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Foxy Brown (rapper)

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Arbor to SJ (talk | contribs) at 03:18, 18 February 2008 (moved Foxy Brown to Foxy Brown (rapper): because there's two other meanings to "Foxy Brown". Thus its main page should list the three meanings. Not all people are into rap music.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For the 1974 blaxploitation film, see Foxy Brown (film). For the Jamaican vocalist, see Foxy Brown (singer).
Foxy Brown

Inga Marchand, born September 6 1978 (see Date of birth below, under Controversies), in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States, better known as Foxy Brown, is an American rapper of Afro-Trinidadian and Asian descent [1]. She is known for her solo work as well as for her numerous collaborations, and her brief stint as part of hip-hop music group The Firm. She has released three albums: Ill Na Na (1996), Chyna Doll (1999), and Broken Silence (2001) while also being featured on Nas, Foxy Brown, AZ, and Nature Present The Firm: The Album (1997). Currently, she is signed to Koch Records.

Biography

1994-1998

While still a teenager, Brown won a talent contest in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, and was invited to rap on stage at a KRS-One concert. At the time, production team Trackmasters were working on LL Cool J's Mr. Smith album, the pair were in attendance that night and being impressed, they decided to let her rap over "I Shot Ya."

Brown followed her debut with appearances on several RIAA platinum and gold singles from other artists, including remixes of songs "You're Makin' Me High" by Toni Braxton.[2] Brown was also featured on the soundtrack to the 1996 film The Nutty Professor, on the songs "Touch Me Tease Me" by Case and "Ain't No Nigga" by Jay-Z.[3]The immediate success led to a label bidding war at the beginning of 1996, and in March, Def Jam Records won as they added the then 16-year old talent to their roster.[2]

In 1996 Brown released her debut album Ill Na Na to mixed reviews but strong sales. The album sold over 109,000 copies in the first week, and debuted at #7 on the Billboard 200 album charts.[2] The album was heavily produced by Trackmasters, and featured guest appearances from Jay-Z, Blackstreet, Method Man, and Kid Capri.[4] The album went on to go platinum and launched two hit singles: "Get Me Home" (featuring Blackstreet) and "I'll Be" (featuring Jay-Z).[5]

Following the release of Ill Na Na, Brown joined fellow New York based hip hop artists, Nas Escobar, AZ and Nature to form the supergroup known as The Firm. The album was released via Aftermath Records and was produced and recorded by the collective team of Dr. Dre, The Trackmasters, and Steve "Comissioner" Stout of Violator Entertainment.

An early form of The Firm appeared on "Affirmative Action," from Nas' second album, It Was Written. A remix of the song, and several group freestyles were in the album, Nas, Foxy Brown, AZ, and Nature Present The Firm: The Album. The album entered the Billboard 200 Album chart at #1, selling 218,000 copies in its first week in stores. Despite strong first-week sales, the album quickly fell off the charts.

1999-2000

On January 26 1999 Foxy Brown released her oft-delayed second album Chyna Doll which made Billboard Chart history when it became the first album by a female rap artist to enter the charts at #1, selling 179,000 copies in its opening week.[6] The album's lead single "Hot Spot" failed to enter the top 50 of the Billboard pop charts, same as the follow-up single, "I Can't" (featuring Total). Chyna Doll has been certified platinum after surpassing one million copies in sales[7].

By 2000, several of Brown's friendships in the industry, including those with Jay-Z and Nas, became strained. Brown announced she was suffering from depression and entered rehab at Cornell University Medical College for an addiction to prescription painkillers, in particular, morphine, even stating that she couldn't perform or make records unless she was on the illegal drug.[8][9]

Brown went into damage control mode and attempted to clean up her image with a spread in Essence magazine's August 2000 issue. The article, entitled "Dignity or Dollars", discussed Brown's run-ins with the law, as well as her stint in rehab and nice family upbringing. In it Brown stated she wanted to clean up her image and counter what was projected by the Vibe magazine cover, in which she had appeared in a string bikini.

