Blu Cantrell
One of the celebrities on the hottest new reality show of the summer, Celebrity Circus, is R&B singer/songwriter Blu Cantrell. The celebrities learn to perform circus acts, but will this beautiful Grammy nominated songstress be able to endure the tough challeneges?
Blu was born Tiffany Cobb on March 16, 1976 in Providence, Rhode Island. She and her five siblings grew up watching her mother, a jazz singer, perform and soon Blu knew what she wanted to do with her life. She sang backup for Puff Daddy, Truth Hurts, and Faith Evans and even cut some demos before she was discovered by Tab and Laney Stewart, the heads of Red Zone Entertainment in 2000. They introduced her to Antonio “L.A.” Reid from Arista Records. Reid offered her a recording contract and she went into a session with Dallas Austin and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Her 2001 album, So Blu, peaked at #8 on the Billboard 200. It featured the hit “Hit ‘em Up Style (Oops!)” which went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album went on to sell over 800,000 copies in the U.S, making it go platinum. Blu was nominated for a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and for the American Music Award Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist.
Blu’s second album, titled Bittersweet, was released in 2003 and earned her another Grammy nomination – this time for Best R&B Album. Bittersweet topped out at #8 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. Her first single from the album, “Breathe,” which was in collaboration with Sean Paul, reached #1 in the United Kingdom. The album also produced the single “Make Me Wanna Scream.” Unfortunately, for Blu, a video for the song “The Cha Cha” was produce but never released and her 2005 compilation/remix album, Hit ‘em Up Style: Chart and Club Hits of Blu Cantrell was not promoted in the United States.
Blu had made her mark on popular music however. B.G. and the Chopper City Boyz paid tribute to her in their 2007 song “Make ‘Em Mad” with the lyrics “Now that’s a 745, my diamonds blue as Cantrell, I’m bumpin’. Everyday I’m hustlin’ and they say (I can tell).” She is currently working on her third album, which is scheduled to be released in 2008. She also recently starred in the musical play “Gossip, Lies & Secrets” with LisaRaye, Kenya Moore, and Christopher Williams.
Rumors are circulating that there may be romance on the set of “Celebrity Circus” for Blu and co-star Antonio Sabato Jr. The two have been seen hanging around together on the set, but his reps would not make a comment other than to say that the competitors had all become “a tight-knit and close family.” Blu’s rep only said, “They are having fun right now.”
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