Blu Cantrell

[COP11]

Blu Cantrell (born Tiffany Cobb on March 16, 1976) is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter.

Early life

Tiffany Cobb was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1976. Her father was a Narragansett Indian and Cape Verdean and played in the National Basketball Association. Her mother, of Italian descent, was a former Mrs. Rhode Island, actress, and jazz vocalist

Music career

Debut album: So Blu (2001–2002)

After several demos, recordings, and singing backup for artists such as Puff Daddy, Cantrell was discovered by Red Zone Entertainment heads Tricky, Tab and Laney Stewart in early 2001. She also did collaborations with Babyface, Usher, Dionne Warwick, will.i.am, Fat Joe, Lil Kim, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and jazz legend Herbie Hancock. The producers promptly placed her to Antonio "L.A." Reid who offered the singer a contract with his label Arista Records after hearing one song she wrote and sung in front of him and his staff. After a bidding war with five different labels, Arista bid the highest, Blu said "Since she was a little girl she always dreamed of being on Arista records." Afterwards Cantrell went straight into recording sessions with Dallas Austin and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. In 2001, her debut album, So Blu, was released. The record saw major success when it peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200 chart, eventually going gold in the United States. The album's hit single "Hit 'em Up Style", which peaked at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, became the number one most added record to radio in the country, breaking Elvis's record of most played on all genres of radio. 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 Soul/R&B New Artist, both in 2002.

During this era, Blu Cantrell helped pen, along with several other writers, the song, "It's Killing Me (In My Mind)" for the 2002 Film, Bad Company's soundtrack. Blu also featured in a small cameo role in the 2002 film, Drumline (film), were she can be seen singing the American National Anthem. The film also stared, Nick Canon and Orlando Jones.

Bittersweet (2003–2004)

In 2003, Cantrell released her second album, Bittersweet, which peaked at #37 on the Billboard 200. The success of 'Bittersweet' was much greater worldwide than in the U.S. due to the number one single 'Breathe' climb to the top of the charts. The song became number one without the support of any major radio syndication and eventually was added to major rotation after it had already become independently worldwide. The record earned Cantrell a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Album and entered the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at number eight. The album produced two hit singles, these being "Breathe" and "Make Me Wanna Scream", the former being a collaboration with Sean Paul. "Breathe" peaked at number one for four weeks in the United Kingdom and broke Madonna's song "Lucky Star" single for most played on radio. It eventually became one of the most successful singles of the year in both Europe, Australia, South Africa, and several other countries worldwide. That same year, Cantrell was to appear in Playboy magazine (and would have been only the fourth African American woman to appear on the cover), but decided against it at the last minute because "I felt it was going to make me more of a sex symbol and I didn't want anything to take away from the fact that I can sing".

[edit] Most recent projects

In 2007 Blu Cantrell stared along side, LisaRaye and Kenya Moore in the Musical Stageplay, Gossip, Lies and Secrets. Tour dates ran from, 27 September 2007 until 25 November 2007

In 2008 Blu appeared in NBC's Celebrity Circus.

The first episode aired with a ninety-minute kick-off special on June 11, but Blu was eliminated in the second week, June 18, 2008. This made Blu the first Celebrity to be eliminated from the show. Blu however returned for the final episode to perform her single, "Hit 'Em Up Style

Colin Main (Producer/Composer/Engineer) is so far the only producer that has announced he is working on new music with Blu Cantrell. Several previously unheard clips can be found on Main's Official YouTube account. Namely, "My World" and "Secret In My Pocket".

It is so far unconfirmed if these tracks will appear on the forthcoming album from Blu Cantrell.

January, 2010 Blu Cantrell teamed up with Providence based photographer, Gregory Shumchenia.

Gregory Shumchenia was taken on as photographer to provide new images of Blu for her upcoming album, new website and press pack. So far the shoots have taken place at two locations in Providence. 3 Steeple Street, in downtown Providence, followed by NYLO Hotels. The album cover itself has yet to be taken.

[COP11]

[COP11]

[COP11]

[COP11]