Omari Ishmael Grandberry (born November 12, 1984), better known by his stage name Omarion, is an American R&B singer, dancer and actor. He rose to prominence as lead vocalist of the boy band B2K, which was formed in 1998 and managed by record executive Chris Stokes. The group achieved success in the early 2000s with their singles "Gots ta Be", "Uh Huh", "Girlfriend", and the Billboard Hot 100-number one hit "Bump, Bump, Bump" (featuring P. Diddy).
After the group's 2004 disbandment, Omarion promptly embarked on a solo career. He signed with Epic Records to release his first two studio albums, O (2005) and 21 (2006), both of which debuted atop the Billboard 200. The former was led by the Billboard Hot 100-top 40 single "O" and was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, while the latter spawned the single "Ice Box", which remains his highest-charting song on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 12. Omarion guest appeared on Bow Wow's 2005 single "Let Me Hold You", which peaked at number four on the chart; the artists released the collaborative album, Face Off (2007), followed by Omarion's third studio album, Ollusion (2010), both of which received moderate commercial response.[3] He signed with Rick Ross' record label Maybach Music Group to release his fourth album, Sex Playlist (2014). It was preceded by the single "Post to Be" (featuring Chris Brown and Jhené Aiko), which peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received sextuple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Omarion was born Omari Ishmael Grandberry on November 12, 1984, in Inglewood, California to Leslie Burrell and Trent Grandberry. His younger brother, O'Ryan, is also a singer.[4] He appeared in commercials for both Kellogg's Corn Pops and McDonald's. He started his dancing career as a background dancer for the R&B girl group Before Dark and appeared in their music videos. Omarion soon began pursuing a career in music, and would go on to become the lead singer of the boy band B2K.
Omari joined the group B2K in 1999 and took the stage name Omarion. The group named themselves B2K, an acronym for "Boys of The New Millennium". They began touring with Lil Bow Wow and eventually released their debut single, "Uh Huh", in 2001. They soon after released their debut album, the self-titled B2K, on March 12, 2002. The album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart. They followed the album up in December with their second album, Pandemonium!, supported by their most successful single, "Bump, Bump, Bump" featuring P. Diddy. The single peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. This would prove to be the group's last album, as they would disband in early 2004.
2004–2008: O, 21, and Face Off
In early 2004, Omarion appeared in several films, most notably You Got Served, in which he starred alongside Marques Houston, as well as his former B2K bandmates.[5] The movie centered on a group of friends in a hip hop dance crew who take part in underground dance competitions. That same year, he played the role of the school bully "Reggie" in the comedy Fat Albert, based on the animated series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.[6] On February 22, 2005, Omarion released his debut solo album, O. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. The first single from the album was "O". The single peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The second single, "Touch", peaked at No. 94 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album received a third and final release with "I'm Tryna". O has sold over 758,000 copies in the United States since its release. Omarion received a Grammy nomination for the album at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary R&B Album. On December 26, 2006, Omarion released his second album, 21. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. The first single from the album was "Entourage". The second single, "Ice Box", produced by Timbaland, peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is Omarion's most successful solo single to date,[7] reaching gold certification by the RIAA.[8]21 has sold over 390,000 copies in the United States since its release.
Towards the end of 2007, he displayed his acting skills in the thriller Somebody Help Me. This movie was released exclusively on DVD and aired on BET in celebration of Halloween.[9] Omarion has also made several appearances in a number of TV shows, including One on One. Omarion also played the voice of Fifteen Cent in The Proud Family Movie.[10] His portrayal of a rapper who gets involved with thugs in the movie Feel the Noise, which he co-produced, received mixed reviews from critics.[11][12][13] In late 2007, Omarion and Bow Wow recorded a collaboration album titled Face Off. The album sold over 100,000 copies in its first week and went on to sell over 500,000 copies, reaching gold certification by the RIAA.[14] The first single from the album was "Girlfriend", followed up by "Hey Baby" as the second single.
