Ray J

Artist Image: Ray J
Attribution
Image Credit: Toglenn (Own work), CC BY-SA 3.0

Biography

William Ray Norwood, Jr. (born January 17, 1981), better known by his stage name Ray J, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and rapper. He is the son of gospel singer Willie Norwood and the younger brother of Contemporary R&B singer Brandy. He was signed with Elektra in 1995 by Darryl Williams. In 1997, he performed in a television special with his sister, but despite the mainstream attention, he was dropped by Elektra soon after. His easygoing image and boyish looks appealed to the producers of Brandy's television show, Moesha, scoring him a role on the popular UPN series starting in 1999. He also started producing, putting together the music for several commercials and a few of the demos for his second record. In 1997 he also released his debut album Everything You Want, recorded the year before, which spawned two singles. "Let It Go" was the lead single of the smash soundtrack for Set It Off (Brandy also appeared on the soundtrack; and her song "Missing You" with Tamia, Chaka Khan and Gladys Knight peaked also at number 25). It peaked number 25 in the U.S. and number 11 in New Zealand. The second single peaked at number 54 on the U.S. R&B chart. After appearing on the last episode of Moesha in 2001, Norwood stepped back into the studio and recorded "Another Day In Paradise" with Brandy, which was a Top Ten success in Austria, UK, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Norway, Ireland, the Netherlands and number 11 in Australia and France. The song was the lead single of the R&B/Hip Hop tribute Urban Renewal, in which he co-produced and performed songs. Norwood also worked with The Neptunes, Rodney Jerkins and Lil' Kim, and several other hitmaking producers and singers for his second studio album This Ain't A Game, a Hip hop-oriented record that featured more of his rapping than his debut. The album was released in 2001, but despite a strong promotional push from new label Atlantic Records, it wasn't a breakthrough success. The lead single "Wait A Minute" appeared in the lower half of the charts in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Great Britain. The second single did even worse peaking on the R&B/Hip hop chart only. In 2002 he appeared in the video for his sister's smash-hit "What About Us", which was produced by Jerkins, and was released as her third album, Full Moon's lead single during the first quarter of 2002 (see 2002 in music). While "What About Us?" entered the Top 20 on the majority of the charts it appeared on, it reached the Top 10 in Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, the UK, and the United States. After a two year break, Norwood returned to recording studios, adding the finishing touches on his third studio album Raydiation with help from producers such as Rodney Jerkins, Timbaland, and R. Kelly. A joint venture by Sanctuary Records and Ray-J's own label, independent Knockout Entertainment, the album was finally released on September 27, 2005 in North America after several delays, debuting at number forty-eight on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 18,321 copies in the first week. Boosted by the album's lead single "One Wish," a top 20 success in Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, the U.S... Raydiation eventually sold over 400,000 copies domestically. In 2005, Norwood joined the cast of UPN's One On One, where he played the character of D-Mack for the final season. More recently, Knockout Entertainment announced a multi-million dollar album deal with Koch Records and Shaquille O'Neal's "Deja 34" entertainment company. The first album for this deal is Norwood's upcoming fourth album All I Feel, which featuresThe Game, and remixes with Manny and Gil (MP Productions) among others. It was released on April 1st,2008. The album's first single is "Sexy Can I" featuring rapper Yung Berg peaked at number three on the Top Singles (Hot 100) for six weeks. A video for the track, directed by R. Malcolm Jones, was shot in December 2007

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed
Number of Albums 70
Record Label
Website
Wikipedia Ray J on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

Raytroniks has won many hearts so many entertainment fans want to watch him on what?

big screens

...hearts so that lots of entertainment fans always want to watch him on big screens . Besides his success stories in the entertainment and business secto...
Who did he contended with in a cooking series?

his sister

... business sectors, he has proven to be a good cook. He contended with his sister in a cooking series, My Kitchen Rules, on Fox. The category of produc...
What is the name of his company?

Raytroniks

...ctor, the celebrity is also a business mogul; he is the originator of Raytroniks . He has won many hearts so that lots of entertainment fans always wan...
Where does he hail from?

Carson, California, USA

...cover more about him in the following paragraphs. He hails from Carson, California, USA , and he has an elder sister, Brandy Norwood, who is an awardwi...
Who is his elder sister?

Brandy Norwood

... He hails from Carson, California, USA, and he has an elder sister, Brandy Norwood , who is an awardwinning recording artist. He holds an American nati...
Where did Norwood relocate with his family to?

Los Angeles, California

...he is of AfricanAmerican descent. He relocated along with his family to Los Angeles, California , from McComb Mississippi, where they initially stayed....
When did he release Everything You Want?

1997

... vocals and youthful take on R&B, he issued debut Everything You Want in 1997 . As he grew, his production and lyrics also matured, following a stylist...
What was his fourth album called?

All I Feel

...ry similar to Usher. In 2008, he hit a chart peak with fourth effort, All I Feel , which topped the Billboard Independent and R&B charts. After an exte...
Where was Norwood born?

McComb, Mississippi

...eturned with 2019's Raydemption. Born William Ray Norwood, Jr. in McComb, Mississippi , he moved with his family to Carson, California when he was a to...
When did Ray J sign with Elektra?

