Chrisette Michele
Encyclopedia
Chrisette Michele Payne (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Chrisette Michele, is an American R&B
and soul
singer-songwriter
.
She is signed to the Island Def Jam Music Group. and won a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance
in 2009 for her song "Be OK
".
, New York
, and grew up in Patchogue
. Her father was a deacon and her mother a choir director. Michele led gospel choirs in high school. She attended Five Towns College
in Dix Hills
, New York, and graduated with a vocal performance degree.
albums. She is on The Game
's album LAX on "Let Us Live". On Jay-Z
's Kingdom Come
she was featured on the second single "Lost One
", while on Nas
' Hip Hop Is Dead
, she was featured three times: on the album's second single "Can't Forget About You
", the Kanye West
-produced "Still Dreaming", and the final track "Hope". She also appeared on the bonus track
"Slow Down", from Ghostface Killah
's The Big Doe Rehab
.
, was released on June 18, 2007. The song "Your Joy" was released on iTunes
as a free single of the week. The album spawned four singles: "If I Have My Way", "Best of Me
", "Be OK
", and "Love Is You". The album's lead single "If I Have My Way" charted at number four on Billboard
s Hot Adult R&B Airplay and number twenty-four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
. "Best of Me" charted on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
at number twenty-one. In December 2007, "Be OK" was released as the third single, charting at number sixty-four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number twenty-one on the Hot Adult R&B Airplay. In 2008, "Love Is You" was released as the album's fourth and final single on the album; it reached number ninety on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number twenty on the Hot Adult R&B Airplay.
' album Rising Down
. Michele guest starred as herself in The CW
's Girlfriends
, in the episode entitled "What's Black-a-Lackin'?", which originally aired on February 11, 2008. She also wrote a song for Tyler Perry's House of Payne
entitled "I've Gotta Love Jones". From May to July 2008 Michele embarked on a nationwide co-headlining tour with fellow soul singer Raheem DeVaughn
called the Art of Love Tour; Solange Knowles
served as the opening act. In September 2008, Michele performed twice at the Evening of Stars: A Tribute to Patti Labelle
.
In mid-2008, Michele began recording for her second album, Epiphany
. In January 2009, the album's title track
was released as the lead single. Released on May 5, 2009, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
selling 83,000 copies in its opening week.
Michele quickly starting working with rapper Rick Ross, and Canadian rapper/singer Drake on the fourth single of Ross's album Teflon Don called Aston Martin Music. The song was released on October 5, 2010.
, in 2010. The album includes the singles, "I'm a Star", "Goodbye Game". The album features Michele performing hip-hop, R&B, as well as the dance-pop influenced "So Cool".The album debuted at number 25 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 42,000 copies in its first week.
Mixtapes
Grammy Award
BET Award
BET J/Centric
NAACP Image Awards
Soul Train Awards
Urban Music Awards
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
.
She is signed to the Island Def Jam Music Group. and won a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance
Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality urban/alternative performances...
in 2009 for her song "Be OK
Be OK (Chrisette Michele song)
Be OK is the Grammy winning third single from soul-R&B singer-songwriter Chrisette Michele's debut album, I Am released digitally on December 11, 2007. The song features hip hop singer will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas and won the Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative Performance.- Background :"Be OK"...
".
Biography
Michele was born in Central IslipCentral Islip, New York
Central Islip is a hamlet and census-designated place in Suffolk County, New York, U.S.. The population was 31,950 at the 2000 census.-History and overview:...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and grew up in Patchogue
Patchogue, New York
-Notable citizens:* Franc D'Ambrosio, Broadway Actor, best known for being the longest running Phantom in Phantom of the Opera. Graduated Pat-Med HS 1981* Michael Fagan, professional bowler...
. Her father was a deacon and her mother a choir director. Michele led gospel choirs in high school. She attended Five Towns College
Five Towns College
Five Towns College is a for-profit institution of higher learning located in Dix Hills, Long Island, New York . Founded as a business school in 1972 by Stanley G. Cohen, Ed.D...
in Dix Hills
Dix Hills, New York
Dix Hills is a hamlet Dix Hills is a hamlet Dix Hills is a hamlet (and a census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Huntington on the North Shore of Long Island in Suffolk County, New York, United States. Dix Hills was named the 19th most affluent U.S. neighborhood by Forbes in 2008.. It is one...
, New York, and graduated with a vocal performance degree.
Beginnings
Michele has been featured on several hip hopHip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
albums. She is on The Game
The Game (rapper)
Jayceon Terrell Taylor , better known by his stage name Game, formerly The Game, is an American rapper and actor. As a member of G-Unit, he rose to fame in 2005 with the success of his debut album, The Documentary, which earned him two Grammy Award nominations...