2009–2010: EMI and Ollusion
On March 30, 2009, Lil Wayne confirmed that Omarion was affiliated (though not officially signed) with Young Money Entertainment. Four months later, he parted ways with the label; both Lil Wayne and Omarion confirmed that his departure had been for business reasons.[15][16][17] Omarion then signed with EMI and created his own label, StarrWorld Entertainment.[18][19] He later re-released the single "I Get It In" with Lil Wayne replaced by Gucci Mane. In January 2010, Omarion released his second single, "Speedin'". That same month, he released his third studio album, Ollusion, which sold 19,400 copies in its first week.[20] Omarion also became a judge on the fifth season of America's Best Dance Crew, replacing former judge Shane Sparks. He left after Season 5 to focus on his music career.
2011–2017: Sex Playlist
In early 2011, Omarion worked on his first mixtape presented by DJ Drama, titled The Awakening. Originally set to be released on April 27, 2011, the mixtape was instead released on May 11, 2011. In November 2011, Omarion was seen on set with Japanese star Koda Kumi. On December 6, 2011, it was revealed that he collaborated with the star on the song "Slow" for her 2012 album Japonesque and appeared in the music video. On May 2, 2012, Omarion signed with Rick Ross label Maybach Music Group and Warner Bros. Records. He then appeared on Self Made Vol. 2, which made the Top 10 on the Billboard 200. Also in 2012, Omarion signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation Management.[21] On November 29, 2012, he released his debut EP, Care Package. September 2013 saw the release of Self Made Vol. 3 featuring Omarion, which also reached the Top 10 on Billboard 200 at number 4. Care Package 2, his second EP, was released on November 5, 2013.
On February 14, 2014, he released "You Like It", the first single in promotion of his fourth studio album, Sex Playlist. On August 18, Omarion was cast to be a part of Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood along with his mother, and girlfriend Apryl Jones while awaiting the arrival of their first child. In November 2014, he released a second single, "Post to Be", featuring Chris Brown and Jhené Aiko.[22]Sex Playlist was released on December 2, 2014. "Post to Be" gained substantial commercial success, reaching No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.[23] The song peaked in the top ten on the Urban Radio chart, the Rhythmic chart, and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, reaching gold status by the RIAA in May 2015.[24] The song also won him a Soul Train Music Award for Best Collaboration.[25]
In June 2015, Omarion stated in an interview that he wanted to open his own dance studio by the end of the year.[26] He released his third EP, Care Package 3 on November 12, 2015. November 2017 was met with the release of the fourth EP, Care Package 4. Omarion released the song "Distance" in 2017, for which he filmed a music video in South Africa.
2018–2023: The Millennium Tour and The Kinection
Omarion in 2018
In 2018, he was featured on the track "Tell Me" from Anatii's album Artiifact. That same year, he also appeared in the "Get It Now" remix music video by Tiwa Savage as a featured artist.
In 2019, B2K briefly reformed to go on The Millennium Tour; joined by supporting acts Mario, Ying Yang Twins, Chingy, Pretty Ricky, Bobby V and Lloyd. The tour kicked off on March 8 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and wrapped up on April 28 in Louisville, Kentucky. It was later announced that Omarion would be continuing The Millennium Tour without his bandmates and with Bow Wow and other acts added to the lineup for 2020 dates.[27] The group was nominated for Top R&B Tour at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards.
In 2020, Omarion released the single "Can You Hear Me?" featuring a guest verse from T-Pain. The single was announced as the lead song from Omarion's fifth album, The Kinection. On October 29, Omarion presents Thriller Night premiered on YouTube in celebration of the album release. The event included Prince Jackson live from Michael Jackson's Hayvenhurst Estate.[28] Omarion released The Kinection on October 30, 2020.
In 2021, Omarion competed in season five of The Masked Singer as the wild card contestant "Yeti". Certain performances have the Yeti's feet swapped out with different footwear. He finished in fourth place.