2001-2003

In 2001, after two years of artistic silence, Brown released Broken Silence. The single "BK Anthem" showcased Brown changing to a "street" image, rather than the pop-star image that failed with the release of Chyna Doll . The track gave "props" to her hometown, Brooklyn, and famous rappers such as The Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z. Def Jam decided to release a music video for the record, which had a similarly urban and home-grown low-budget feel, and was made as if from a home video camcorder. The second single from the album "Oh Yeah", which featured her then boyfriend Jamaican dancehall artist Spragga Benz, marked Brown's debut in the reggae/dance hall genre of music. The album debuted on the Billboard Charts at #3, selling 331,000 units its first week.

In 2003, Brown returned to the music scene briefly on DJ Kayslay's single called "Too Much For Me" from his Street Sweeper's Volume One Mixtape. That April, Brown appeared on popular New York radio jock Wendy Williams' radio show, and revealed the details of her relationships with Def Jam President at the time, Lyor Cohen and Sean P. Diddy Combs. Brown accused both of illegally trading her recording masters. She also announced that Cohen shelved her long awaited fourth album Ill Na Na 2: The Fever over personal disagreements. Less than 24 hours after the interview was broadcast, Ill Na Na 2: The Fever appeared online for downloading and illegal bootlegging.

2004–Present

In 2004, Brown reunited with her old friend and mentor Jay-Z, when he became the president of Def Jam and signed her to its subsidiary, Roc-A-Fella Records. Later that year, Brown joined Jay-Z and several other hip-hop acts on his Jay-Z and Friends tour. Brown began recording her fourth solo album, Black Roses. Though never officially released as a single, the track "Come Fly with Me" (featuring Sizzla), received airplay mostly on hip-hop radio stations. Tracks such as "The Art of War" and a remix of 112's "You Already Know" followed. Later that year, Brown was allegedly involved in a physical altercation with two manicurists over a $20 fee which Brown allegedly refused to pay.

Controversy continued to follow Brown in April 2005, when female rapper Jacki-O alleged that she and Brown got into a physical altercation at a recording studio in Miami, Florida[10]. Jacki said that Brown came into the studio during her session and expected her to "bow down" to her. She claimed that Brown constantly belittled her and that a "heated argument" ensued. Jacki alleged that the verbal altercation eventually escalated into a fist fight, with Brown being on the receiving end. Brown later admitted that there was definitely a verbal disagreement, though she denied that it ever turned physical. [11]

On December 5, 2005, outside of Manhattan criminal court, Brown's attorney Joseph Tacopina stated he wanted to confirm rumors that Brown was almost totally deaf and claimed that he could no longer communicate with her verbally. Brown told reporters on December 15 that she was diagnosed with sudden hearing loss in May while she was recording her upcoming album. Shortly after Tacopina spoke to the public about her hearing condition, news spread that Brown had fired him. According to reports, Tacopina was never given permission by Brown or her agent to discuss her medical condition to reporters.

In October 2006, Foxy Brown was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to undergo anger management classes for the physical altercation in a nail salon in 2004. "This is only the first time in two years that I'm pleased with Judge Jackson," Brown told the Associated Press. Brown was reported to have received an excellent report from probation. She added that the experience had been positive because "probation forces one into structure". "It is making me grow up," she said. "I have matured a lot since I started the anger management and realized how much that i needed it."

In May 2007, Black Hand Entertainment announced that they signed a management deal with Foxy Brown [12]. When asked about Black Hand as a management home, Brown said, "I needed to connect with a person who understood my struggle completely from where I came to where I traveled today." Chaz Williams, Black Hand CEO, stated "Her focus is keen, and her music speaks for itself.". The release of her album Black Roses has been scheduled for September 6,2007 [13]

On July 22 2007, MTV.com reported that there are plans for Brooklyn Don Diva, a "mixtape", to be released before Black Roses [14].

