Naturi Naughton
Encyclopedia
Naturi Cora Maria Naughton (born May 20, 1984) is an American singer, rapper and actress best known for formerly being one-third of the R&B trio 3LW
, and the starring role of Denise in the remake of Fame
.
, the daughter of Brenda, a part-time paralegal, and Ezra Naughton, a retired accountant. Her musical talent first emerged at the age of five years old, when she joined her church choir at New Hope Baptist Church in East Orange, NJ. She attended St. Joseph's Catholic school
and started highschool at "Immaculate Conception" in Montclair, NJ but was soon there after, Naturi was discovered. She has sung the national anthem at various events in New Jersey and attended Seton Hall University
.
and Kiely Williams
to form the group 3LW. Their first single, "No More (Baby I'ma Do Right)
", was released in the fall of 2000. "No More" was a success and was followed by the second single, "Playas Gon' Play" in early 2001. The group's debut album, 3LW, was released on December 5, 2000. The album went platinum, selling 1.3 million copies in the US. In the summer of 2001, the group went on the MTV
TRL
tour along with Destiny's Child
, Dream, Nelly
, Eve
, and Jessica Simpson
.
3LW spent the first half of 2002 in the studio, recording an album tentatively titled Same Game, Different Rules. The album and its intended lead single "Uh Oh" were presented to the label, who felt it did not have enough urban radio appeal. The tracks from Same Game, Different Rules were leaked to the Internet
in MP3
format, and Epic
considered dropping the band. A fan support campaign for 3LW named 'Never Let Go of 3LW' followed, and the act was retained. Recording a new set of tracks, 3LW returned in late summer of 2002 with the P. Diddy-produced single "I Do (Wanna Get Close To You)
", featuring Loon.
By August, the group was set to release its newest LP
, A Girl Can Mack, when Naughton announced that she was no longer a member of the group. Naughton says that the other two girls and their management had forced her out of the group after attempting to for months and even degraded her. The problems reached a breaking point in August 2002 when Naughton left after a heated argument with Williams, Bailon, and their manager. Naughton had tried to settle with the group and give into their demands for months leading up to the argument, deciding it was not worth leaving the group after a few fights and that it would have been a shame to end a group that had so much hard work put into it. However, during the heated argument, Williams allegedly threw a hot plate full of Bootylicous Wild Wings and Tanqueray at Naughton, proving to be the final straw.
After Naughton's departure, Bailon and Williams resumed as a group and released the single Neva Get Enuf
, which did not feature Naughton's vocals. The single failed to make a dent on radio or the Billboard Hot 100. 3LW replaced Naughton with Jessica Benson, but have since disbanded. In 2005, Bailon and Williams continued on as members of Disney's The Cheetah Girls
, until January 2009, when that group also disbanded.
on a solo debut album. Some of the tracks she recorded for the album are as follows: "Real Chicks" (featuring Lil' Kim
), "Stand Up", "What You Do" and "Your Girlfriend." However, in a recent interview with Naturi, she says that she is not currently working on an album right now, but instead focusing on her other passion, acting. With the right team and producers, she says she would definitely like to do her solo album some day.
In September 2009, Naturi scored her first solo chart entry as her version of "Fame
" (from the 2009 movie Fame
) entered the UK chart at #74 and rose to #43 in its second week. In its third week, the song jumped ten spots to #33, becoming Naughton's first solo top 40 UK hit. The single also peaked at no.48 on HOT dance play/songs,#3 in Finland,#4 in Portugal,#14 in Norway,#24 in Switzerland,#26 in Belgium and #37 in Ireland.
During an Interview on "The Monique Show" in February 2010, Naturi stated that she will be releasing a solo debut album, but no more information was discussed. A soundtrack album, "The Fame Presents Naturi Naughton as Denise" was released on February 2, 2010.
winning Broadway musical Hairspray
as Little Inez from 2005-2008.
