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Rufus Blaq (born Rufus Tadaryl Moore; 1972) is an American rap artist, singer, songwriter and record producer. He has songwriting credits on records for Faith Evans, Angie Stone, Omarion, Queen Latifah, Marques Houston, and Salt-N-Pepa. He is most known for his single "Out of Sight (Yo)." He is also credited as Rufus Moore, Peekaboo, Mr. Blaq, Daddy Blaq, Electric Pretty, and Blaq The Ripper.
Rufus Blaq (nee Rufus Moore) was born in Youngstown, Ohio, [1] on August 26, 1972.
At the age of 17, Rufus moved from Youngstown to Atlanta. He became a resident act at the nightclub The Phoenix. Producer Dallas Austin introduced him to Erick Sermon.
In 1993, Blaq started writing for rap groups Kronic (signed to RCA Records and Lil Zane was a member) and hip-hop group Another Bad Creation. While writing for Cartoon Kaperz, Rufus was introduced to Chad Elliott. [2] Blaq worked with Elliot on Bobby Brown’s artist, Stylez.
During this time, Rufus Moore transitioned his name to Rufus Blaq. "Blaq" was to pay homage to his people and the "Q" represents quality.
Blaq has worked with a number of artists including Olivia, Angie Stone, Faith Evans, Destiny's Child, Bow Wow, Omarion, Marques Houston, Young Rome, Salt-n-Pepa, Queen Latifah, Tichina Arnold, and B2K.
In 1997, Rufus had success with Salt-n-Pepa's single "Gitty Up" [3] & "R U Ready" [4] as a songwriter and featured artist. "Gitty Up" peaked at 31 on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart. [5] Rufus achieved his first Top 3 Billboard Hot 100 single in 1999 with Destiny Child's "Jumpin Jumpin". He co-wrote the hit song with Chad Elliott and Beyonce. [6]
Rufus worked with Chad Elliott, along with Al West, to help him produce Rufus' single "Out of Sight (Yo)" [7] also known as "Outta Sight", and was featured on the Motion Picture soundtrack Ride [8] in 1998. It peaked at 18 on Billboard's Hot 100. [9] At the time Rufus was signed to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis’ label, Perspective/A&M Records [10] and soon after he released his 1st debut album "Credentials". [11] Rufus was a regular performer at club promoter Mark Fleischman's Los Angeles club, Century Club. [12]
In 1998, Rufus's song "Dance For Me" was featured on the motion picture soundtrack How Stella Got Her Groove Back . [13] The Album peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200 Chart. [14]
In 2003, Blaq worked with engineer Chris "Tek" O'Ryan, on the You Got Served soundtrack. [15] Blaq released a mixtape “Electric Pretty”, which was mixed and mastered by Tek's label, Tezenmusic. His follow-up mixtape “Blaq The Ripper” [16] was released in 2015, featuring producers Easy Mo Bee, Andreao “Fanatik” Heard, Michael Angelo, Chad Elliott, Al West, as well as many featured artists including, Mc Lyte, Talib Kweli, Omarion, Young Rome. This mixtape was also mixed and mastered by Chris "Tek" O'Ryan on his label Tezenmusic.
Additionally, Blaq co-wrote and did vocals on the record "Ten Wife Commandments" [17] on Faith Evans' album featuring the Notorious B.I.G. called “The King and I". [18] Faith Evans was also a featured artist on Blaq's single "Show Me." [19]
Blaq has production, writing and artist credits on Angela Bassett's Lifetime Channel bio-pic Whitney, [20] and the motion picture and soundtrack of Total Frat Movie, [21] which he worked on with Myke Groov. Blaq and Groov are co-owners of the production company called Project MojoBotz. In 2020, they released the track 'Medication'. [22]
Blaq's music has also been featured on World of Dance U-Jam, the first format under the World of Dance Fitness umbrella, merging choreography of World of Dance and dance fitness. Blaq's music has been in rotation with DJ Makaio during World of Dance UnityFest 2020. [23]
The soundtrack to the motion picture "A Familiar Lie" featuring producer/actor Omar Gooding features Rufus' song “God's Grace”.[ citation needed ]
Rufus' next project is Salt-n-Pepa and new single “Flame On” Feat Mad Lion & KRS 1.[ citation needed ]
Rufus also gives back to his hometown of Youngstown, OH, by providing guidance in entertainment and music to its citizens, co-hosting a variety show [24] and mentoring aspiring hip-hop stars, like YO5. [25]
Moore has two children.