Omarion headlined The Millennium Tour in the fall of 2021 and concurrently released a single with Soulja Boy and Bow Wow titled "EX" from his forthcoming album Sex Playlist 2, which he announced through Songtrust.[30] He was nominated for Top R&B Tour and Top Rap Tour at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards, winning the latter award alongside Bow Wow.[31] On June 23, 2022, he did a Verzuz on season 2 with Mario.[32] He soon after announced his new book, Unbothered: The Power Of Choosing Joy, his second book after 2005's O, which was published by MTV.[33] He also announced a new 5-part docuseries called, Omega: The Gift and the Curse, set for pay-per-view release on July 21, 2022 via the website Omarion Worldwide.[34][35] In March 2023, the documentary was aired in a five part event on both We TV and Allblk after 2020's partnership with Zeus Network to premiere the film fell through due to the company allegedly withholding unaired footage.[36][37]
2023–present: Full Circle Book 1 & 2
In April 2023, Omarion released the single "Serious" from his album Full Circle: Sonic Book 1. A video for the song, dedicated to men who had been wrongfully incarcerated, premiered on October 20. “Serious” gained popularity on social media, reaching the number one spot on iTunes’ R&B/Soul Singles and Amazon’s R&B Best Sellers charts.[38] Omarion’s follow-up single, “Taking Off”, featuring singer BJRNCK, from his album Full Circle: Sonic Book 2, reached No. 28 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart dated March 30, becoming his second song in four months to debut on the chart, following "Serious" which debuted during the week of Nov. 11, 2023, and peaked at No. 18 in January.[39]
In February 2024, Omarion announced his Vbz on Vbz Tour, which was set to kick off April 5, but the tour was later canceled.[40][41]
Shad Gregory Moss, better known by his stage name Bow Wow, is an American rapper and actor. His career began upon being discovered by rapper Snoop Dogg in 1993 at the age of six; five years later, he signed with record producer Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings, an imprint of Columbia Records. As Lil' Bow Wow, he released his debut studio album, Beware of Dog (2000) at age 13, and his second album, Doggy Bag (2001) the following year. Both met with critical and commercial success, the albums peaked at numbers ten and 11 on the Billboard 200, respectively.
B2K was an American boy band that was active from 1998 to 2004, and again from 2018 to 2019. In 1998, the group was formed by American dance choreographer Dave Scott and Interscope A&R Keshia Gamble. The members consisted of Lil' Fizz, J-Boog, Raz-B, and Omarion. The group released their self-titled debut album on March 12, 2002. The album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and number one on the U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
De'Mario Monte Thornton, known as Raz-B, is an American singer and actor, He is a founding member of R&B boy band B2K.
Pretty Ricky is an American R&B/hip hop group originating from Miami, Florida. The group originally consisted of brothers Diamond Smith and Spectacular Smith, plus Corey Mathis and Marcus Cooper. Pleasure P was the group's main singer, while the other three members performed as rappers. After he departed in 2007 to embark on a solo career, the group shuffled through several replacement vocalists.
"Let Me Hold You" is a song by American rapper Bow Wow. It was the first single off his fourth album, Wanted (2005). Released on March 11, 2005, the song features American R&B singer Omarion. It was co-written and co-produced by frequent producer Jermaine Dupri and No I.D. and uses a sample of Luther Vandross' 1985 version of Brenda Russell's "If Only for One Night".
Mario is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Mario. It was released on July 23, 2002, by J Records. The album debuted at number 9 on the US Billboard 200, with first week sales of 96,000 copies and was eventually certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States. Mario was supported by three singles, including "Just a Friend 2002", "Braid My Hair" and "C'Mon".
