguel , John Legend and Jeremih are popular in mainstream hip hop for many collaborations with rappers such as Wale , Rick Ross and J. Cole . Today's R&B

2790-488: The line between R&B and hip hop by recording both styles. Beginning in 1995, the Grammy Awards enacted the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album , with II by Boyz II Men becoming the first recipient. The award was later received by TLC for CrazySexyCool in 1996, Tony Rich for Words in 1997, Erykah Badu for Baduizm in 1998 and Lauryn Hill for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in 1999. In 1994

2852-444: The most commercially successful R&B acts of the decade were Usher , Alicia Keys , Beyoncé , Mariah Carey , Rihanna , Chris Brown , Ne-Yo and Akon . Continuing from the 1990s and 2000s, R&B, like many other genres, drew influences from the technical innovations of the time and began to incorporate more electronic and machine-made sounds and instruments, this evolving style called Electro-R&B slowly began dominating

2914-526: The opportunity to sing at jazz cafés in Los Angeles. Although Gray did not consider her unusual voice desirable for singing, Atlantic Records signed her. She began recording her debut record but was dropped from the label upon the departure of A&R man Tom Carolan , who had signed her to the label. Macy returned to Ohio but in 1997 Los Angeles based Zomba Label Group Senior VP A&R man Jeff Blue , convinced her to return to music and signed her to

2976-780: The singer Aaliyah drop her debut album and in 1996 she released her second album called "One In A Million" with different sounds and produced by Missy Elliot and Timbaland, unknown at that moment. At the end of 1999, Billboard magazine ranked Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson as the first and second most successful artists of the 1990s. Simultaneously, in the second half of the 1990s, The Neptunes and Timbaland set influential precedence on contemporary R&B and hip hop music. Writing in 2003, music critic Robert Christgau describes modern R&B as being "about texture, mood, feel—vocal and instrumental and rhythmic, articulated as they're smooshed together". Following periods of fluctuating success, urban music attained commercial dominance during

3038-579: The song " Can't Hold Back ". The single was released in early 2009 in Australia and is credited to Kaz James featuring Macy Gray. In 2009, Gray briefly competed in season 9 of Dancing with the Stars with professional partner Jonathan Roberts . They were eliminated in a double elimination in week one. In 2012, she performed the Michael Jackson song " Rock with You " for a special performance of

3100-495: The song "Don't Forget Me" for the soundtrack of Confessions of a Shopaholic . The first single from Gray's fifth studio album The Sellout , " Beauty in the World ", is featured in the final sequence of the series finale, " Hello Goodbye ", of the ABC television series, Ugly Betty . "Beauty in the World" was also used as the theme in multiple videos created by Microsoft to promote Internet Explorer 9 . Both singles released from

3162-550: The thriller Training Day . In August 2001, Gray was booed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame exhibition game after forgetting the lyrics to the American national anthem . Gray's The Id featured appearances by John Frusciante and Erykah Badu on the single " Sweet Baby " (which was co-written with longtime collaborator Joe Solo). The album peaked at number eleven on the Billboard 200 . It fared even better in

SECTION 50

#1732802526522

3224-637: The wave of artists began mixing trap with that sound in the middle of this decade. Spanish-language singles by Alex Rose, Rauw Alejandro and Paloma Mami , which borrow shrewdly from R&B, are captivating a global audience. In Latin America, the genre became popular with Alex Rose's "Toda", and Sech 's " Otro Trago ". Picture Perfect (1997 film) Kate is struggling in the advertising business in New York City : she cannot move forward despite her talent. Her boss, Mr. Mercer, passes her up for

3286-477: The wild card contestant "Sea Queen". She finished in 4th place. Gray was married to Tracy Hinds, a mortgage broker, for about two years, but they divorced prior to her rise to prominence. They have three children. She opened the Macy Gray Music Academy in 2005. In a July 2022 interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored , Gray was asked how she would define a woman, to which she answered "boobs and

3348-468: Was Off the Wall (1979), which—according to Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic —"was a visionary album, that found a way to break disco wide open into a new world where the beat was undeniable, but not the primary focus" and "was part of a colorful tapestry of lush ballads and strings, smooth soul and pop, soft rock, and alluring funk". Richard J. Ripani wrote that Janet Jackson 's Control (1986)

3410-431: Was "important to the development of R&B for several reasons", as she and her producers, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis , "crafted a new sound that fuses the rhythmic elements of funk and disco, along with heavy doses of synthesizers, percussion, sound effects, and a rap music sensibility." Ripani wrote that "the success of "Control" led to the incorporation of stylistic traits of rap over the next few years, and Janet Jackson

3472-641: Was also nominated for Record of the Year . Beyoncé 's solo studio debut album Dangerously in Love (2003) has sold over 5   million copies in the United States and earned five Grammy Awards . Usher 's Confessions (2004) sold 1.1   million copies in its first week and over 8   million copies in 2004, since then it has been certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and, As of 2016, has sold over 10   million copies in

3534-698: Was announced shortly after its release. In 2016, Gray's career continued with an album produced by Chesky Records , the record label founded by Grammy-nominated composer and musician David Chesky . Stripped was released September 9, 2016, and garnered almost unanimous praise from critics. The album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Jazz Chart . Earlier that year, she was featured on Ariana Grande 's song "Leave Me Lonely" from her third studio album, Dangerous Woman . Gray released her tenth studio album, Ruby , in September 2018. In 2001, she

3596-591: Was created by Mary J. Blige and producer Sean Combs . During the mid-1990s, Whitney Houston 's The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album eventually sold over 45 million copies worldwide becoming the best-selling soundtrack of all time. Janet Jackson 's self-titled fifth studio album Janet (1993), which came after her multimillion-dollar contract with Virgin Records , sold over 14 million copies worldwide. Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey recorded several Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits, including " One Sweet Day ",

3658-441: Was included in the soundtrack to 8 Mile . A cartoon based on Gray's childhood was being developed, but it never came to fruition. In 2003, Gray released her third studio album, The Trouble with Being Myself , to rave reviews. The lead single, " When I See You ", became a radio hit in the US and a top-forty hit in the UK, although the album was not as well received by fans. Nevertheless, it became Gray's third top twenty album in

3720-587: Was later hailed "song of the decade" and won a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 2006. The mid-2000s came with the emergence of new R&B acts Ashanti , Keyshia Cole and Akon . Ashanti's eponymous debut album topped both US Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. It earned her three Grammy nominations winning one for the Best Contemporary R&;B Album . R&B newcomer Chris Brown released his self-titled album in 2005 which debuted at number two on

3782-590: Was the voice for Seeiah Owens in the video game SSX Tricky . Gray sang the theme song for the Nickelodeon animated series As Told by Ginger , composed by Jared Faber and Emily Kapnek . Gray also performed the song on the short-lived UPN romantic comedy Second Time Around starring Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker in 2004. In 2006 Gray appeared in the eighth season of Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown , playing for Habitat for Humanity . She finished in third place. In August 2008, Gray headlined at

SECTION 60

#1732802526522

3844-431: Was to continue to be one of the leaders in that development." That same year, Teddy Riley began producing R&B recordings that included hip hop influences. This combination of R&B style and hip hop rhythms was termed " new jack swing " and was applied to artists such as Keith Sweat , Bobby Brown , Johnny Kemp , and Bell Biv DeVoe . Using hip hop -inspired backing tracks, a new genre labeled " hip hop soul "

#521478