Naturi played rapper Lil' Kim in Notorious
, a big screen biopic about the late Notorious B.I.G. Notorious opened at #4 at the box office with over $21 million made opening weekend. Naughton garnered rave reviews for her performance as "Lil Kim" in Notorious.
Naturi has also done a commercial for Truth.com, titled "It Must've Been A Typo".
More recently, Naughton played a pianist named Denise in the remake
of the 1980 movie and TV show musical Fame. Fame was released in theaters on September 25, 2009 and opened up at #3 at the box office.
She was a main supporting actress in the 2010 movie Lottery Ticket
, playing Stacie, a loyal friend of the lead character Kevin Carson (played by Bow Wow).
She also starred in a the September 26, 2010 episode of Mad Men
, "Hands and Knees
" as Lane's Playboy Bunny mistress Toni.
Naturi most recently scored one of the lead roles in NBC's 2011 series The Playboy Club
. She plays a Playboy Bunny named "Brenda" who has dreams of being the first Black centerfold. The pilot aired on September 19, 2011. The series was cancelled after three episodes aired.
On October 13, 2011, Naturi Naughton brought her talents to It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
to play '70's Jazz Club Singer Sha-Dynasty, the romantic interest of Frank (Danny DeVito
) and his brother Geno (Jon Polito
).
3LW
3LW was an American hip hop soul and R&B girl group that enjoyed a number of modest hits during the early 2000s. Its founding members were Naturi Naughton, Adrienne Bailon, and Kiely Williams. Jessica Benson later replaced Naughton after she left the group in 2002...
, and the starring role of Denise in the remake of Fame
Fame (2009 film)
Fame is a 2009 musical film and a loose remake of the 1980 film of the same title. It was directed by Kevin Tancharoen and written by Allison Burnett. It was released on September 25, 2009 in the USA, Canada, Ireland, and the UK.-Freshman year:...
.
Early life
Naughton was born and raised in East Orange, New JerseyEast Orange, New Jersey
East Orange is a city in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the city's population 64,270, making it the state's 20th largest municipality, having dropped 5,554 residents from its population of 69,824 in the 2000 Census, when it was the state's 14th most...
, the daughter of Brenda, a part-time paralegal, and Ezra Naughton, a retired accountant. Her musical talent first emerged at the age of five years old, when she joined her church choir at New Hope Baptist Church in East Orange, NJ. She attended St. Joseph's Catholic school
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
and started highschool at "Immaculate Conception" in Montclair, NJ but was soon there after, Naturi was discovered. She has sung the national anthem at various events in New Jersey and attended Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the...
.
3LW
In 1999, at age 15, Naughton joined Adrienne BailonAdrienne Bailon
Adrienne Eliza Bailon is an American actress, singer-songwriter, dancer, and television personality. She was a member of former girl groups 3LW and The Cheetah Girls, and is also known for her roles in the Disney Channel Original Movie of the same name and latter sequels which brought the group to...
and Kiely Williams
Kiely Williams
Kiely Alexis Williams is an American singer, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is best known for being a member of former girl groups 3LW and The Cheetah Girls.-1999-2006: 3LW:...
to form the group 3LW. Their first single, "No More (Baby I'ma Do Right)
No More (Baby I'ma Do Right)
"No More " is the debut single from 3LW's self-titled debut album 3LW. The single was released in the late 2000, but did not chart in most countries until early 2001. It reached #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is considered 3LW's signature song...
", was released in the fall of 2000. "No More" was a success and was followed by the second single, "Playas Gon' Play" in early 2001. The group's debut album, 3LW, was released on December 5, 2000. The album went platinum, selling 1.3 million copies in the US. In the summer of 2001, the group went on the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
TRL
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
tour along with Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child
Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
, Dream, Nelly
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
, Eve
Eve (rapper)
Eve Jihan Jeffers , is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and actress. Her first three albums have reached a total of over 8 million albums sold worldwide. She has also achieved success in fashion as she started a clothing line titled "Fetish." She won a Grammy Award in 2002 for the...