's album LAX on "Let Us Live". On Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come (Jay-Z album)
Kingdom Come is the ninth studio album by American rap artist Jay-Z. It was released on November 21, 2006. It was considered a "comeback album" for the established rapper, as 2003's The Black Album was slated to be his final release...
she was featured on the second single "Lost One
Lost One
For the song by Lauryn Hill, see The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill."Lost One" is the second single from Jay-Z's comeback album Kingdom Come....
", while on Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
' Hip Hop Is Dead
Hip Hop Is Dead
Hip Hop Is Dead is the eighth studio album by American rapper Nas, released December 15, 2006 on Def Jam Recordings. His first album for the label, it was co-financed by Nas's previous label, Columbia Records, which once distributed for Def Jam...
, she was featured three times: on the album's second single "Can't Forget About You
Can't Forget About You
"Can't Forget About You" is the second and final single from Nas' 2006 album Hip Hop Is Dead, released on January 23, 2007. It features Chrisette Michele, and the track is produced by will.i.am. Its lyrics deal with Nas reciting various unforgettable memories such as Mr. T becoming a wrestler and...
", the Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
-produced "Still Dreaming", and the final track "Hope". She also appeared on the bonus track
Bonus track
In terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. This is most often done as a promotional device, either as an incentive to customers to purchase albums they might otherwise not, or to repurchase albums they already...
"Slow Down", from Ghostface Killah
Ghostface Killah
Dennis Coles , better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and prominent member of the Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of Enter the Wu-Tang , the members went on to pursue solo careers to varying levels of success...
's The Big Doe Rehab
The Big Doe Rehab
The Big Doe Rehab is the seventh studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah, released December 2007 on Def Jam Records.- Album information :The album was released on December 4, 2007...
.
I Am (2007)
Michele's debut album, I AmI Am (Chrisette Michele album)
I Am is the debut album by American R&B-soul singer–songwriter Chrisette Michele, released in the United States on June 19, 2007 by Def Jam Recordings.-Production:...
, was released on June 18, 2007. The song "Your Joy" was released on iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
as a free single of the week. The album spawned four singles: "If I Have My Way", "Best of Me
Best of Me (Chrisette Michele song)
"Best of Me" is the second single from the Chrisette Michele album, I Am. It has not received much attention on the charts, although it was added to the VH1 video lineup. An unplugged version of the song was featured on the VH1 website....
", "Be OK
Be OK (Chrisette Michele song)
Be OK is the Grammy winning third single from soul-R&B singer-songwriter Chrisette Michele's debut album, I Am released digitally on December 11, 2007. The song features hip hop singer will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas and won the Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative Performance.- Background :"Be OK"...
", and "Love Is You". The album's lead single "If I Have My Way" charted at number four on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Hot Adult R&B Airplay and number twenty-four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
. "Best of Me" charted on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
at number twenty-one. In December 2007, "Be OK" was released as the third single, charting at number sixty-four on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number twenty-one on the Hot Adult R&B Airplay. In 2008, "Love Is You" was released as the album's fourth and final single on the album; it reached number ninety on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number twenty on the Hot Adult R&B Airplay.
Epiphany (2009)
In 2008, Michele appeared on the track "Rising Up" from The RootsThe Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
' album Rising Down
Rising Down
Rising Down is the eighth studio album by American hip hop band The Roots, released April 28, 2008 on Def Jam Recordings. The album's title is adapted from William T. Vollmann's book Rising Up and Rising Down: Some Thoughts on Violence, Freedom and Urgent Means...
. Michele guest starred as herself in The CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
's Girlfriends
Girlfriends
Girlfriends is an American comedy-drama sitcom that premiered on September 11, 2000, on UPN and aired on UPN's successor network, The CW, before being cancelled in 2008...
, in the episode entitled "What's Black-a-Lackin'?", which originally aired on February 11, 2008. She also wrote a song for Tyler Perry's House of Payne
Tyler Perry's House of Payne
Tyler Perry's House of Payne is an American comedy-drama television series created and produced by playwright, director, and producer Tyler Perry. The show revolves around a multi-generational family living under one roof in Atlanta, Georgia led by patriarch Curtis Payne and his wife Ella...
entitled "I've Gotta Love Jones". From May to July 2008 Michele embarked on a nationwide co-headlining tour with fellow soul singer Raheem DeVaughn
Raheem DeVaughn
Raheem DeVaughn is an American singer and songwriter. His debut album, The Love Experience , reached No. 46 on the Billboard 200 album chart. It featured the singles "Guess Who Loves You More" and "You". His second album Love Behind the Melody was released in January 2008...
called the Art of Love Tour; Solange Knowles
Solange Knowles
Solange Piaget Knowles , who performs under the mononym Solange, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, model, dancer, and DJ. Knowles was born and raised in Houston, Texas along with her older sister singer Beyoncé, a former member of R&B group Destiny's Child...
served as the opening act. In September 2008, Michele performed twice at the Evening of Stars: A Tribute to Patti Labelle
Patti LaBelle
Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...