1995

... appeared in the films Steel and Mars Attacks! He signed with Elektra in 1995 , recording Everything You Want the following year with a set of supersta...
What company dropped him in 1997?

Elektra

...ith his sister, but despite the mainstream attention, he was dropped by Elektra soon afterward. He also started producing and put together the music f...
What was Brandy's television show called?

Moesha

...and boyish looks appealed to the producers of Brandy's television show, Moesha , scoring him a role on the popular UPN series starting in 1999. He also...
What was the lead single of the smash soundtrack for Set It Off?

Let It Go

... for several commercials and a few of the demos for his second record. Let It Go was the lead single of the smash soundtrack for Set It Off (Brandy al...
What song did Brandy sing with Tamia, Chaka Khan and Gladys Knight?

Missing You

... for Set It Off (Brandy also appeared on the soundtrack; and her song Missing You with Tamia, Chaka Khan and Gladys Knight peaked also at number 25). ...
What was the name of the R&BHip Hop tribute he co-produced and performed songs in?

Urban Renewal

...S. R&B chart. The song was the lead single of the R&BHip Hop tribute Urban Renewal , in which he coproduced and performed songs. The album was released...
When was Urban Renewal released?

2001

...l, in which he coproduced and performed songs. The album was released in 2001 , but despite a strong promotional push from new label Atlantic Records, ...
What label released the album in 2001?

Atlantic Records

...ased in 2001, but despite a strong promotional push from new label Atlantic Records , it wasn't a breakthrough success. The lead single Wait A Minute a...
Wait A Minute appeared in the lower half of the charts in which countries?

Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Great Britain

...eakthrough success. The lead single Wait A Minute appeared in the lower half of the charts in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Great Britain ....
What rapper was William Ray Norwood Jr.'s first cousin?

Snoop Dogg

...ding artist and actress Brandy Norwood and the first cousin of rapper Snoop Dogg . Early life William Ray Norwood Jr. was born in McComb, Mississippi t...
How old was Norwood when he began auditioning for and appearing in TV commercials?

eight

...n television commercials for different companies. In 1989, at the age of eight , Norwood began auditioning for and appearing in television commercials;...
What role did he play in The Sinbad Show from 1993 to 1994?

foster son

...uditioning for and appearing in television commercials; he played the foster son in The Sinbad Show, from 1993 to 1994. This period in Norwood's life ...
When was the album released?

March 1997

...played from 1999 until the show ended in 2001. The album, released in March 1997 , spawned the lead single Let It Go, which appeared on the Set It Off ...
Where did Let It Go rank in the U.S.?

25

..., which appeared on the Set It Off soundtrack. Let It Go peaked at number 25 in the U.S. and number 11 in New Zealand. The second single peaked at num...
Who is Ray J.'s sister?

Brandys

... his musical performances and his acting roles. Stepping in his sister, Brandys shadow, Ray J. has made an effort to pursue his own career. Starting a...
When did Ray J move to California with his family?

when he was two years old

...n McComb, Mississippi, but moved to California with his family when he was two years old . In a short time this young man put his talents to good use (...
Who is Ray's older sister?

Brandy

...children to the art of showbiz, including supporting Ray's older sister Brandy who launched a singing career at the age of mere 2. When William Ray No...
Where did Brandy launch a singing career?

2

...Ray's older sister Brandy who launched a singing career at the age of mere 2 . When William Ray Norwood was born on January 17, 1981, his sister has be...
When was William Ray Norwood born?

January 17, 1981

... career at the age of mere 2. When William Ray Norwood was born on January 17, 1981 , his sister has been cultivated to become a performer. Ray only st...
At what age did Ray audition for a number of commercials?

8

...ultivated to become a performer. Ray only started his career at the age of 8 , when he auditioned for a number of commercials. Although the show was ev...
What was Ray's role in Moesha?

Dorian Long

...dy's TV show Moesha that garnered success since its launch in 1996 as Dorian Long , the male main character's outofwedlock child. Unfortunately the sho...
What was the name of the album that was dropped in 1997?

Everything You Want

...was eventually canceled after six seasons. Worse, his debut album Everything You Want that was released in 1997 did not do well on the market that he ...
What is Ray J's stage name?

William Raymond Norwood, Jr

...edia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigation Jump to search William Raymond Norwood, Jr . better known by his stage name Ray J, is an American singer...
Where did Norwood grew up?

Carson, California

...illiam Raymond Norwood, Jr. in McComb, Mississippi and grew up in Carson, California . At age eight, he began auditioning for and appearing in televisi...
Norwood played the foster son in what show?

The Sinbad Show

...nd appearing in television commercials; he played the foster son in The Sinbad Show . Norwood was signed to Elektra Records in 1995 and recorded his de...
Who is the most prominent stepie of Ray J?

Danyelle CDove Brown

...a. The most prominent of them is the Atlantabased hiphop artist, Danyelle CDove Brown , whose claim was proven true by a DNA test conducted in 2010. Yo...
What was the name of the film he starred in with a former basketball player?

Steel

...cters played by Jim Brown and Pam Grier. The following year, he did a film titled Steel with his friend and former basketball player Shaquille O'Neal....