Amerie Mi Marie Nicholson is an American singer. Born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, she gained an appreciation of the classical arts from her mother Mi Suk Rogers and of music from her father Charles Rogers, and she also studied dance from an early age and performed in talent contests. After her high school graduation, her family settled down in Virginia while she began to attend Georgetown University, from which she later graduated with a degree in English and Fine Arts. While living in Washington, D.C., she met producer Rich Harrison, who worked with such performers as Mary J. Blige, and began developing demos with her. This led to a deal with Rise Entertainment and, in turn, major-label Columbia Records.
Touch is the second studio album by American singer Amerie, released on April 26, 2005, by Richcraft Records, Sony Urban Music, and Columbia Records. Following the release of her debut album, All I Have (2002), and her first acting role, Amerie began work on her second studio album. As with All I Have, the album was co-written and produced by mentor Rich Harrison, with contributions from additional productions. Unlike her debut, Amerie co-wrote every track but one, and assumed more creative control over the visual imagery accompanying the album, such as music videos and artwork.
Richard Christopher Harrison is an American record producer and songwriter from Washington, D.C., specializing in R&B and hip hop music.
All I Have is the debut studio album by American R&B recording artist Amerie. It was released on July 30, 2002, through Columbia Records, Rise Entertainment and Richcraft Records. Entirely produced by Rich Harrison, the album debuted and peaked at number nine on the US Billboard 200 chart in August 2002, remaining in the top twenty for two weeks only and dropping off the top hundred in its fourteenth week. It also received generally mixed reviews from the music critics. Nevertheless, the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling over 500,000 copies on October 3, 2003, and won Amerie a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist in 2003. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the album has sold over 661,000 copies in the United States as of July 2009. All I Have produced two singles: "Why Don't We Fall in Love" and a minor hit "Talkin' to Me".
"1 Thing" is a song by American singer Amerie from her second studio album, Touch (2005). Written by Amerie and Rich Harrison and produced by the latter, the song is influenced by go-go rhythms and features a prominent sample of the Meters' 1970 funk recording of "Oh, Calcutta!", written by Stanley Walden. Its lyrics focus on an unidentified "thing" that fuels a romantic attraction.
Libra is the sixth studio album by American singer Toni Braxton, released on September 27, 2005, by Blackground Records. It marked Braxton's debut on the label, following her split with longtime record company Arista Records in 2003 after the release of her album More Than a Woman (2002), which was commercially less successful than its predecessors. The album's title is a reference to Braxton's astrological sign, Libra.
"Take This Ring" is a song by American singer Toni Braxton. It was written and produced by Rich Harrison for her fifth studio album, Libra (2005). A subdued go go track, it features an uncredited sample from the song "Here Comes the Meter Man" (1969) by The Meters. Lyrically, it has Braxton singing about her plans to be free from a night of matrimonial responsibilities. "Take This Ring was released as the album's third and final stateside single but failed to enter the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, though it peaked at number 12 on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
Because I Love It is the third studio album by American singer Amerie. It was released on May 11, 2007, by Columbia Records. In the United States, the album was released exclusively through retailers such as Walmart and FYE, before its physical release was officially made available on September 30, 2008, by which point all future singles and promotion had been scrapped due to Amerie's departure from Columbia Records. As a result, the album failed to chart on the Billboard 200, becoming Amerie's first studio album to do so. Nevertheless, the album was a moderate success in Europe and Japan, and has been certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
Diana Gordon, previously known by her stage name Wynter Gordon, is an American singer and songwriter. She began her career writing music for other artists, later signing with Atlantic Records where she started to work on her own album. Her debut album With the Music I Die was released in 2011, with its lead single "Dirty Talk" receiving triple platinum and gold certifications in Australia and the United Kingdom. She began going by her birth name in 2016, and released the extended plays Pure (2018) and Wasted Youth (2020)
Human is the fifth studio album by American singer Brandy. It was released on December 5, 2008 by Epic Records, Knockout Entertainment and Koch Records. The album was Norwood's debut Epic Records release, following her split with Atlantic Records in 2005, and her reunion with longtime collaborator and mentor Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, who executively produced and wrote most of the album with his songwriting collective.
Sugar & Spice is the fifth studio album by American singer Mýa. It was released by Manhattan Recordings exclusively in Japan on December 3, 2008. The album was produced through Mýa's own independent label imprint Planet 9 following her departure from Universal Motown amid the leakage of her previous album Liberation on the Japanese music market. Rather than spending time in court suing Motown/Universal, she opted out of her contract. Mýa was then approached to record more albums exclusively for the Japanese market because of the reaction there to Liberation.