On August 14 2007, Foxy left from Def Jam. She then went on to jumpstart her own label, Black Rose Entertainment, which will be distributed by independent record label Koch Records [15]. Brown's next album Brooklyn's Don Diva is scheduled to be released May 13 2008 [16].

On August 21 2007, Foxy Brown announced that she is pregnant with her first child and planning to get married. Later reports have revealed that Brown lied to gain sympathy from the judge during one of her trials.

On September 7, 2007, she was sentenced to one year in jail and is currently serving that sentence. No mention was made during the trial by anyone about Brown expecting a baby. (See Legal issues below.) On September 12 2007, her representatives stated the rapper isn't pregnant[17]. The revelation came as her manager and Koch Records announced that Brown would release a new album while serving her one-year jail sentence. [18].

Controversies

  • On January 25, 1997, Brown spat on two hotel workers in Raleigh, North Carolina when they told her they didn't have an iron available. When she missed a court appearance, an arrest warrant was issued and she finally turned herself in on April 30, 1997. She eventually received a 30-day suspended sentence and was ordered to perform 80 hours of community service.[19]
  • On March 6, 2000, Brown crashed her Range Rover in Flatbush, Brooklyn. She was charged with driving without a license, since her license had been suspended for not paying two parking tickets. But she hasn't been arrested on that charge since.[20]
  • On July 26, 2002, Brown was arrested in Kingston, Jamaica for an altercation with a policewoman at Norman Manley International Airport. When she missed a court appearance two days later, Jamaican authorities announced that she would be arrested if she returned to the country. [21]
  • On August 29, 2004, Brown allegedly attacked two manicurists in Chelsea, Manhattan during a dispute over a $20 bill that she refused to pay. She was not charged for the incident until March 7, 2005. She has denied the charges and initially rejected misdemeanor plea deals on May 6 and August 9, 2005. On October 25, 2006, Brown was sentenced to three years probation and anger management counseling. Orders of protection were authorized by the court for the manicurists [22].
  • On December 23, 2005, Brown was handcuffed in a Manhattan, New York courtroom after a verbal confrontation with the judge. Brown was in court to finalize a plea deal stemming from the August 2004 incident. Judge Melissa Jackson thought Brown was chewing gum and asked her to get rid of it. Brown responded by opening her mouth and sticking her tongue out, not as a sign of disrespect but to show, as she subsequently claimed, that she had no gum in her mouth. Judge Jackson ordered Brown cuffed to a bench for fifteen minutes, but when a female court officer attempted to handcuff her they got into a heated exchange over a bracelet the rapper was wearing. Judge Jackson alleged that Brown also struck the officer. When Brown refused to apologize, she was threatened with thirty days in jail. She eventually apologized to the court. [23]
  • On February 15, 2007, Brown was arrested for an incident in Broward County, Florida [24]. According to the arrest report, Brown was applying beauty products in the bathroom of the Queen Beauty Supply store when an employee knocked on the door and told her the business was closed so it was time to leave. She refused and threw hair glue at the employee, the report said. Brown then spat on the man as he called 911, staining his shirt. A police officer found her in the shopping plaza and tried to get her to return to the store. When the officer placed a hand on her arm to escort her to the store, Brown swatted it away, then started swinging her arms and struggling with the officer, the report said. The officer had to "use a take-down maneuver to gain control" of Brown, according to the report. No one was injured.
  • On March 1, 2007, Foxy Brown pleaded guilty to a probation violation for leaving New York state without permission [25].
  • On March 22, 2007, Broward County Judge Joel Lazurus issued an arrest warrant for the arrest of Foxy Brown for her failure to appear in court for the February 2007 incident in Florida. The judge subsequently withdrew the arrest warrant, Brown appeared in court and pleaded not guilty [26].
  • On May 7 2007, police were called in Brooklyn after a young mother claimed Foxy Brown, in a silver Range Rover, almost ran her down along with her baby in a stroller [27]. No charges were filed.
  • On August 14, 2007, Foxy Brown turned herself in for the felony assault charge resulting from hitting her neighbor with a BlackBerry [28].
  • On August 22, 2007, Judge Melissa Jackson ordered Foxy Brown jailed until a September 5 hearing for allegedly violating her probation after her arrest in the Blackberry incident. She was immediately taken into custody. Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Melissa Jackson said Brown's sentence will continue the six months' probation she is already serving. But Jackson warned that if there are any other probation infractions, "I'm reserving the right to resentence you to jail for one year." [29]
  • On September 7, 2007, New York Criminal Court Judge Melissa Jackson sentenced Foxy Brown to one year in jail for violating her probation that stemmed from the 2004 fight with two manicurists in a New York City nail salon. "I'm not going to give you any more chances," Judge Jackson told Brown. "I hope you turn your life around and never again have to stand in a court of law." With time off for good behavior for her detention that began in August 2007, Brown will be eligible for parole in May 2008. [30]
  • On October 12, 2007, Brown refused three times to board a Rikers Island bus for a Brooklyn court date related to the BlackBerry incident - once because "she needed more time to primp", authorities said. She finally appeared before the Court on October 16, 2007 and pleaded not guilty.[31]
  • On October 23, 2007, Brown was given 76 days in solitary confinement due to a physical altercation that took place on October 3, 2007, with another prisoner. According to the prison authorities, Foxy Brown, the next day after the incident, was also verbally abusive toward correction officers and refused to take a random drug test. [32] On November 27, 2007, the prison authorities reported that the singer was released "from solitary confinement this week for good behavior"[33].
  • On January 16, 2008, Foxy Brown submitted a request to Judge Jackson, asking for early release in order "to treat an ear condition" she fears could "threaten [her] hearing". The request was part of an appeal filed on January 15 at the New York State Supreme Court.[34].

