Blu Cantrell
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Blu Cantrell | |
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![]() Cantrell in 2008 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Tiffany Cobb |
Born | Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. | March 16, 1976
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1997–present |
Labels | Arista |
Website | blucantrell |
Tiffany Cobb (born March 16, 1976), known professionally as Blu Cantrell, is an American R&B singer.
Cantrell rose to fame in 2001, with the release of her debut single, "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)", which peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the US Mainstream Top 40 chart. The song also charted in several other countries, and appeared on her debut album, So Blu. In 2002, the song earned Cantrell a Grammy Award nomination. In 2003, Cantrell released her second album, Bittersweet, which was nominated for a Grammy Award and included the single "Breathe" (featuring Sean Paul). Written and produced by Ivan Matias, "Breathe" was a major global success in 2003, especially in the United Kingdom, where it topped the UK Singles Chart for four consecutive weeks. "Breathe" also reached the top ten of several other charts across the world, including the European Hot 100.
Early life
[edit]Cantrell was born Tiffany Cobb in Providence, Rhode Island. Her mother, former beauty queen Susi Franco, was an actress and jazz vocalist.[1] According to Cantrell, she has African-American, German, and Italian ancestry.[2] Cantrell's parents separated when she was a young child, and she along with her five siblings—Adam, Tino, Nick, Kelli, and Summer—were raised by her mother.
Career
[edit]Early career
[edit]In the late 1990s, Cantrell established herself as a professional backing vocalist for artists such as Sean "Puffy" Combs. In 1999, she became a member of the girl group 8th Avenue, a protégé of singer Teddy Riley. The band recorded several songs and appeared on Blackstreet's 1999 album Finally, but their material was shelved after Riley left Blackstreet to reform his previous group Guy, and Blackstreet were dropped by Interscope Records. Shortly thereafter, 8th Avenue also disbanded.[3] Before long, Cantrell was introduced by both a dancer friend and R&B singer Usher to music producer Tricky Stewart, the head of Red Zone Entertainment.[3] Stewart originally wanted Cantrell to become a member of his girl group 321, but after a fruitful recording session, he offered to help develop Cantrell's solo career instead.[3] Cantrell subsequently moved in with Stewart and his girlfriend in their house in Atlanta, and was promptly placed with Arista Records head Antonio "L.A." Reid, who offered the singer a contract with the company after hearing one song she wrote and sang in front of him and his staff.[3] After a bidding war with several different labels, Reid's bid was the highest, prompting Cantrell to sign with them.[3]
2001–2004: So Blu and Bittersweet
[edit]After her signing with Arista, Cantrell went straight into recording sessions with Dallas Austin and Stewart, as well as Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.[3] In July 2001, her debut album, So Blu, was released. The record earned generally favorable reviews from critics and became a commercial success, particularly in North America, where it peaked at number eight on the US Billboard 200. It was eventually certified gold by both the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and Music Canada.[2] The album's lead single "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)" became a top ten hit in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Netherlands and peaked at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song earned Cantrell Grammy Award nominations for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and for Best R&B Song, as well as an American Music Award nomination for Favorite New Soul/R&B Artist, both in 2002. Also in 2002, Cantrell was featured in a small cameo role in Charles Stone III's musical comedy-drama film Drumline, where she could be seen singing the American national anthem. Her song "It's Killing Me (In My Mind)" was included on the soundtrack of the 2002 action comedy film Bad Company.
In 2003, Cantrell released her second album, Bittersweet which featured production from Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, Mike City, Soulshock & Karlin, and Shep Crawford. As with her debut, the album garnered a positive reception from critics, even earning her a Best R&B Album nomination at the 46th Grammy Awards,[4] but was less successful in the United States, peaking at number 37 on the Billboard 200. The album was a success internationally, where sales were boosted by its hit single "Breathe", a collaboration with Sean Paul. Her highest-charting single yet, it topped the charts in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, and reached the top ten of the majority of charts it appeared on, ranking among the biggest-selling releases of the year.[5] "Breathe" was followed by the top thirty single "Make Me Wanna Scream".[5]
2005–present
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/Academy_Awards_afterparty_CUN_Blu_Cantrell.jpg/170px-Academy_Awards_afterparty_CUN_Blu_Cantrell.jpg)
In 2005, following the formation of the joint venture of BMG and Sony Music Entertainment, Arista merged with J Records and began operating under the newly formed RCA Music Group.[6] At about the same time, Cantrell's recording deal was up for renewal and though she was in a position to re-sign with the label, the singer chose to leave the company following the resignation of her mentor L.A. Reid.[3] She then toured intensively as a free agent.[3] Cantrell also starred alongside LisaRaye and Kenya Moore in the musical stage play Gossip, Lies and Secrets which ran from September until November in 2007. The following year, she appeared in NBC's Celebrity Circus, becoming the first celebrity to be eliminated from the show in the season's second week.
In 2013, Cantrell confirmed that she was working independently on her third studio album.[3] In December 2016, she told Fuse that she was still working on a new album.[7]
Despite the lack of US success after her one big hit, Cantrell continues to perform in Australia and Europe.
Personal life
[edit]Cantrell was taken into custody by police for a psychological evaluation on September 3, 2014. She was seen running around the streets of Santa Monica at around 2 am, screaming that someone had "poisoned her with gas". Cantrell, according to witnesses, went "berserk" and referred to herself as a "one-hit wonder", questioning authorities whether they recognized her; when her "erratic" behavior failed to cease, someone called the police. She was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was evaluated by medics.[8]
Discography
[edit]- So Blu (2001)
- Bittersweet (2003)
Filmography
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2002 | Drumline | Girl singing American National Anthem | Cameo |
Awards and nominations
[edit]American Music Awards
[edit]Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
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2002 | Herself | Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist | Nominated |
Grammy Awards
[edit]Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
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2002 | "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)" | Best Female R&B Vocal Performance | Nominated |
2004 | Bittersweet | Best R&B Album |
References
[edit]- ^ "Blu Cantrell Video | Celebrity Interview and Paparazzi". Ovguide.com. Archived from the original on December 1, 2016. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
- ^ a b Collins, Hattie (September 27, 2003). "Breathless confessions". The Guardian. Retrieved February 14, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Interview: Blu Cantrell – Real Knowledge, Real Emotion, Real Talent Straight To Your Ear & Heart". YouKnowIGotSoul.com. September 19, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
- ^ Susman, Gary (December 4, 2003). "Here are the Grammy nominations". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
- ^ a b "Official Charts Flashback 2003: Blu Cantrell – Breathe". officialcharts.com. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
- ^ "Atlantic Records Group". Warner Music Group. August 22, 2014. Archived from the original on July 8, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
- ^ "Then & Now: Blu Cantrell on 'Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)' & Recording a New Album". Fuse.tv. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
- ^ "Blu Cantrell Hospitalized for Mental Evaluation". BET. September 4, 2014. Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
External links
[edit]Media related to Blu Cantrell at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- 1976 births
- Living people
- 20th-century African-American women singers
- 20th-century American women singers
- 20th-century American singers
- African-American women singer-songwriters
- American women singer-songwriters
- African-American songwriters
- American contemporary R&B singers
- American people of Italian descent
- 21st-century American singer-songwriters
- Singers from Atlanta
- American people of German descent
- Musicians from Providence, Rhode Island
- American musicians of Cape Verdean descent
- Songwriters from Rhode Island
- 21st-century American women singers
- 21st-century African-American women singers
- Singer-songwriters from Georgia (U.S. state)