, and Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Ann Simpson is an American recording artist, actress, television personality, and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies, and commercials, launched a line of hair and...
.
3LW spent the first half of 2002 in the studio, recording an album tentatively titled Same Game, Different Rules. The album and its intended lead single "Uh Oh" were presented to the label, who felt it did not have enough urban radio appeal. The tracks from Same Game, Different Rules were leaked to the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
in MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
format, and Epic
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
considered dropping the band. A fan support campaign for 3LW named 'Never Let Go of 3LW' followed, and the act was retained. Recording a new set of tracks, 3LW returned in late summer of 2002 with the P. Diddy-produced single "I Do (Wanna Get Close To You)
I Do (Wanna Get Close To You)
"I Do " is the first single off 3LW's second album A Girl Can Mack and featured P. Diddy & Loon. The single peaked at #58 on the Billboard Hot 100 during 2002. It achieved greater success in New Zealand, where it peaked at #13 on the New Zealand Top 40...
", featuring Loon.
By August, the group was set to release its newest LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
, A Girl Can Mack, when Naughton announced that she was no longer a member of the group. Naughton says that the other two girls and their management had forced her out of the group after attempting to for months and even degraded her. The problems reached a breaking point in August 2002 when Naughton left after a heated argument with Williams, Bailon, and their manager. Naughton had tried to settle with the group and give into their demands for months leading up to the argument, deciding it was not worth leaving the group after a few fights and that it would have been a shame to end a group that had so much hard work put into it. However, during the heated argument, Williams allegedly threw a hot plate full of Bootylicous Wild Wings and Tanqueray at Naughton, proving to be the final straw.
After Naughton's departure, Bailon and Williams resumed as a group and released the single Neva Get Enuf
Neva Get Enuf
"Neva Get Enuf" is the second single released from 3LW's second album A Girl Can Mack and features Lil Wayne, it heavily samples Teddy Pendergrass's Close the Door. The single is also the first to not feature former member Naturi Naughton, who left the group before the single's release...
, which did not feature Naughton's vocals. The single failed to make a dent on radio or the Billboard Hot 100. 3LW replaced Naughton with Jessica Benson, but have since disbanded. In 2005, Bailon and Williams continued on as members of Disney's The Cheetah Girls
The Cheetah Girls (recording artists)
The Cheetah Girls were an American girl group consisting of Adrienne Bailon, Sabrina Bryan and Kiely Williams. The group was created by The Walt Disney Company, and made famous by the eponymous Disney Channel original film and its sequels, The Cheetah Girls 2 and The Cheetah Girls: One World...
, until January 2009, when that group also disbanded.
Solo career
Naughton was collaborating with producers Full ForceFull Force
Full Force is a group of R&B performers and producers from Brooklyn, New York, USA, calling itself the original hip hop vocal band.-Members:*B-Fine - drums and drum programming*Shy Shy - bass guitar...
on a solo debut album. Some of the tracks she recorded for the album are as follows: "Real Chicks" (featuring Lil' Kim
Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A.....
), "Stand Up", "What You Do" and "Your Girlfriend." However, in a recent interview with Naturi, she says that she is not currently working on an album right now, but instead focusing on her other passion, acting. With the right team and producers, she says she would definitely like to do her solo album some day.
In September 2009, Naturi scored her first solo chart entry as her version of "Fame
Fame (Irene Cara song)
"Fame" is a pop song, written by Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford that was released in 1980, and achieved chart success as the theme song to the Fame film and TV series. The song was performed by Irene Cara, who played the role of Coco Hernandez in the original movie...
" (from the 2009 movie Fame
Fame (2009 film)
Fame is a 2009 musical film and a loose remake of the 1980 film of the same title. It was directed by Kevin Tancharoen and written by Allison Burnett. It was released on September 25, 2009 in the USA, Canada, Ireland, and the UK.-Freshman year:...