Omari Ishmael Grandberry, better known by his stage name Omarion, is an American R&B singer and actor. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the boy band B2K. The group achieved success in the early 2000s with their singles "Gots ta Be", "Uh Huh", "Girlfriend", and the number-one hit "Bump, Bump, Bump".
Salt-N-Pepa is an American hip hop group formed in New York City in 1985, that comprised Salt, Pepa, and DJ Spinderella. Their debut album, Hot, Cool & Vicious (1986), sold more than 1 million copies in the US, making them the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album included the single, "Push It", which was released in 1987 as the B-side to their single "Tramp", and peaked within the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Kid 'n Play is an American hip-hop duo from New York City who were most popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The duo is composed of Christopher Reid ("Kid") and Christopher Martin ("Play") working alongside their DJ, Mark "DJ Wiz" Eastmond. Besides their musical careers, they also branched out into acting.
"Back in the Day" is a 2003 hip-hop song by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, featuring guest vocals from Jay-Z and Elliott protégé Tweet. The song appears on her 2002 album Under Construction and was at one time planned for release as a single. It peaked at #86 on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart in 2003 before being scrapped as a single.
"Push It" is a song by American hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa. It was first released as the B-side of the "Tramp" single in 1987. Then released by Next Plateau and London Records, it peaked at number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1988 and, after initially peaking at number 41 in the UK, it re-entered the charts after the group performed the track at Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday concert, eventually peaking at number two in the UK in July 1988. The song has also been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The song is ranked number 446 on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" and was ranked number nine on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop".
"Let's Talk About Sex" is a song by American hip hop trio Salt-N-Pepa, released in August 1991 by Next Plateau as the fourth single from their third studio album, Blacks' Magic (1990). It was written and co-produced by Hurby Azor, and achieved great success in many countries, including Australia, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland and Zimbabwe where it was a number-one hit. Its music video was directed by Millicent Shelton. In 1992, "Let's Talk About Sex" earned a nomination in the category for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the Grammy Award.
"Touch" is a song by American R&B singer Omarion. It was released on February 11, 2005, as the second single off his 2005 debut album O. The song was written by Pharrell Williams and includes his background vocals on the song's bridge. The song was produced by The Neptunes. "Touch" was originally planned to be the first single from O in the UK. However, it was eventually decided that as in the US, "O" would be the first single from the album there as well. It was a minor hit in the US, peaking at only number 94 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 35 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
"What a Man" is a song written by Dave Crawford, and originally recorded for Stax Records' Volt imprint by Linda Lyndell, whose recording reached number 50 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1968. The song was sampled and reinterpreted as "Whatta Man" in 1993 by the trio Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue, which became a commercial success; reaching the top ten in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 2011, German singer Lena Meyer-Landrut covered the song while retaining the original title and lyrics.
Food for Thought is the only studio album by American rapper and singer Jerome Jones of the group Immature/IMx. The album was released in the U.S. on June 22, 2004. Two singles were released from the album: "After Party" and "Freaky". The album features guest appearances by Omarion, YoungBloodZ, and fellow Immature/IMx member Marques Houston, among others.
This is the discography of Salt-n-Pepa, an American hip hop trio.
Brand New is the fifth studio album by American hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa, released on October 21, 1997, by London Records. The group's international label at the time, Red Ant Entertainment, filed for bankruptcy before the album was officially released. Salt-N-Pepa toured in support of the album, but the album had little other promotion. Brand New spawned two singles: "R U Ready" and "Gitty Up". The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on November 25, 1997.
