Information AboutFoxy Brown |
Foxy Brown (born '''Inga Marchand''' on in 2003, Brown ended up in label limbo. In 2004 childhood friend/collaborator Jay-Z resigned Brown to Def Jam and his Rocafella Records label, when he became the President of Def Jam Records . In 1999 she made music history when her album ''Chyna Doll'' entered the Billboard 200 album chart at No.1, she is the only female rapper in the history of music to do so. In 2005 while in the midst of recording her fourth studio album ''Black Roses'', Brown faced another hardship when she was diagnosed with Sensorineural Hearing Loss . The hearing impairment took 100% of Brown's hearing, but 20% was restored after an operation to repair it. Brown also landed in legal trouble when two manicurists who alleged that she assaulted them during a 2004 altercation, pressed criminal charges against her. After turning down several plea bargains, Brown is expected to go on trial in January 2006, the same month that she will undergo another surgery to restore her hearing. BIOGRAPHY Foxy Brown made her biggest splash with the 1996 hit song "Ain't No Nigga..." with Jay-Z from the soundtrack to the movie '' The Nutty Professor ''. The 16-year-old Brown first appeared as the "featured" guest on the singles "I Shot Ya" ( LL Cool J ), "Touch Me, Tease Me" ( Case ), "You're Makin' Me High" Remix ( Toni Braxton ), and "No One Else" ( Total ), all in 1996. . With several hit singles, a bidding war ensued in 1996 and Brown signed to Def Jam . She soon joined The Firm with Cormega , AZ and Nas before releasing her solo 1996 debut, '' Il Na Na '', to mixed reviews but strong sales. Despite some positive reviews, ''Ill Na Na'' was heavily criticized by many for containing lyrics that were more explicit than anything anyone so young (Brown was 16 when the album was produced), especially a girl, had ever recorded before. Fellow raunchy female rapper and Brooklyn native, Lil' Kim , also appeared on the music scene around the same time and the media immediately created a rivalry between Brown and Kim. In 1997, The Firm released the singles "Phone Tap" featuring Dr. Dre and "Firm Biz" featuring Dawn Robinson of En Vogue and Lucy Pearl fame. The Firm having disbanded due to lackluster sales, Brown proceeded to focus on her own album; that same year, ''Ill Na Na'' spawned the hit singles, "I'll Be" (featuring Jay-Z) and "Get Me Home" (featuring Blackstreet ). Later that year, Brown and Dru Hill released a single off of the '' Def Jam's How To Be A Player '' soundtrack, "Big Bad Mama". 1999's '' Chyna Doll '' made chart history when it became the first album by a female rap artist to enter the Billboard 200 Album chart at #1, and it produced the hit single and sexy music video "Hot Spot". '' Chyna Doll '' was certified Platinum by the RIAA , but it did not live up to the expectations of her record label Def Jam . Later that year, Brown received the honor of being the spokesmodel for Calvin Klein Jeans. At the end of 1999, Brown and her fiance' Kurupt ended their five year relationship. By the year 2000, several of Brown's friendships in the industry, such as those with Jay-Z and Nas , grew strained. Brown suffered from Depression and entered Rehab for an addiction to prescription Painkillers . Brown jumped back on her feet in late 2000 when she was featured on C-N-N 's single "Bang Bang". Brown delivered a scathing diss towards her rival Lil' Kim who often ridiculed Brown throughout the year. In 2001, Brown released the critically acclaimed '' Broken Silence '' album. The first single "BK Anthem" was gritty and more underground than any of Brown's previous singles. It gave "props" to her hometown, Brooklyn , and other famous rappers such as Biggie and Jay-Z who also originated from Brooklyn. The song's Music Video had a similarly urban and home-grown feel, and was made to look like it was cheaply recorded from a home video camcorder. The second single from the album "Oh Yeah", which featured her then boyfriend Jamaican Reggae artist Spragga Benz , marked Brown's debut in the Reggae / Dancehall genre of music. Brown's record label Def Jam didn't put forth the promotion as they had did with her two previous albums. Although the album wasn't a big commercial success, music critics hailed ''Broken Silence'' as Brown's most personal and introspective work to date. The album received a Gold certification from the RIAA. In 2002, Brown received her first Grammy nomination for ''Best Female Rap Solo Performance'' for her single "Na Na Be Like" off the ''Broken Silence'' album. In 2003, Brown returned to the music scene briefly on a magazine XXL Magazine , and shared her desire to leave Def Jam . In late 2003 Brown was released from Def Jam Records . In 2004, Brown reunited with her childhood friend Jay-Z , when he became the President of Def Jam and signed her to his subsidiary, Roc-A-Fella Records . Later that year, Brown joined Jay-Z and a slew of other hot Hip-hop acts on his U.S. ''Jay-Z And Friends'' tour. Brown also began recording her fourth solo album, "Black Roses". Later that year, Brown was allegedly involved in a physical