) entered the UK chart at #74 and rose to #43 in its second week. In its third week, the song jumped ten spots to #33, becoming Naughton's first solo top 40 UK hit. The single also peaked at no.48 on HOT dance play/songs,#3 in Finland,#4 in Portugal,#14 in Norway,#24 in Switzerland,#26 in Belgium and #37 in Ireland.
During an Interview on "The Monique Show" in February 2010, Naturi stated that she will be releasing a solo debut album, but no more information was discussed. A soundtrack album, "The Fame Presents Naturi Naughton as Denise" was released on February 2, 2010.
Acting
Naughton starred in the Tony AwardTony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
winning Broadway musical Hairspray
Hairspray (musical)
Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues...
as Little Inez from 2005-2008.
Naturi played rapper Lil' Kim in Notorious
Notorious (2009 film)
Notorious is a 2009 American biographical film about the life of iconic hip hop star The Notorious B.I.G. who is played by Jamal Woolard. The film co-stars Angela Bassett as his mother Voletta Wallace, Derek Luke as Sean Combs, and Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur...
, a big screen biopic about the late Notorious B.I.G. Notorious opened at #4 at the box office with over $21 million made opening weekend. Naughton garnered rave reviews for her performance as "Lil Kim" in Notorious.
Naturi has also done a commercial for Truth.com, titled "It Must've Been A Typo".
More recently, Naughton played a pianist named Denise in the remake
Fame (2009 film)
Fame is a 2009 musical film and a loose remake of the 1980 film of the same title. It was directed by Kevin Tancharoen and written by Allison Burnett. It was released on September 25, 2009 in the USA, Canada, Ireland, and the UK.-Freshman year:...
of the 1980 movie and TV show musical Fame. Fame was released in theaters on September 25, 2009 and opened up at #3 at the box office.
She was a main supporting actress in the 2010 movie Lottery Ticket
Lottery Ticket (film)
For the common Lottery, see Lottery. For other uses, see Lottery .Lottery Ticket is a comedy film starring Bow Wow, Brandon T...
, playing Stacie, a loyal friend of the lead character Kevin Carson (played by Bow Wow).
She also starred in a the September 26, 2010 episode of Mad Men
Mad Men
Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each...
, "Hands and Knees
Hands and Knees
"Hands and Knees" is the tenth episode of the fourth season of the American television drama series Mad Men, and the 49th overall episode of the series...
" as Lane's Playboy Bunny mistress Toni.
Naturi most recently scored one of the lead roles in NBC's 2011 series The Playboy Club
The Playboy Club
The Playboy Club is an American television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 2011 to October 3, 2011. Set in 1961, the series centers around the employees of the original Playboy Club operating in Chicago....
. She plays a Playboy Bunny named "Brenda" who has dreams of being the first Black centerfold. The pilot aired on September 19, 2011. The series was cancelled after three episodes aired.
On October 13, 2011, Naturi Naughton brought her talents to It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is an American television sitcom that premiered on FX on August 4, 2005. New episodes continue to air on FX, with reruns playing on Comedy Central, general broadcast syndication, and WGN America—the first-ever cable-to-cable syndication deal for a sitcom...
to play '70's Jazz Club Singer Sha-Dynasty, the romantic interest of Frank (Danny DeVito
Danny DeVito
Daniel Michael DeVito, Jr. , better known as Danny DeVito, is an American actor, comedian, director and producer. He first gained prominence for his portrayal of Louie De Palma on the ABC and NBC television series Taxi , for which he won a Golden Globe and an Emmy.DeVito and his wife, Rhea Perlman,...
) and his brother Geno (Jon Polito
Jon Polito
Jon Polito is an American actor and voice artist, who is known for working with the Coen Brothers, most notably in the major supporting role of Italian gangster Johnny Caspar in Miller's Crossing. He also appeared in the first two seasons of Homicide: Life on the Street and on the first season of...
