Joi (singer) facts for kids

Joi Elaine Gilliam, born on January 25, 1971, is a talented American singer, songwriter, and record producer. She is known simply as Joi. She is part of a music group called the Dungeon Family, based in Atlanta, Georgia. Joi often performs with other famous artists like OutKast, Organized Noize, and Goodie Mob. Some of her most well-known songs include "Sunshine & the Rain", "Lick", and "Freedom".

About Joi

Joi comes from a family of athletes. Her father, Joe Gilliam, was a quarterback for the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers. Her grandfather, Joe Gilliam Sr., was a 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 video 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 Joi's album. Some even called her the "new Madonna."

The famous singer Madonna was so impressed with The Pendulum Vibe that it influenced her own album, Bedtime Stories, released in 1994. Madonna also helped Joi become the first Black model to be featured in a major ad campaign for Calvin Klein. While Joi was getting a lot of attention, she released two more songs: "I Found My Niche" and "Freedom." During 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 special version of the song was recorded with many other artists, including Aaliyah, Mary J. Blige, En Vogue, TLC, and Queen Latifah.

Second Album: Amoeba Cleansing Syndrome (1997)

In 1997, Joi was ready to release her second album, Amoeba Cleansing Syndrome. She worked with Dallas Austin again, and the band Fishbone played as her backing band. The song "I Believe" was planned as the first single. A music video was even filmed, showing Joi when she was pregnant.

However, before the album was released, her record label, 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 break to have her baby girl, 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. A video for "Ghetto Superstar" was released, showing both Big Gipp and their one-year-old daughter. But when her record label, Rowdy/EMI, closed down, the album was never officially released.

Even though Amoeba Cleansing Syndrome was not sold in stores, copies of the album started to circulate. Many music critics were able to get copies and gave the album great reviews, calling it "ahead of its time." Despite the positive feedback, Joi was disappointed and decided to take a break from music to focus on her family.

Joining Lucy Pearl (2000)

In 2000, Joi joined the music group Lucy Pearl, replacing their previous singer. The group, with Joi, first appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 2001. They performed their song "You," which was also on the Save the Last Dance movie soundtrack. Joi performed and filmed two music videos with Lucy Pearl, but the group did not release another album together and 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. While "Missing You" did not become a hit, her second song, "Lick", became very popular. This song featured Sleepy Brown, another member of the Dungeon Family.

"Lick" was included in the movie XXX and its soundtrack. Even without a music video or much radio play, "Lick" became Joi's most successful song. Later, another artist, Gucci Mane, used parts of "Lick" in his 2007 song "Freaky Gurl". The year after Star Kitty's Revenge was released, Joi left Universal Records because the album's sales were not as high as the label wanted.

Fourth Album: Tennessee Slim Is The Bomb (2006)

After leaving Universal, Joi signed with Raphael Saadiq's Pookie Entertainment label to release her fourth album. However, due to problems with the label's distribution, the album's release was canceled. To make sure her music would be heard, Joi decided to release the album herself.

In late 2004, Joi started her own independent record label called "Joilicious Records." She finished working on her album, and it was released on March 28, 2006, under the title Tennessee Slim Is the Bomb. The first song from the album, "I'm So Famous", was released in late 2006. Another song, "Dance With Yesterday," was released in a limited way.

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, George Clinton, Curtis Mayfield, Queen Latifah, Too Short, Fishbone, Shaquille O'Neal, Joss Stone, and Run The Jewels.

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 Vol. 1 (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 Songs

• "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)

Joi in Movies and TV

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