.
In mid-2008, Michele began recording for her second album, Epiphany
Epiphany (Chrisette Michele album)
Epiphany is the second studio album by American R&B and soul singer–songwriter Chrisette Michele, released May 5, 2009 on Def Jam Recordings in the United States. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2008 to 2009...
. In January 2009, the album's title track
Epiphany (Chrisette Michele song)
"Epiphany" is the first single from American soul-R&B singer-songwriter Chrisette Michele's second studio album of the same name, released for airplay on January 27, 2009. It was a R&B top 20 hit and became her most successful single to date...
was released as the lead single. Released on May 5, 2009, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
selling 83,000 copies in its opening week.
Michele quickly starting working with rapper Rick Ross, and Canadian rapper/singer Drake on the fourth single of Ross's album Teflon Don called Aston Martin Music. The song was released on October 5, 2010.
Let Freedom Reign (2010)
Michele released her third studio album, Let Freedom ReignLet Freedom Reign
- Personnel :Credits for Let Freedom Reign adapted from Allmusic.* Alejandro Barajas – assistant* Jesse Bond – bass, guitar* Jesse Bonds – guitar* Leesa D...
, in 2010. The album includes the singles, "I'm a Star", "Goodbye Game". The album features Michele performing hip-hop, R&B, as well as the dance-pop influenced "So Cool".The album debuted at number 25 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 42,000 copies in its first week.
Discography
Studio albums- 2007: I AmI Am (Chrisette Michele album)I Am is the debut album by American R&B-soul singer–songwriter Chrisette Michele, released in the United States on June 19, 2007 by Def Jam Recordings.-Production:...
- 2009: EpiphanyEpiphany (Chrisette Michele album)Epiphany is the second studio album by American R&B and soul singer–songwriter Chrisette Michele, released May 5, 2009 on Def Jam Recordings in the United States. Recording sessions for the album took place during 2008 to 2009...
- 2010: Let Freedom ReignLet Freedom Reign- Personnel :Credits for Let Freedom Reign adapted from Allmusic.* Alejandro Barajas – assistant* Jesse Bond – bass, guitar* Jesse Bonds – guitar* Leesa D...
Mixtapes
- 2010: Love Thy BrotherLove Thy BrotherLove Thy Brother is the first mixtape released by R&B artist Chrisette Michele & Lem Payne.-Track listing:# Intro# 90210 # Interlude# Step into the world# Black Boys Still Die# Its In Your Head# Outta My Head# Aston Martin Music...
Tours
- The Art of Love Tour (with Raheem DeVaughnRaheem DeVaughnRaheem DeVaughn is an American singer and songwriter. His debut album, The Love Experience , reached No. 46 on the Billboard 200 album chart. It featured the singles "Guess Who Loves You More" and "You". His second album Love Behind the Melody was released in January 2008...
) (2008) - The Epiphany Tour (2010)
Awards and nominations
Vibe Music Award- 2008, Breakthrough Artist of the Year (Nominated)
Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
- 2008, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: "If I Have My Way" (Nominated)
- 2009, Best Urban/Alternative Performance: "Be OK" (Won)
BET Award
BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
- 2010, Centric Award: (Nominated)
- 2008, Best New Artist: (Nominated)
BET J/Centric
- 2008, Virtual Awards: Soul Approved: (Won)
- 2008, Female Artist of the Year: (Nominated)
NAACP Image Awards
- 2008, Outstanding New Artist: (Nominated)
Soul Train Awards
- 2009, Best R&B/Soul Female Artist: (Nominated)
Urban Music Awards
Urban Music Awards
The Urban Music Awards is a HipHop, R&B, Dance and soul music awards ceremony launched in 2003 and now held in six countries annually.The awards ceremony is held annually by Invincible Media Group. The UMA's is now held in 6 countries annually...
- 2009, Best Female Act: (Nominated)
External links
- Official website
- Chrisette Michele on Def Jam RecordingsDef Jam RecordingsDef Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...