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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Charlene Keys |
| Born | January 21, 1971 [1] Rochester, New York, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1992–present |
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Charlene Keys (born January 21, 1971), better known by the stage name Tweet, is an American singer-songwriter. [2]
In the early nineties, Tweet joined the female trio Sugah, leaving her daughter with her parents in Panama City, Florida. Sugah was composed of Tweet, Susan Weems, and Rolita White, and was a part of Devante Swing's Swing Mob collective. While there, she met Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, with whom she formed a close friendship. Around 1999, Tweet returned to her parents' home in Panama City.
In 2001, Tweet was featured on Missy Elliott's platinum-selling third album, Miss E... So Addictive , with her featuring on one track and providing background vocals to another four. She also contributed background vocals to Ja Rule's Pain Is Love , Bubba Sparxxx's Dark Days, Bright Nights , Timbaland and Magoo's Indecent Proposal , and Petey Pablo's Diary of a Sinner: 1st Entry .
In March 2002, Tweet released her debut solo single, "Oops (Oh My)". The song was produced by Timbaland and features guest vocals by Missy Elliott. The single hit number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.
In April 2002, Tweet released her debut album Southern Hummingbird . The album featured production by Craig Brockman, Nisan Stewart, guitarist John "Jubu" Smith, Timbaland, and Tweet herself. [3] The album includes features from Elliott, Bilal, and Ms. Jade. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 chart. The album spawned two follow-up singles: the Timbaland-produced "Call Me" and "Smoking Cigarettes".
In 2002, Tweet appeared as a guest vocalist on Trina's second single "No Panties" her album Diamond Princess . Tweet also appeared as a background vocalist on Meshell Ndegeocello's Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape, Karen Clark Sheard's 2nd Chance, Ms. Jade's Girl Interrupted, Whitney Houston's Just Whitney... and Elliott's Under Construction. For the latter, Tweet appeared on four of the tracks and made cameo performances in two videos released from the album, "Work It" and "Gossip Folks". Among others, Tweet appeared in the music video for Aaliyah's posthumous hit single, "Miss You".
Tweet was nominated for a Soul Train Lady of Soul Award for Best New Artist but lost to Ashanti. That year Tweet was awarded the Key to the City for Rochester, New York.
In 2003, Tweet appeared as a background vocalist on the following releases: Madonna's American Life The Remixes Single, Monica's After the Storm , Mark Ronson's Here Comes the Fuzz , and Angie Stone's Stone Love on the 2004 Grammy Award-nominated song "U-Haul".
In 2003, Tweet had a cameo appearance in the film Honey and contributed the song "Thugman" for its soundtrack.
During 2003 and 2004, Tweet began recording songs for her follow-up to Southern Hummingbird. The album was supposed to be released in early 2004, but was pushed back when Tweet moved from Elektra Entertainment Group to Atlantic Records in 2004. In late 2004, Tweet released the single "Turn da Lights Off. The song was produced by Missy Elliott and Kwamé, featured vocals from Elliott and contained a sample of Marvin Gaye's "If This World Were Mine" and Nat King Cole's "Lost April". To promote the single, Tweet joined Cee-Lo Green and Teedra Moses on the 2004 Seagram's Gin Live Tour. The same year, Tweet appeared in Elliott's music video "I'm Really Hot". Tweet also appeared on the posthumous unreleased Elliott-produced Aaliyah track "Where Could He Be".
On March 22, 2005, Tweet released her second album It's Me Again . The album featured production from Missy Elliott on several of the tracks. The album featured vocals from Tweet's 15-year-old daughter, Tashawna, on "Two of Us", [4] Rell and Missy Elliott were also featured. "When I Need a Man" (theme song from the USA Network Original Series, Kojak) was included as a hidden track. The album peaked at #17 on the Billboard album charts and then quickly fell off the charts. Tweet then broke away from her manager, Mona Scott, and Violator Management, and signed with Mathew Knowles of Music World.
Tweet appeared on Elliott's sixth album release, The Cookbook, contributing vocals to three tracks, including the single "Teary Eyed".
In 2007, Tweet performed with Timbaland, Eve, Keyshia Cole, Nelly Furtado, Fat Man Scoop and Ciara at the 4th annual VH1 Hip Hop Honors, honoring the work of Missy Elliott which aired on October 8. [5] The same year, she departed from Missy Elliott's Goldmind Inc. camp and signed to Jheryl Busby and Mike City's record label, Umbrella Recordings. [6] There, she began recording material for her third album along with producers Nisan Stewart, Warryn Campbell and Novel. [6] Initially titled Love, Tweet, the album was preceded by the buzz single "Good Bye My Dear", a collaboration with rapper T.I., and expected to be released on April 8, 2008. [7] The release of lead single "Anymore" failed to materialize however. [6] On April 26 and 27, 2008, Tweet along with Bilal, Dwele and German singer Joy Denalane performed with The Dresden Soul Symphony in Dresden, Germany. The quartet reinterpreted soul hits and combined them with classical music. An album The Dresden Soul Symphony and DVD were later released on October 24, 2008.
