Jacki-O facts for kids

Angela Brookins-Gillispie (born November 24, 1976), known as Jacki-O, is an American singer from Miami, Florida. She became famous for her music in the early 2000s.

Jacki-O signed with Poe Boy Entertainment, which was part of TVT Records. She released her first album, Poe Little Rich Girl, in 2007. This album was successful and appeared on the Billboard 200 music chart. Before her album, she was known for her songs like "Nookie" (2003) and "Sugar Walls" (2004).

Her second album, The Lil Red Riding Hood, came out in 2009 through EMI. Throughout her career, Jacki-O worked with many well-known artists. These include Timbaland, Busta Rhymes, T-Pain, Ghostface Killah, Ying Yang Twins, and DJ Khaled. In 2014, Jacki-O decided to stop making music. She chose to become a Christian minister instead. Since then, she has also written two books.

Early Life & Creative Beginnings

Angela Brookins was born on November 24, 1976. Her mother was African-American, and her father was of Haitian and African-American background. She grew up in Miami, Florida, with two sisters and two brothers.

Jacki-O started writing poetry when she was in middle school. In high school, she began to freestyle rap. She later earned her GED.

Music Career Highlights

In 2002, Jacki-O started working with Poe Boy Entertainment. She helped build their brand with her first mixtape, The Official Bootlegg. This mixtape was very popular, selling over 470,000 copies. It was also downloaded more than 250,000 times.

After this success, she released her first music video for the song "Nookie." This song became one of her biggest hits. In 2004, Jacki-O signed with TVT Records. She then released another music video for "Fine," which featured the Ying Yang Twins. She also released two more songs, "Slow Down" and "Sugar Walls."

Her first album, Poe Little Rich Girl, was released on October 26, 2004. It sold over 90,000 copies in its first week. Four years later, in 2008, she released another mixtape called Jack-Da Rippa. This mixtape included songs like "I Got Yo Man" and "Queen Of The South."

This led to her starting her own record label, Jackmove Ent. In 2009, she released her album Lil Red Riding Hood through her new label. The main song from this album was "Baby Mama." In March 2010, Jacki-O announced plans for a new digital mixtape, Griselda Blanco.

In 2014, Jacki-O shared on her official Facebook page that she was changing her music style. She moved from Gangsta rap to Christian hip hop. She said she felt "touched by God" and would release her next album when the time was right.

Writing Career

Jacki-O has also become an author. Her first novel is called Grown & Gangsta, released in 2008. It is described as an "urban tale."

In 2010, she released her autobiography, Relentless. This book tells the story of her life. It covers her childhood in Miami, her Haitian background, and how she became a famous rapper. The book also talks about her charity work. She has helped people with disabilities.

Discography

Albums

Mixtapes

• The Official Bootleg (2004)
• Free Agent (2006)
• Jack Tha Rippa (2007)
• Grown & Gangsta (2008)
• Griselda Blanco, La Madrina (2010)
• Straight From The Underground (2011)

Charting Singles