RichGirl was an American R&B vocal girl group consisting of four members: Audra Simmons, Christina "Brave" Williams, Kristal Lyndriette Smith and Amber Streeter. The group's name refers to "a certain attitude and confidence, combined with individuality and talent that any girl might possess", rather than material items. The group was formed with the help of record producer Rich Harrison, his respective record label Richcraft Entertainment, and was managed by Tina Davis. The group drew inspiration from groups such as Destiny's Child, Spice Girls, SWV, En Vogue, TLC, and artists such as Beyoncé, Toni Braxton, Madonna, Stevie Wonder, Angie Stone, and Michael Jackson.
In Love & War is the fourth studio album by American singer Amerie, released November 3, 2009 on Def Jam Recordings. Recording sessions for the album took place between 2008 and 2009 at Record Plant Studios in Hollywood, California and at other recording studios in Miami, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia. The album serves as Amerie's first release after leaving Columbia Records and forming her own label, Feenix Rising, which released the album under exclusive license and distribution through the Island Def Jam Music Group.
"He Ain't wit Me Now (Tho)" is a song by R&B girl group RichGirl. The song serves as the group's debut single from the quartet's self-titled debut album, RichGirl, which was later shelved following the group's disbandment. The single was produced and written by Rich Harrison, who has additionally worked with Beyoncé on her chart-topping 2003 hit "Crazy in Love" and Amerie on "1 Thing". The song was digitally released on June 2, 2009 on iTunes, and released onto "Rhythmic and Urban" radio the following July.
Shannon Curtis is an American dreampop singer, songwriter, pianist, and author.
The television show Instant Star has produced a series of soundtracks featuring songs from the show, mostly performed by Alexz Johnson, released between 2005 and 2009.
The Jet Age of Tomorrow is an American production duo from Atlanta, Georgia and a sub-group of hip hop collective Odd Future that consists of producer-singer Matt Martians, and producer-rapper Pyramid Vritra. According to Martians, the group's music originated from instrumentals turned down by Tyler, the Creator and Hodgy, who liked the tracks Martians sent them, but could not use them in their own music. Outside of their work with the Jet Age, Martians is a member of The Internet with Odd Future member Syd, while Vritra is a member of his own Atlanta hip hop collective, NRK.
Kelsey Regina Byrne, known professionally as Vérité, is an American singer and songwriter based in Brooklyn, New York City. Her first single "Strange Enough" was self-released in July 2014, reaching number one on Hype Machine and becoming the #1 Most Viral Twitter Artist the week of release. Described variously as indie pop, electropop or alternative pop, Liza Darwin of Noisey wrote that her 2014 Echo EP is "packed with crisp, delicate vocals, soaring melodies, and glistening production." Her second EP, Sentiment, was self-released on June 8, 2015. The EP was praised by Time, who called her vocals "rich and ethereal". She has toured internationally and performed at events such as Neon Gold Popshop, South by Southwest, The Knitting Factory, Brooklyn Bowl, the Firefly Festival and Lollapalooza.
Smoove Jones is the seventh studio album by American singer Mýa. It was released exclusively through Apple Music and iTunes on February 14, 2016 by Planet 9, Harrison's label, while physical copies were made available for purchase through the singer's official website. The project commemorates the release of the singer's debut single "It's All About Me" and eighteenth anniversary in the entertainment industry. Musically, Smoove Jones incorporated R&B/soul/hip-hop with old school elements from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Dubbed a concept album, the project exhibited Harrison portraying seductive radio hostess Smoove Jones, an after hours radio show she created specifically for her "grown and sexy" fans. Critically, Smoove Jones received favorable reception from music critics. It debuted at number thirty on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart, marking her highest entry since 2003's Moodring. Subsequently, Smoove Jones received a nomination for Best R&B Album at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards, which were held on February 12, 2017.
Isabelle Rezazadeh, known by her stage name Rezz, is a Canadian DJ and record producer from Niagara Falls, Ontario. She released her debut EP, Insurrection in 2015 through OWSLA's sub-label Nest HQ. In 2016, she signed with record label mau5trap, and released follow-ups The Silence is Deafening and Something Wrong Here. On August 4, 2017, Rezazadeh released her debut studio album, Mass Manipulation, with its follow up, Certain Kind of Magic, released in 2018.