In 2010, Tweet split from Umbrella due to a lack of promotion and ongoing delays. [8] In late 2011, Tweet signed to MC Lyte's record label DuBose Music Group. [9] In June 2012, she began posting previously unreleased material from the It's Me Again and Love, Tweet recording sessions on her new website as a part of her weekly SoundCloud-hosted special, Tweet Tuesdays. [10] In February 2013, DuBose released her Simply Tweet EP. [11] Recorded live with a full band, the five-track set was preceded by the single "Enough". The digital extended play reached the top thirty on both the US Billboard Independent Albums and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
In July 2015, Tweet confirmed that she had signed with the independent eOne Music label. [12] Her third regular studio album Charlene, featuring production from Missy Elliott, is expected to be released on January 22, 2016, in the United States, with its lead single to be released on September 21, 2015. [12] On February 29, 2016, the 'Hummingbird' singer sat down with Lindsey Sullivan (of Billboard ) to discuss her new album "Charlene". During the interview Tweet mentioned her excitement teaming up with Timbaland and Missy Elliott. She also stated the album was a growing experience. [13]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
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| 2003 | Tweet | Best New Artist | Nominated |
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott, also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. She began on her musical career as a member of the R&B girl group Sista during the 1990s, who were part of the larger musical collective Swing Mob—led by DeVante Swing of Jodeci. The former group's debut album, 4 All the Sistas Around da World (1994) was released by Elektra Records and met with positive critical reception despite commercial failure. She collaborated with album's producer and Swing Mob cohort Timbaland to work in songwriting and production for other acts, yielding commercially successful releases for 702, Aaliyah, SWV, and Total. She then re-emerged as a solo act with numerous collaborations and guest appearances by 1996, and in July of the following year, she released her debut studio album, Supa Dupa Fly (1997).
Timothy Zachery Mosley, known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, songwriter, and record executive. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinctive "stuttering" rhythmic style. In 2007, Entertainment Weekly stated that "just about every current pop trend can be traced back to him—from sultry, urban-edged R&B songstresses [...] to the art of incorporating avant-garde sounds into No. 1 hits."
Total is an American R&B girl group and one of the signature acts of the Bad Boy Records imprint during the mid-1990s. The group consists of founding members Kima Raynor, Keisha Spivey, and Pamela Long. Total is best known for their feature on Mase's "What You Want", as well as their hits "Kissin' You", "Can't You See", and "What About Us?" and "Trippin'", both featuring Missy Elliott. Long also sung the chorus of The Notorious B.I.G.'s hit song "Hypnotize", although she was not officially credited. Total made their first appearance singing the hook on The Notorious B.I.G.'s debut single, "Juicy", widely considered one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time.
Swing Mob was a loosely knit musical collective consisting of artists and record labels first discovered by Jodeci member DeVante Swing in 1991. The artists on Swing Mob included Missy Elliott with the group Sista, Timbaland, Magoo, Ginuwine, Static Major and the rest of Playa, Darryl Pearson, Mike "Funky Mike" Jackson, Tweet with the group Sugah, Majik, Jimmy Douglass, Stevie J, Maija Max, Renee Anderson, Bazaar Royale and Chad "Dr. Ceuss" Elliott among others, although the group's full membership has never been documented comprehensively. A list of some known artists in Swing Mob at the time of the group's activity can be found in the liner notes of Jodeci's third studio album, The Show, The After-Party, The Hotel (1995).
"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.
Nicole Monique Wray, also known as Lady Wray, is an American singer and songwriter. Her 1998 debut single "Make It Hot" was certified gold. In the 2010s, she began pursuing a more traditional soul sound, first as part of the duo Lady with Terri Walker and subsequently as Lady Wray. As Lady Wray, she has released two albums: Queen Alone (2016) and Piece of Me (2022).
Supa Dupa Fly is the debut studio album by American rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, released July 15, 1997, on The Goldmind, East West, and Elektra Entertainment Group. The album was recorded and produced solely by Timbaland in October 1996, and features the singles, "The Rain ", "Sock It 2 Me", "Hit Em wit da Hee" and "Beep Me 911". Guest appearances on the album include Busta Rhymes, Ginuwine, 702, Magoo, Da Brat, Lil' Kim, and Aaliyah. The album was recorded in just two weeks.
The Cookbook is the sixth studio album by American rapper Missy Elliott, released on July 4, 2005, by The Goldmind Inc. and Atlantic Records in Germany and the United Kingdom, and on July 5 in the United States and Japan. To date, it is her final long play studio effort.
