Shawnna
 |
Shawnna | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Rashawnna Guy |
| Also known as | Queen of Chicago |
| Born | January 3, 1978[1] |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Labels | DTP (1999–2005, 2007-2009) Def Jam (2009-present) M.O.E. (CEO)(2007-present) Hustle Period (2006-present) Nappy Boy (2009-present) |
| Website | http://www.twitter.com/shawnnamusic |
Rashawnna Guy[2] (born January 3, 1978),[1] better known by her stage name Shawnna is an American rapper. She was the first female artist signed to Def Jam South through Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace Records. She is a former member of the female Chicago rap duo Infamous Syndicate and she is also the daughter of the blues musician Buddy Guy.
She is known for her rapid fire delivery and her sexually explicit image and lyrics. She is one of only five female rappers (others being Trina, Lil' Kim, Nicki Minaj and Remy Ma) to ever have a number one song on the US Billboard Hot 100 with 2003's "Stand Up" with Ludacris.
Music career
Early career
An MC from the south side of Chicago and the daughter of blues guitarist Buddy Guy. Shawnna began writing rhymes while in high school. She caught her first break in 1996, when her duo Infamous Syndicate opened for Junior M.A.F.I.A. in Chicago. Infamous Syndicate signed to Relativity a year later and released Changing the Game in 1999. The album did not live up to its title, despite production help from No I.D. and Kanye West, the duo was dropped and eventually split. She then went on to team with Ludacris where she was featured on his song "What's Your Fantasy". Before she recorded her first album, Shawnna was featured on the remix to the song "Loverboy" by Mariah Carey for the album and movie Glitter. She was featured in the video along with Ludacris, Da Brat, and Twenty II.
Worth tha Weight (2002-2004)
Shawnna's debut album Worth tha Weight, originally scheduled to be released in October 2002, was delayed until September 26, 2004 and was released with little promotion due to disputes at Def Jam. Her album was well received by critics, and spawned the singles "Shake Dat Shit" and "Weight a Minute". And she never played alone.
Block Music & departure from DTP (2006-2007)
Shawnna's second album Block Music was released on June 27, 2006. Its sales have been initially lower than expected. The album has so far sold over 260,000 copies Worldwide. In preparation of the album, Shawnna teamed up with Clinton Sparks, one of Rolling Stone's Top 10 mixtape producers, to release the official prelude to the album titled Block Music: The Mixtape. This mixtape features exclusive tracks and freestyles as well as the official "Gettin' Some (All-Star remix)" that featured Busta Rhymes, Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Jim Jones, Pimp C, Ludacris, Twista, Pharrell, Too Short, Lil Wayne, Dre, Pitbull & Sean J. She was also announced as Artist of the Week on Hollyscoop.com. As of April 26, 2007, in an interview, Shawnna confirmed that she was no longer with DTP Records, but remains friends with everyone on the label. Although she has left DTP she is still considered to be on their label according to paperwork-said by Remy Ma. She said that she was happy to be an independent artist, and it was something she always wanted to do.
Signing with Nappy Boy (2009-present)
She is managed through Hustle Period and has started her own label M.O.E., which stands for Money Over Everything. In October 2009, Shawnna signed with T-Pain's Nappy Boy Entertainment. Later in 2010, she released a mixtape titled Bitch Like Me hosted by DJ Dirty Money. Her proposed third album will be re-recorded, and is scheduled to be released in 2012. On October 28, 2011, Money Over Everything Entertainment released the new thriller and music video for "Horror Show" by Shawnna.
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US Rap | ||
| 2004 | Worth tha Weight | 22 | 5 | — |
| 2006 | Block Music | 13 | 3 | 2 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||
Official mixtapes
- 2006: Block Music: the Mixtape (Hosted by Clinton Sparks)
- 2009: Nappy Boy All Stars Vol. 1 (with Nappy Boy Entertainment)
- 2010: Bitch Like Me (Hosted by DJ Dirty Money)
- 2012: She's Alive
Singles
Solo singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions |
Certifications (sales threshold) |
Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US Rap | ||||
| 2004 | "Shake Dat Shit" (featuring Ludacris) | 63 | 28 | 16 | Worth tha Weight | |
| "Weight a Minute" | — | 95 | — | |||
| 2006 | "Gettin' Some" | 31 | 4 | 5 | Block Music | |
| "Damn" (featuring Smoke) | — | 91 | — | |||
| 2011 | "Big Booty Judy" | — | — | — | TBA | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||
Featured singles
| Year | Song | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Hot 100 | U.S. R&B | U.S. Rap | UK | |||
| 2000 | "What's Your Fantasy" (Ludacris featuring Shawnna) | 21 | 10 | 5 | 19 | Back for the First Time |
| 2003 | "P-Poppin'" (Ludacris featuring Shawnna & Lil Fate) | — | — | — | — | Chicken-n-Beer |
| "Stand Up" (Ludacris featuring Shawnna) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 14 | ||
| 2004 | "I Caught Him Lookin'" (Janielle featuring Shawnna) | — | — | — | — | |
Other charted songs
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | |||
| "Diddy Rock" (Diddy featuring Twista, Timbaland & Shawnna) |
2007 | — | 124 | Press Play |
Guest appearances
| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Loverboy" (Remix) | 2001 | Mariah Carey, Ludacris, Twenty II, Da Brat | — |
| "Dude" (Remix) | 2004 | Beenie Man, Ms. Thing | — |
| "Slow Fuckin'" | I-20 | Self Explanatory | |
| "I Caught Him Lookin'" | 2006 | Janielle | — |
| "Diddy Rock" | Diddy, Timbaland, Twista | Press Play | |
| "4 Minutes" (Remix) | Avant, Krayzie Bone, Layzie Bone | Director | |
| "Hold N' Back" | 2007 | Marques Houston, Mýa | Veteran |
| ""Backseat Action"" | T-Pain | Epiphany | |
| "I Might Be" | Gucci Mane | Back to the Trap House | |
| "Wheaties" | 2008 | Tech N9ne | Killer |
| "Bastards and Bitches" | 2012 | Twista | Reloaded |
Videography
- "Shake Dat Shit" (featuring Ludacris)
- "Gettin' Some"
- "Damn"
- "Caught Him Lookin'"
- "Loverboy (Remix)" (Mariah Carey featuring Da Brat, Ludacris, Shawnna & Twenty II)
- "All The Way Turnt Up NB Remix" (One Chance featuring T-pain)
- "Point Em Out" (Tay Dizm featuring Shawnna)
- "Never Leave My Girl"
- "Lap Dance" She-Mix Ft GMGIRLS
- "Horror Show" Ft GMGIRLS
- "Big Fat" Ft Cella H
- "Snapbacks & Tattoo" She-Mix
References
- ^ a b "Background Check & People Search Powered by Intelius". Intelius.com. Retrieved 2012-03-30.
- ^ Kellman, Andy. "Shawnna Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
- ^ "RIAA - Gold & Platinum - September 5, 2010: Shawnna certified singles". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 5, 2010.