Power 105.1 controversy

On November 22, 2006 Foxy Brown appeared at New York radio station Power 105.1 for an interview with morning show hosts Egypt and Donnell "Ashy" Rawlings. As the interview began to air, Ashy made remarks and took several shots at Foxy's recent hearing loss. Through the rest of the interview Brown refused to answer to Ashy, excluding him from her conversation with Egypt. The interview became acrimonious when Ms. Brown was asked by Egypt to explain rumors that she had been dropped from her record label. Ms. Brown switched stories, first insisting she was still "signed to Jay" and then contradicting that by saying she was the one who "initiated leaving Def Jam ... they could never drop [Foxy Brown]" The DJs then asked the rapper questions including details on her recent conviction for assault, but she declined to answer, berating the DJs for being "disrespectful" and reminding Egypt that, "I told you when I called you what type of questions I wanted for my interview." Foxy began to pack her belongings continuing to dismiss any further comments the DJs were making. At this point, Egypt ended the interview, stating: "Foxy, you leave the room ... this interview is over" [35]. A sound clip of the interview, during which Brown leaves the New York radio station, then surfaced on various blogs and websites.

Date of birth

In the artist's own MySpace Account, her date of birth is shown as 6 September 1979. However, the police report of her arrest in 15 February 2007 [36] shows her date of birth to be 6 September 1978. The accuracy of the police report has not been disputed by Foxy Brown or her representatives, who assert, nonetheless, that her year of birth is 1979. Foxy Brown herself has added to the controversy when, in the DVD entitled Sub-0, recorded in 2007, she stated that she is only 26, but went on to state that, while she has been in the hip hop industry since the age of 14, she has been in the industry for 14 years. This would make her 28 years old.

