Joi (singer) facts for kids

Joi Elaine Gilliam, born on January 25, 1971, is an American singer, songwriter, and music producer. She is known simply as Joi. Joi is part of a music group called the Dungeon Family from Atlanta, Georgia. She often performs with groups like Outkast, Organized Noize, and Goodie Mob. Her former husband, Big Gipp, is a member of Goodie Mob. Some of her most famous songs include "Sunshine & the Rain", "Lick", and "Freedom".

About Joi's Family

Joi comes from a family of talented athletes. Her father, Joe Gilliam, was a quarterback for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers. Her grandfather, Joe Gilliam Sr., was a well-known football coach for the Tennessee State Tigers.

Joi's Music Journey

First Album: The Pendulum Vibe (1994)

In 1994, Joi released her first album, The Pendulum Vibe. It was released by EMI and produced by Dallas Austin. The first song from the album, "Sunshine & the Rain", was played a lot on music channels like VH1 and MTV. However, the song did not become a big hit, and the album did not sell many copies.

Even though sales were low, music critics really liked The Pendulum Vibe. Some even called Joi the "new Madonna." The famous singer Madonna was so impressed that she changed the style of her own album, Bedtime Stories, because of Joi's music. Madonna also helped Joi become the first Black model in a big Calvin Klein ad campaign. Joi also released two more songs from the album: "I Found My Niche" and "Freedom." At this time, Joi's unique music style was one of the first to be called "neo soul."

The song "Freedom" from The Pendulum Vibe was later used in the movie Panther. A new version of the song was recorded with many other famous singers. These included Aaliyah, Mary J. Blige, En Vogue, Me'shell Ndegeocello, TLC, Queen Latifah, Vanessa Williams, SWV, and Brownstone.

Second Album: Amoeba Cleansing Syndrome (1997)

In 1997, Joi was ready to release her second album, Amoeba Cleansing Syndrome. It was planned for Dallas Austin's FreeWorld label. Joi and Dallas Austin worked with the band Fishbone to be her backing band. The song "I Believe" was chosen as the first single. A music video was even filmed, showing Joi when she was pregnant.

However, before the song was released, EMI wanted more songs that would be popular on the radio. So, the video was canceled, and the album's release was put on hold. Joi took a short break after giving birth to her daughter, Keypsiia "Blue-Daydreamer" Gipp. After almost a year, Joi returned with a new song called "Ghetto Superstar." This song featured her husband at the time, rapper Big Gipp. The song was written for her father, Joe Gilliam, and it helped make the term "Ghetto Superstar" famous. A video was made for the song, showing both Big Gipp and their one-year-old daughter, Keypsiia.

Even with the buzz around the video, the album was never officially released. This happened because her record label, Rowdy/EMI, closed down. Even though the album was canceled, copies of it started to spread. Many music news outlets got copies and gave the album great reviews, calling it "ahead of its time." Despite the good reviews, Joi was sad about the cancellation and decided to take a break to focus on her family.

Joining Lucy Pearl (2000)

In 2000, Joi joined Raphael Saadiq's group, Lucy Pearl. She took the place of Dawn Robinson. Joi's first public appearance with the group was on January 25, 2001. They performed the song "You" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. This song was also featured on the Save the Last Dance movie soundtrack. Even though Joi performed and made two music videos with the group, they never released another album together, and the group later broke up.

Third Album: Star Kitty's Revenge (2002)

In 2002, Joi released her third album, Star Kitty's Revenge, with Universal Records. The first song, "Missing You," was produced by Dallas Austin. They had not worked together since Joi sang background vocals on TLC's song "Silly Ho." While "Missing You" did not become a hit, her second song, "Lick," became very popular.

"Lick" featured fellow Dungeon Family member Sleepy Brown. It was included in the movie XXX and its soundtrack. Even without a music video or much radio play, sales for "Lick" went up, making it Joi's most successful song so far. The song was later used by rapper Gucci Mane in his 2007 hit "Freaky Gurl." The next year, Joi left Universal Records because the sales of Star Kitty's Revenge were not high enough for the label. The album sold about 101,217 copies in the U.S.

Fourth Album: Tennessee Slim Is The Bomb (2006)

After leaving Universal, Joi signed with Raphael Saadiq's Pookie Entertainment label. She planned to release her fourth album there. However, due to problems with how the label distributed music, the album's release was canceled. To make sure her music would be heard, Joi decided to release the album on her own.

In late 2004, Joi started her own music label called "Joilicious Records." She then finished her album. The album was planned for release in 2005 but was finally released on March 28, 2006. It was called Tennessee Slim Is the Bomb. The first song from this album, "I'm So Famous", was released for sale in late 2006. Another song, "Dance With Yesterday," had a limited release.

Working with Other Artists

As a member of Atlanta's famous Dungeon Family, Joi has worked with many different artists over the years. She has been featured on songs by Outkast, Goodie Mob, TLC, Robbie Williams, Big Tymers, George Clinton, Curtis Mayfield, Queen Latifah, Too Short, Fishbone, Jim Crow, Shaquille O'Neal, Joss Stone, Run The Jewels, and the D.O.C..

Joi's Music Albums

Studio Albums

• The Pendulum Vibe (1994)
• Amoeba Cleansing Syndrome (1997)
• Star Kitty's Revenge (2002)
• Tennessee Slim Is the Bomb (2006)
• S.I.R. Rebekkah HolyLove (2018)
• 'Tine Wolf Rebellion (2024)

Guest Appearances

• "Down" (with Run the Jewels) on Run the Jewels 3 (2016)
• "Miss Georgia Fornia" (with Big K.R.I.T.) on 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time (2017)
• "Kush" (with Organized Noize and 2 Chainz) on The Art of Organized Noize (2018)

Joi's Singles

• "Sunshine & the Rain" (1994)
• "Freedom" (1994)
• "I Found My Niche" (1995)
• "I Believe" (1996)
• "Ghetto Superstar" (1997)
• "Missing You" (2001)
• "Lick" (2002)
• "It's Your Life" (2002)
• "I'm So Famous" (2005)
• "Dance With Yesterday" (2006)
• "Another Rocket" (2007)
• "Kush" (2017)
• "Stare At Me" (2018)
• "No Grey Matter" (2018)
• "It Is Best" (2018)
• "Run" (2024)
• "Hunger" (2025)

Joi in Film and TV

• (2010) Smiles & Cries
• (2018) Luke Cage season 2 episode "Soul Brother #1"