Naturi Naughton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Naturi Naughton-Lewis
Naughton at a performance of The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker in December 2010
Background information
Birth name	Naturi Cora Maria Naughton
Born	(1984-05-20) May 20, 1984 (age 41) East Orange, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	R&B hip hop soul
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter actress
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1999–2002 (3LW) 2005–present (solo)
Labels	Epic Records (1999–2002)
Associated acts	3LW

Naturi Cora Maria Naughton-Lewis, born on May 20, 1984, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is well-known for being a member of the R&B music group 3LW. Naturi is also famous for her acting roles in movies like Fame and Notorious, where she played the rapper Lil' Kim.

She has also been a regular on TV shows such as the NBC series The ... Club and the Lifetime drama The Client List. Later, she starred as Tasha St. Patrick in the Starz drama Power and its spin-off Power Book II: Ghost. In 2022, she played Jill “Da Thrill” in the ABC series Queens.

Early Life and Education

Naturi Naughton-Lewis grew up in East Orange, New Jersey. Her mother, Brenda, worked as a paralegal, and her father, Ezra, was an accountant. Naturi’s father is from the U.S. Virgin Islands, and her mother is from North Carolina.

Her musical talent showed up very early, when she was just five years old. She joined her church choir at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey. This is the same church where famous singer Whitney Houston sang when she was young. Naturi continued to study music at the Newark School of the Arts. She went to St. Joseph's Catholic school and Immaculate Conception High School. She has sung the national anthem at many events in New Jersey. She also attended Seton Hall University.

Career Highlights

Starting with 3LW

In 1999, when Naturi was 15, she joined Adrienne Bailon and Kiely Williams. Together, they formed the music group 3LW. Their first song, "No More (Baby I'ma Do Right)", came out in late 2000. This song was very popular. Their second song, "Playas Gon' Play", followed in early 2001.

The group's first album, 3LW, was released on December 5, 2000. It was a huge success, selling 1.3 million copies in the U.S. and becoming a platinum album. In 2002, 3LW released "I Do (Wanna Get Close To You)". This song was produced by P. Diddy and featured the artist Loon. In August 2002, Naturi announced she was leaving the group. She said she was forced out. After she left, the group continued for a short time before breaking up. In 2017, Naturi reunited with Adrienne Bailon on the TV show The Real.

Solo Music Work

Naturi Naughton at H-E-B Holiday Parade in 2009

Naturi Naughton recorded five songs for the Fame movie soundtrack. This soundtrack was released on August 25, 2009. The next month, her cover of the song Fame became her first solo song to appear on music charts. It reached No. 33 on the UK Singles Chart. The song also made it into the Top 20 in Finland, Portugal, and Norway.

In 2010, Naturi released an extended play (EP) called Fame Presents Naturi Naughton as Denise: Didn't I Tell You?. This EP included both new and old songs. Naturi has said she is now focusing more on her acting career. However, she has not ruled out releasing a solo album in the future.

Acting Career

In March 2008, Naturi Naughton was chosen to play the Grammy Award-winning rap artist Lil' Kim. This was for the movie Notorious, which was about the rapper The Notorious B.I.G.. The movie came out in January 2009. It earned over $43 million around the world.

Naturi was also cast as Denise in the movie Fame, a remake of a 1980 film. Denise was an aspiring singer in the movie. Filming took place in New York City and Los Angeles in late 2008. The movie was released in September 2009. It opened at No. 3 at the U.S. box office. It went on to make $77 million worldwide.

In August 2010, Naturi appeared in an episode of the TV series Mad Men. She also appeared in the comedy film Lottery Ticket that same month. In October 2011, Naturi played a 1970s jazz club singer named Shadynasty. This was in an episode of the sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. In December 2011, Naturi was cast in the Lifetime drama series The Client List. She played Kendra, a hard-working masseuse. The series started on April 8, 2012.

Power and Queens

In September 2012, Naturi Naughton starred in the BET movie Let The Church Say Amen. This film was based on a popular novel. The movie was the first time actress Regina King directed a film.

From 2014 to 2020, Naturi Naughton starred in the popular Starz drama series Power. She played the main character Tasha St. Patrick. She won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role in the third season. Naturi continued her role as Tasha in the spin-off series Power Book II: Ghost. This show began airing in September 2020.

On March 8, 2021, it was announced that Naturi had joined the cast of American Broadcasting Company's music series Queens. She starred alongside Brandy and Eve. The show was picked up for a full series in May 2021. The first song from Queens, called “Nasty Girl”, was released on October 1, 2021. It featured Naturi with her co-stars. Another rap song from the soundtrack, “The Introduction”, was released on October 18, 2021. It was co-written by Nas. Queens first aired on October 19. Even though the series was cancelled after one season, many people gave it good reviews.

Personal Life

In March 2017, Naturi Naughton announced she was going to have her first child. She welcomed a daughter with her partner Ben on July 19, 2017. In April 2022, Naturi married Xavier "Two" Lewis, who is a talent manager. They had a beautiful wedding in Atlanta. She welcomed her second child, a son, on May 27, 2023.

Discography

• Fame Presents Naturi Naughton as Denise: Didn't I Tell You (2010)

Filmography

Film

Television

Theater

See also

In Spanish: Naturi Naughton para niños