Da Brat is the stage name of American rapper Shawntae Harris-Dupart, who was born on April 14, 1974. She is best known by her birth name. She began her career in 1992, the same year that she secured a recording contract with So So Def Records. She was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois.
Because her debut album Funkdafied (1994) sold one million copies, she was the first female solo rap artist to obtain a platinum certification. Overall, she was the second female rap act (solo or group) to receive a certification, coming in behind Salt-N-Pepa. Her debut album was released in 1994.
Da Brat Early Life
The rapper, who is originally from Chicago and was born Shawntae Harris on April 14, 1974, had his rapping debut when he was eleven years old. Her mother worked as a bus driver for the city of Chicago, and her father was never married, so Brat spent her childhood split between the homes of each of her parents.
She shared a room with her mother and grandmother and went to an Apostolic church, where she was a member of the choir and attended services on a weekly basis. She completed her high school education at Kenwood Academy in Chicago, where she participated in both track and basketball. She received her diploma from the Academy of Scholastic Achievement in 1992, which is a charter school that focuses on serving students who are at risk.
Da Brat Career
In 1992, producer Jermaine Dupri found Da Brat after she won a “Yo! MTV Raps” contest when she was just a teenager. She met the rap duo Kriss Kross, who introduced her to Dupri and got her signed to his So So Def label, as part of her prize. Da Brat’s debut album, “Funkdafied,” produced by Dupri, achieved platinum success, peaking at #2 on the R&B charts and #1 on the rap singles chart for over three months.
The corresponding track topped the Billboard Rap Singles chart and peaked at position #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album’s follow-up song, “Give It 2 You,” peaked at No. 26 on the Hot 100. In 1996, Da Brat released her follow-up album, “Anuthatantrum,” which proved to be another financial success because to her increased control over her music and image.
She returned to the R&B Top 5 and pop Top 20 with the singles “Sittin’ on Top of the World” and “Ghetto Love,” the latter of which featured T-Boz of TLC. At the same time, she was included in prominent guest spots on songs by artists including Mariah Carey (on a remix of her smash hit “Always Be My Baby”), Missy Eliot, Dru Hill, and Lil’ Kim.
Instead of releasing her own albums during the rest of the ’90s, Da Brat became better renowned for guest spots on the records of other rappers. Together with Kriss Kross, she was featured on the album’s eponymous title tracks. Starring opposite Shaq in “Kazaam,” Da Brat made her big screen debut in 1996.
In 1997, she appeared with Dupri on another remix for Carey, “Honey (So So Def mix) (So So Def mix). Da Brat released the hit remix of “Ladies Night (Not Tonight) in 1997 with Lil’ Kim, Left Eye from TLC, Angie Martinez, and Missy Elliot. Later that year, she appeared on Elliot’s debut album’s “Supa Dupa Fly” tune “Sock It 2 Me.” On the 1999 single “Jumpin’ Jumpin’,” by Destiny’s Child, Da Brat was featured on a remix.
Her third album, named “Unrestricted,” was released in the spring of 2000, and featured her in a more provocative wardrobe. The record not only topped the R&B charts, but it also became her most successful album to date, breaking into the Top 5 of the pop charts.
The singles “That’s What I’m Looking For” and “What’Chu Like,” both of which featured soul singer Tyrese, were also successful for Da Brat. The album did not do as well critically as her previous two, but it still did well commercially. In 2001, she and Ludacris collaborated on a remix of Mariah Carey’s “Loverboy,” which topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop songs chart. Also in that year, she contributed to a new version of Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor.”
She had another feature appearance in 2002’s “Glitter,” starring Mariah Carey. Limelite, Luv, and Niteclubz was Da Brat’s fourth studio album, released in 2003. On the Billboard Hot 200, it reached the number 17 spot, while on the Top R&B Albums chart, it reached the number 6 spot. Later that year, she was featured on the fourth season of “The Surreal Life” on VH1.
Returning to the spotlight in 2005, she collaborated with Jermaine Dupri once more for the “I Think They Like Me” remix by Dem Franchize Boyz. The single topped the Hot R&B chart and peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. She went on a 2006 tour with Mariah Carey, singing rap verses to “Heartbreaker” and “Honey” in cities like Atlanta, New York, Long Island, Washington, DC, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Working with Kelly Rowland on the bonus track “Gotsta Go” from her 2007 album “Ms. Kelly” was a great opportunity for Da Brat. She appeared on the fifth season of “Celebrity Fit Club” on VH1 later that year.
Da Brat Pregnant
Jesseca “BB Judy” Dupart, the founder of a cosmetics empire, is engaged to rapper Da Brat, and the couple is expecting their first child together. Dupart, 39, captioned a Monday Instagram image with the phrase “We are EXTENDING the family.”The couple is depicted making heart shapes over Dupart’s stomach in the photo.
Da Brat, born Shawntae Harris, first gained prominence in the rap industry in the ’90s. The rapper has worked with Missy Elliott and Mariah Carey, among others, earning her two nominations for the Grammys. In 2020, the artist made her Instagram relationship with Dupart, 39, public, marking her coming out as a lesbian.
She had previously told Variety that she preferred privacy because it prevented prying eyes from prying into her personal life. I might have stayed in the background and be content, but my significant other built her empire on social media. And when you’re in a relationship, you have to compromise. To me, the middle just served as a declaration that “Hey, she’s the one.”
The hip-hop star continued, saying that she hid her sexuality due to pressure from her religious background and the entertainment industry. She referenced what occurred to Ellen DeGeneres after she came out in 1997 as an example of why she was terrified of losing fans.
Just look at what happened to people like Ellen,” Da Brat stated. Remember when everything was going so horribly and she lost her TV show? The public was uniformly opposed to it. Positive feedback for Da Brat, though, was abundant. She added that after seeing the response, she wondered, “Why didn’t I do this s—- years ago?”
It’s true that some people were heard muttering, “We knew it.” In either case, congrats! I can now articulate it now that I understand it. It was entirely on my own terms that I accomplished this. While publicly announcing her sexuality, Da Brat referred to Dupart as her “heart’s match.”
Da Brat wrote at the time, “I have never had this feeling.” Sometimes I just sit there in a fog, hoping I don’t get pinched and wake up from this dream I’m in. On the 22nd of February, she and Dupart will exchange wedding vows.
What Is Her Due Date?
A date for the delivery of the Harris-Dupart child has not yet been determined this moment. However, taking into account the fact that Jessica was not showing up when they made the initial announcement of the pregnancy, it is possible that the due date may be in the autumn of 2022.