).
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2008 | Cash Rules | Unknown Role | Minor |
| 2009 | Notorious Notorious (2009 film) Notorious is a 2009 American biographical film about the life of iconic hip hop star The Notorious B.I.G. who is played by Jamal Woolard. The film co-stars Angela Bassett as his mother Voletta Wallace, Derek Luke as Sean Combs, and Anthony Mackie as Tupac Shakur... |
Lil' Kim Lil' Kim Kimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A..... |
Lead |
| Fame Fame (2009 film) Fame is a 2009 musical film and a loose remake of the 1980 film of the same title. It was directed by Kevin Tancharoen and written by Allison Burnett. It was released on September 25, 2009 in the USA, Canada, Ireland, and the UK.-Freshman year:... |
Denise | Lead | |
| 2010 | Lottery Ticket Lottery Ticket (film) For the common Lottery, see Lottery. For other uses, see Lottery .Lottery Ticket is a comedy film starring Bow Wow, Brandon T... |
Stacie | Lead |
| Highland Park | Char | Supporting | |
| Four to the Floor Four to the Floor "Four to the Floor" is a hit single by the band Starsailor. The song was released as the third and final single from the band's second album Silence Is Easy... |
Zoe | Supporting | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2001 | Taina Taina (TV series) Taina is an American sitcom that aired on Nickelodeon and was one of the last live-action comedy shows taped at Nickelodeon Studios but later moved to the Nickelodeon On Sunset in Hollywood, for its second season. The show aired from January 14, 2001 to May 11, 2002.-Premise:Taina Morales is a... |
Ria | Guest with 3LW 3LW 3LW was an American hip hop soul and R&B girl group that enjoyed a number of modest hits during the early 2000s. Its founding members were Naturi Naughton, Adrienne Bailon, and Kiely Williams. Jessica Benson later replaced Naughton after she left the group in 2002... |
| 2002 | The Nick Cannon Show The Nick Cannon Show The Nick Cannon Show is an American television comedy spin-off of All That. It aired on Nickelodeon's SNICK block 2002-2003 along with All That, The Amanda Show and Taina... |
Herself | Guest with 3LW 3LW 3LW was an American hip hop soul and R&B girl group that enjoyed a number of modest hits during the early 2000s. Its founding members were Naturi Naughton, Adrienne Bailon, and Kiely Williams. Jessica Benson later replaced Naughton after she left the group in 2002... |
| All That All That All That is an American live-action, sketch comedy-variety show that aired on the Nickelodeon cable television network featuring short comedic sketches and weekly musical guests. The theme song for All That was performed by TLC... |
Herself | Music Guest with 3LW 3LW 3LW was an American hip hop soul and R&B girl group that enjoyed a number of modest hits during the early 2000s. Its founding members were Naturi Naughton, Adrienne Bailon, and Kiely Williams. Jessica Benson later replaced Naughton after she left the group in 2002... |
|
| 2010 | Mad Men Mad Men Mad Men is an American dramatic television series created and produced by Matthew Weiner. The series premiered on Sunday evenings on the American cable network AMC and are produced by Lionsgate Television. It premiered on July 19, 2007, and completed its fourth season on October 17, 2010. Each... |
Toni Charles | Supporting |
| 2011 | The Playboy Club The Playboy Club The Playboy Club is an American television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 2011 to October 3, 2011. Set in 1961, the series centers around the employees of the original Playboy Club operating in Chicago.... |
Brenda | Lead |
| It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is an American television sitcom that premiered on FX on August 4, 2005. New episodes continue to air on FX, with reruns playing on Comedy Central, general broadcast syndication, and WGN America—the first-ever cable-to-cable syndication deal for a sitcom... |
Shadynasty | Guest | |
| Broadway | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2005–2008 | Hairspray Hairspray (musical) Hairspray is a musical with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on the 1988 John Waters film Hairspray. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues... |
Little Inez | Replacement |