Ray J Rapper Ray J was born William Raymond Norwood Jr., on January 17, 1981, in McComb, Mississippi. The son of manager, Sonja Norwood, and sister of R&B singer, Brandy Norwood, Ray J’s family moved to Carson, CA, when he was a toddler. By age eight, the precocious youngster was moving into the spotlight, auditioning for parts in commercials. He soon caught the eye of comedian Sinbad, who then cast Ray J for a part as his foster son in his television sitcom. After The Sinbad Show was canceled in 1993, Ray J began landing minor roles in such movies as Steel in 1997, starring Shaquille O'Neal and Judd Nelson; as well as Mars Attacks! in 1996 with the star-studded cast, including Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Annette Bening, Pierce Brosnan, Danny DeVito, Martin Short, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael J. Fox, and Natalie Portman.
Despite getting a foothold in the film industry, Ray J was anxious to follow in the footsteps of big sister, Brandy, and also get into the recording industry. In 1995, he was signed to Elektra records, where he released Everything You Want. Meanwhile, his sister had landed her own UPN sitcom, Moesha, which Ray J began starring on in 1999. He continued to juggle acting with recording and producing, and returned to the studio to make This Ain't a Game in 2001, on Atlantic Records. Despite the marketing efforts behind the album, it was not a commercial success. Four years later, Ray J released Raydiation on the Sanctuary label, with a little studio help from Timbaland, R. Kelly, Mya, and Fat Joe. Ray J currently has his own recording label, Knockout Entertainment, a joint venture with Sanctuary Records. He has also hosted the BET show, 106 & Park. In early 2007, Ray J hit the headlines when a sex tape he made with former girlfriend, Kim Kardashian, was released on the Internet. Although Kardashian admitted to the existence of the tape before it went public, she denied orchestrating the release of the tape for profit. Adult film company, Vivid Entertainment, purchased the tape from an unknown source for $1 million, and reportedly plans to release the tape on DVD before February 28, 2007, under the title Kim Kardashian Superstar. Ironically, Ray J has also dated Karrine Steffans, who released a book titled Confessions of a Video Vixen.
In January 2007, twenty-five-year-old Ray J was spotted out on the town with forty-three-year-old diva, Whitney Houston, who is recently divorced from Bobby Brown. Meanwhile, Brown has reportedly hooked up with Ray J’s ex, Karrine Steffans. YUDDY |
