Blu Cantrell is a native of Providence, Rhode Island. She was influenced at an early age by her mother, a jazz singer. Cantrell’s mother would take her and her five siblings to her performances because she was unable to afford a baby sitter. Cantrell would watch her mother sing, and hope that one day she would be a singer as well. Cantrell’s luck hit in 2000 when she went to Atlanta to meet executives from RedZone Entertainment. The executives at RedZone were so impressed with Cantrell that they had her sing in front of celebrities such as P. Diddy, Faith Evans, and Aaron Hall. All were very impressed with her. She soon received a contract with Arista Records. Cantrell’s 2001 debut album was entitled So Blu. The album focused on her recent break-up with a long term boyfriend, and her fits of depression. The single, “Hit Em Up Style (Ooops!)” was produced by famed producer Dallas Austin (TLC, Boyz II Men, Madonna, Michael Jackson). So Blu attracted my attention due to the singer’s mix of R&B, 1920s Jazz, and 1960s Pop. The album received Grammy nominations and American Music Award nominations. In 2003, Cantrell released the album, Bittersweet. The album was titled Bittersweet because Cantrell was still upset about her break-up, but she was able to have fun, sweet times as well. The album features artists such as Fat Joe, Lil’ Kim, Sean Paul, and Ian Lewis. Cantrell’s influences are Billie Holiday, Sade, Sting, Prince, Aretha Franklin, and Whitney Houston.
Bio written by: bandhunt |
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