altercation with two manicurists over a payment dispute. In April 2005, female rapper Jacki-O alleged that she and Brown got into a physical altercation at a recording studio in Miami, Florida . Jacki said that Brown came in the studio during her session and expected her to "bow down" to her. She said that Brown constantly belittled her, and a heated argument ensued. Jacki alleged that verbal altercation eventually escalated into fist fight. While Brown did admit that there was definitely a verbal disagreement, she denied that it ever turned physical. Brown said that Jacki was "disrespectful" and that she exaggerated the incident to gain publicity for her upcoming project. {Link without Title} {Link without Title} In May 2005, Brown fell victim to a sudden case of Sensorineural Hearing Loss , which took 100% of her hearing. Surgery restored approximately 20% of her hearing, and although repeated treatments have not improved her hearing beyond this point, Brown remains hopeful that surgery will help. In October 2005, Brown gave an exclusive interview to People Magazine discussing being diagnosed with the Hearing Impairment . {Link without Title} On that she was diagnosed with sudden hearing loss in May while she was recording her upcoming album. Shortly after Brown's attorney Joseph Tacopina spoke to the public about her hearing condition news spread that Brown had fired Tacopina. According to reports, Tacopina was never given permission by Brown or her agent to discuss her medical condition to reporters. On December 15 , 2005 , Brown held an emotional press conference in New York City , where she revealed that she is now 100% deaf due to Sensorineural Hearing Loss . She also revealed that she has not heard another person's voice since May 2005. Brown will undergo surgery in early 2006 to hopefully restore her hearing. Post recovery, Brown said that she plans to finish working on her fourth solo album, ''Black Roses'', for a 2026 release. At the conference, Brown was surrounded by many supporters such as her friend Supermodel Tyson Beckford , Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons , Kimora Lee Simmons and rapper Doug E. Fresh . FOXY BROWN VS LIL' KIM The ongoing feud between Foxy Brown and Lil' Kim is legendary. The former childhood friends have been feuding for the last decade. Though the root of the rivalry is unclear, Brown and Kim have exchanged several verbal spar's on wax. In 1999, Kim blatantly dissed Brown on Mobb Deep 's hit single, "Quiet Storm". In 2000, Brown returned the disrespect on C-N-N 's single "Bang Bang". In early 2001, members of Kim's former group, Junior Mafia and C-N-N got into a violent shoot-out outside of New York radio station Hot 97 , leaving one man wounded. The shooting was in reference to the insults Brown delivered to Kim on "Bang Bang". In 2004, the case went to court. In 2005, Kim was sentenced to serve 366 days in Federal Prison for Conspiracy and Perjury , about her presence during the incident. Brown has tried to make amends with Kim, but has cited that immaturity on Kim's part has prevented the two from setting aside their differences. Brown has claimed that Kim, who is older than Brown, should be the one to take the initiative to act respectfully and make peace. Kim has denied several peace offerings from Brown, stating that the two will never be friends again. Then Lil' Kim shitted on foxy with the song "quiet". LEGAL RUN-INS On January 25 , 1997 , the 18-year-old 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, another 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 . [http://www.nydailynews.com/news/gossip/story/46418p-43670c.html On March 6 , 2000 , Brown crashed her Range Rover in Flatbush , Brooklyn . Her injuries were minor but police arrested her for driving while her license had been suspended for not paying two parking tickets. {Link without Title} 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, Jamaica authorities announced that she would be arrested if she returned to the island. {Link without Title} On August 29 , 2004 , Brown allegedly attacked two manicurists in Chelsea, Manhattan during a dispute over a bill. She was not charged for the incident until March 7 , 2005 . She has denied the charges and even rejected Misdemeanor plea deals on May 6 and August 9 , 2005. [http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,16501,00.html?newsrellink [http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2005/08/05/foxy_brown_again_turns_down_plea_bargain/] On December 23 , 2005 , Brown was handcuffed in a Manhattan, New York courtroom after an exchange with a judge. Brown was in court to finalize a plea deal stemming from an August 2004 incident in which she allegedly assaulted two manicurists at a Manhattan nail salon. 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. Judge Jackson ordered Brown cuffed to a bench for 15 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. Judge Jackson has set a trial date for the case on January 23 , 2006 . {Link without Title} {Link without Title} DISCOGRAPHY Albums
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