Discography

Albums

Album Released Chart peak[37]
Billboard 200
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Ill Na Na
November 19, 1996
7
2
Chyna Doll
January 26, 1999
1
1
Broken Silence
July 17 2001
5
3

Singles

Year Song U.S Hot 100[5] U.S. R&B[5] U.S. Rap[5] U.S. Rhythmic Contemporary[5] Album
1996 "Get Me Home" (featuring Blackstreet) - - - 11 Ill Na Na
1997 "I'll Be" (featuring Jay-Z) 7 5 2 22
"Big Bad Mama" (featuring Dru Hill) 53 - - 20 Def Jam's How To Be A Player Soundtrack
1999 "Hot Spot" 91 22 23 37 Chyna Doll
"I Can't" (featuring Total) - 61 45 -
2001 "B.K. Anthem" - 82 22 - Broken Silence
"Oh Yeah" (featuring Spragga Benz) - 63 - -
"Candy" (featuring Kelis) - 48 10 -
2002 "Stylin'" - 71 - - Ill Na Na 2: The Fever
2003 "I Need a Man" (featuring The Letter M) - 62 - -
2005 "Come Fly With Me" (featuring Sizzla) - 45 - - Black Roses
2008 "When The Lights Go Out" (featuring Kira) - - - - Brooklyn's Don Diva

Appearances

Recent Release's:
  • 2007: "When The Lights Go Out" (with Kira)
  • 2007: "We On Fire" (with Mavado)
  • 2007: "How We Get Down" (with Grafh & Prinz)
  • 2007: "We Don't Surrender" (with Grafh)
  • 2007: "Mr. DJ" (with Barrington Levy)

References

  1. ^ Inga Marschand has denied any Filipino descent (MTV Interview)
  2. ^ a b c Bush, John. Foxy Brown biography. All Music Guide
  3. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Nutty Professor" - overview. All Music Guide: c. 1996.
  4. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Ill Na Na" - overview. All Music Guide
  5. ^ a b c d e Foxy Brown - Billboard single chart history at All Music Guide
  6. ^ Promis, Jose F. "Chyna Doll" overview at All Music Guide
  7. ^ RIAA : criteria for Gold and Platinum awards
  8. ^ http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/12057193
  9. ^ http://www.daveyd.com/fnvjan22001.html
  10. ^ MTV News : Foxy Brown And Jacki-O Duke It Out At Miami Studio
  11. ^ Foxy Brown Denies Physical Confrontation With Jacki-O
  12. ^ sohh.com Foxy Brown Under New Management
  13. ^ Billboard : Foxy Brown is primed for a comeback
  14. ^ MTV News : Foxy Brown Hits Back
  15. ^ Billboard : Foxy Brown Joins Koch Records
  16. ^ FMQB : Quick Hits
  17. ^ Oakland Tribune : Foxy Brown not pregnant
  18. ^ WABC : Manager says Foxy Brown not pregnant
  19. ^ MTV News: Foxy Brown Turns Herself In
  20. ^ NY Daily News : Foxy racks up 16 N.Y. traffic violations in 3 yrs
  21. ^ Top-40 charts.com : If Foxy Brown returns to Jamaica
  22. ^ BBC : Brown put on probation
  23. ^ Rapper handcuffed in court fracas
  24. ^ Associated Content : Rapper Foxy Brown arrested again
  25. ^ CBS : Foxy Brown Pleads Guilty In NYC Court
  26. ^ USA Today : Foxy Brown pleads not guilty
  27. ^ NY Daily News : Rapper's called a wheel menace
  28. ^ ABC News : Foxy Brown in trouble again
  29. ^ TheRegister.com : Foxy Brown sent to jail
  30. ^ MSNBC : Foxy Brown sentenced to a year in jail
  31. ^ NY Post : Fiery Foxy In Prison Bus Fuss
  32. ^ NY Post : Foxy Slapped With Solitary
  33. ^ Reuters : Foxy Brown released from solitary confinement
  34. ^ Reuters : Jailed Foxy Brown asks for release for ear problem
  35. ^ NY Daily Post : Foxy Fudges On Air, Gets Boot
  36. ^ Police report of Brown's arrest, 2007
  37. ^ Foxy Brown album chart history at Billboard.com
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