You Got Served: Music from the Motion Picture is the soundtrack to the 2004 film, You Got Served. It was released on December 23, 2003 through Epic Records and mostly consisted of songs performed by B2K, but various other artists also appeared on the soundtrack. The soundtrack peaked at No. 34 on the Billboard 200, No. 7 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and No. 2 on the Top Soundtracks chart. The single "Badaboom" performed by B2K and Fabolous reached No. 59 on the Billboard Hot 100. This is the last album B2K made together before their break up in 2004 and before coming back in 2018.
Funhouse is the second and penultimate album by American hip hop duo Kid 'n Play. It was released on March 13, 1990, through Select Records. Recording sessions took place at Bayside Sound Recording Studio and at Soundcheck Studio in New York. Production was handled by Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor and the Invincibles. It features the lone guest appearance from Salt-N-Pepa.
Stephen Dent is an American audio engineer and managing director at Daddy's House Recording Studio in New York. He is a Grammy award nominee (1999) and worked on the platinum album Bad Boys II.
Wild Wild West is an album of music inspired by the 1999 film Wild Wild West. It was released June 15, 1999, through Interscope Records and consisted mostly of hip hop and R&B songs which were not in the film, with the exception of one by Will Smith and another by Enrique Iglesias played over the end credits. Other artists featured on the album include BLACKstreet, Faith Evans, Dr. Dre, Common, MC Lyte, Tatyana Ali, Slick Rick, Jermaine Dupri and Eminem. The soundtrack was a commercial success,, peaking at number four on the US Billboard 200 and on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and features the hit single "Wild Wild West" which went to number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified double platinum a week after its release, June 21, 1999. The album is also the debut of famous artists Lil' Bow Wow, Jill Scott and Kel Spencer.
How Stella Got Her Groove Back is the soundtrack to the 1998 film, How Stella Got Her Groove Back. It was released on August 11, 1998, through Flyte Tyme Records and consisted mainly of R&B music. The album was entirely produced by the production duo, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis with additional help from Wyclef Jean & Jerry Duplessis as well as Salaam Remi. The soundtrack peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200 albums chart and number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and was certified gold on September 22, 1998, by the RIAA. Two singles were released from the album, "Luv Me, Luv Me" and "Beautiful".
Self Made Vol. 2 is the second compilation album by MMG. The album was released on June 26, 2012, by Maybach Music Group and Warner Bros. Records. Like the previous album, Self Made Vol. 2 features contributions from members signed to the MMG label including Rick Ross, Wale, Meek Mill, Stalley, French Montana and Omarion along with Gunplay of Triple C's.
The Best of Salt 'n Pepa is a greatest hits album by American hip hop trio Salt-N-Pepa. It was released in November 1999. The album featured tracks from their five studio albums, Hot, Cool & Vicious, A Salt with a Deadly Pepa, Blacks' Magic, Very Necessary and Brand New. A remixed version of their 1998 song "Gitty Up" was released as a single titled "The Brick Track Versus Gitty Up", which charted in the top 20 in Australia and New Zealand in 2000.
Rufus Blaq is an American hip-hop artist who rose to fame with his single "Out of Sight (Yo)" which was featured on the Ride soundtrack. Additionally, he is best known for creating songs with Salt-N-Pepa, Faith Evans, Destiny's Child, Marques Houston, Young Rome, Angie Stone and Omarion.
Chad Elliott, also known as Dr. Ceuss and Big Chad, is an American songwriter, producer, audio engineer, a&r and multi-instrumentalist, best known for co-writing and co-producing Destiny's Child hit single "Jumpin', Jumpin'", "Gitty Up" for Salt-N-Pepa, "15 Minutes" for Marc Nelson, as well as "Steelo", the debut single from 1990s girl group 702, among others.