"Fresh Azimiz" is a single featured on rapper Bow Wow's 2005 album Wanted. It is the third song after his singles "Let Me Hold You" with singer Omarion and "Like You" with Ciara. It features J-Kwon & Jermaine Dupri. The song was produced by Jermaine Dupri. The song became his third Top 40 single from his 2005 album Wanted, peaking at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Sammie Lee Bush, Jr., known by the mononym Sammie, is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known for his 1999 hit single, "I Like It", from his debut album, From the Bottom to the Top (2000). He returned with his second studio and self-titled album, Sammie in 2006. Since then, he has released several EPs, mixtapes, and albums including Indigo, Coming of Age, and Everlasting. Sammie announced via Instagram that he would be releasing a new album in 2020 after the completion of the Millennium Tour 2020.
"O" is a song by American singer Omarion. It was released on August 17, 2004, as the lead single from his debut album of the same name. "O" was the first choice for Omarion's debut single in the UK and was picked over "Touch", which was the original choice for his first UK single. The song was Omarion's first hit as a solo artist, peaking at number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also reached numbers 12 and 24 on both the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Mainstream Top 40 charts respectively. The song also charted in New Zealand and the UK, peaking at numbers 18 and 47 respectively.
American rapper Bow Wow has released six studio albums, twenty-six singles, fifty-one music videos, and eight mixtapes.
American singer Omarion has released five studio albums, three collaborative albums, two extended plays (EPs), one mixtape and thirty singles.
Face Off is a collaborative album by American rapper Bow Wow and American singer Omarion. The album was released on December 11, 2007 through Columbia Records. The production on the album was handled by Jermaine Dupri, Jim Jonsin, Stereotypes, T-Pain, No I.D. and Lil Ronnie among others.
"Girlfriend" is the first single from the collaborative album Face Off by rapper Bow Wow and R&B singer Omarion. The music video for "Girlfriend" starts off with a song titled "Can't Get Tired" playing in the background before "Girlfriend" begins. "Can't Get Tired" is also from their album Face Off.
"Let's Get Down" is a song by American rapper Bow Wow, released on June 24, 2003 as the first single off his third album Unleashed (2003). The song was written by Shad Moss, Phalon Alexander, Rahman Griffin and a then-unknown T.I. It was produced by Jazze Pha and features rapper Birdman under his former alias "Baby". It's the first song to be released by Bow Wow without the "Lil'" moniker in his name after making his film debut in 2002's Like Mike and releasing his cover of "Basketball" for the film's soundtrack. Bow Wow said that following the name change, he wanted to do the same with his music by contributing more into the songwriting process of the album and release a single that matched his new image.
TG4 was an American R&B female quartet. The group consisted of four members Keisha Henry, Davida Williams, Sevyn Streeter, and Ashley Gallo.
"Girlfriend" is the second single by American boy band B2K from their second studio album, Pandemonium! (2002). It was written and produced by R. Kelly. The song was included on the special edition of the album, which was released in March 2003. The single peaked at number 30 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 19 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It's also B2K's final top-40 hit.
"What a Girl Wants" is the fourth single by Boy band B2K from their studio album Pandemonium!. It was written and produced by R. Kelly. The song was included on the special edition of the album, which was released in March 2003. The single was released in May 2003 and peaked at number 47 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Ollusion is the third studio album by American R&B singer Omarion. It was released on January 12, 2010, by EMI, StarrWorld Entertainment, and MusicWorks. The album sold 21,200 copies its first week of sales.
Sex Playlist is the fourth studio album by American singer Omarion. The album was released on December 2, 2014 under Maybach Music Group and Atlantic Records. The album serves as the follow-up to his third album, Ollusion (2010).
The Millennium Tour is a concert tour predominantly headlined by Omarion. When 2019 dates were announced they were promoted as B2K being the main headliner with Mario, Pretty Ricky, Lloyd, Bobby V, Ying Yang Twins and Chingy as an opening acts for different dates. The tour became one of the year’s most successful new concert experiences grossing over $28 million.
References
↑ "Omarion". Hotnewhiphop.com. November 8, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
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