Ray J

William Ray Norwood, Jr, known as Ray J, was born in January of 1981. The little brother of Brandy, Ray J seemed to follow in his sister's footsteps.

When Ray J was eight, he started doing commercials until comedian Sinbad saw him and cast him for his show. In The Sinbad Show, Ray J played Sinbad's foster son until the show was cancelled in 1993.

Jumping off from there, Ray J continued his acting career with minor roles in the movies Mars Attacks! and Steel. In 1999, he caught the eye of the producers of Brandy's television show, Moesha, and began to appear in the show. He continued to play in the show until it ended in 2001.

Throughout his work as an actor, Ray J tried to follow his sister's career in the music industry. In 1997, on Elektra Records, Ray J released the album Everything You Want. The album featured two successful singles, with "Let It Go" reaching #25 on the Hot 100 and #17 on the R&B charts, and the title track "Everything You Want" which reached #29 on the R&B charts. Despite the singles' strength, Ray J was dropped from the label.

In 2001, after the end of Moesha, Ray J returned to the studio with an all star lineup. Working with big names like The Neptunes and Rodney Jerkins, Ray J released the album, This Ain't A Game. The album had stronger hip-hop influences than Ray J's earlier work and failed to establish the success that you'd expect from such strong producers. The album's single "Wait A Minute" reached #30 on the Hot 100 and #8 on the R&B charts.

Finally, Ray J was able to make a solid mark with his album, Raydiation in 2005. The album featured another strong roster of producers, including Rodney Jerkins, Timbaland, and R. Kelly. The album's success was spurred largely by its single, "One Wish" which reached #11 on the Hot 100 and #3 on the R&B charts.

Ray J's latest album, All I Feel, came out in 2008 and is off to a strong start. Released on Koch Records, the album's first single, "Sexy Can I" reached #4 on the R&B charts and #3 on the Hot 100.