"So Gone" is a song by American R&B recording artist Monica. It was one out of several tracks rapper-producer Missy Elliott wrote and produced along with Kenneth Cunningham and Jamahl Rye from production duo Spike & Jamahl for Monica's fourth studio album, After the Storm (2003), following the delay and subsequent reconstruction of her 2002 album, All Eyez on Me. Incorporating elements of hip hop and 1970s-style smooth jazz as well as soul music, it features a sample from the 1976 song "You Are Number One", penned by Zyah Ahmonuel and performed by The Whispers.
The Goldmind, Inc. is an American record label founded in 1997 by rapper Missy Elliott. Elliott and Goldmind were once distributed through East West Records & Elektra Entertainment Group, Until 2004 when Time Warner sold WMG to a private investment group. The new owners then merged the Elektra with sister label Atlantic Records, transferring Elliott and Goldmind. Goldmind is home to Missy Elliott, specializing in R&B/hip-hop/soul music.
Southern Hummingbird is the debut studio album by American singer Tweet, released on April 2, 2002, by The Goldmind Inc. and Elektra Records. The album features production by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, Timbaland, Craig Brockman, Nisan Stewart, guitarist John "Jubu" Smith, and Tweet herself. It also features guest vocals by Elliott, Bilal, and Ms. Jade, and included a bonus track performed by Elliott, "Big Spender", which samples the song of the same name from the 1966 musical Sweet Charity.
"Oops (Oh My)" is a song by American singer Tweet from her debut studio album, Southern Hummingbird (2002). It features vocals from American rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, who co-wrote the song with Tweet, while production was handled by Timbaland. The song was released on January 11, 2002, as the album's lead single.
"Trippin'" is a song by American R&B girl group Total, released as the first single from their second studio album Kima, Keisha, and Pam (1998). It was also their second release working with production/writing duo Missy Elliott & Timbaland, after What About Us?, although Timbaland this time provided only co-production and instrumentation, with the pair's longtime collaborator Darryl Pearson instead handling main production with Elliott. The track was by far the group's biggest hit, peaking at number seven on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
"Cop That Shit", also known in its censored form as "Cop That Disc", is the lead single taken from hip-hop duo Timbaland & Magoo's third studio album, Under Construction, Part II. The track features vocals from Missy Elliott. The single was released on September 29, 2003 in Europe, but was not released in the United Kingdom until March 8, 2004. The hip hop track itself refers to people downloading and burning music instead of buying it. All of the tracks' verses are resung verses from classic rap songs, however some of the lyrics are changed. Timbaland's verse is a rewrite of "I Know You Got Soul" by Eric B. & Rakim, Missy's verse is a rewrite of Paper Thin by MC Lyte, and Magoo's verse is a rewrite of "I Got It Made" by Special Ed.
"Sock It 2 Me" is a song recorded by American rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott featuring American rapper Da Brat. It was written by Shawntae Harris, William Hart, Thom Bell and producer Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley for her debut album Supa Dupa Fly (1997) and released as the album's second single in a slightly re-recorded form. The song is based on a sample from the 1968 single "Ready or Not Here I Come " by the Delfonics.
"Call Me" is a song by American singer Tweet from her debut studio album, Southern Hummingbird (2002). It was written by Tweet and Missy Elliott, and produced by Timbaland. The song was released on April 22, 2002, as the album's second single. "Call Me" reached number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number nine on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, becoming Tweet's second consecutive top-10 entry on the latter chart.
"Take Away" is a song by American rapper Missy Elliott. It was written by Elliott and Timbaland for her third studio album, Miss E... So Addictive (2001), while production was helmed by the latter, with Elliott and Craig Brockman served as co-producers. The downtempo track features guest vocals from R&B singer Ginuwine. While the album version of "Take Away" credits background vocals by 702 member, Kameelah Williams, the single version replaces Williams's vocals with then-newcomer, Elliott's former protégée Tweet.
Charlene is the third studio album by American singer Tweet. It was released on February 26, 2016, by eOne Music. "Won't Hurt Me" was released on September 21, 2015, as the album's lead single. The second single "Magic" was released on January 21, 2016, followed by "Neva Shouda Left Ya" on February 11, 2016. Rolling Stone listed Charlene as the 12th best R&B album of 2016.
Code Red is the eighth studio album by American singer Monica. It was released on December 18, 2015, by RCA Records and coincided with the twentieth release anniversary of her debut album Miss Thang (1995). For the project, Monica reteamed with her cousin Polow da Don, who had co-executive produced her previous album New Life (2012). The pair enlisted a variation of producers and songwriters to work with her, including Danja, DJ HardWork, Fatboi, KEYZBABY, Pop & Oak, and Timbaland – in addition to longtime collaborators such as performers Missy Elliott and Akon, and songwriters Crystal Nicole and Johntá Austin.
Iconology is the first extended play (EP) by American hip hop artist Missy Elliott, released on August 23, 2019. It is her first body of work since her 2005 album The Cookbook and her first release since Respect M.E. The EP features a variety of musical genres that cover the breadth of her career as an artist and has received favorable reviews from critics. It was released at a time when Elliott returned to music following a lengthy hiatus.
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