Omarion facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Omarion
Omarion in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Omari Ishmael Grandberry
Also known as	O
Born	(1984-11-12) November 12, 1984 (age 40) Inglewood, California, U.S.
Genres	R&B
Occupations	Singer songwriter actor dancer
Years active	1998–present
Labels	Omarion Worldwide Warner Atlantic Maybach Music Columbia EMI Epic Sony Urban Music

Omari Ishmael Grandberry (born November 12, 1984), known as Omarion, is an American R&B singer, dancer, and actor. He first became famous as the lead singer of the boy band B2K. This group started in 1998 and was managed by Chris Stokes.

B2K had many hit songs in the early 2000s. These included "Gots ta Be", "Uh Huh", "Girlfriend", and their number one hit "Bump, Bump, Bump" with P. Diddy.

After B2K broke up in 2004, Omarion started his solo music career. He signed with Epic Records and released his first two albums, O (2005) and 21 (2006). Both albums reached number one on the music charts. His song "Ice Box" from 21 became his most successful solo song, reaching number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Omarion also acted in movies like You Got Served, Fat Albert, and The Proud Family Movie. As a solo artist, he has won awards like a BET Award and a Soul Train Music Award.

Life and career

Early life and start in music (1984–1998)

Omarion was born Omari Ishmael Grandberry on November 12, 1984. He grew up in Inglewood, California. His parents are Leslie Burrell and Trent Grandberry. His younger brother, O'Ryan, is also a singer.

When he was young, Omarion appeared in commercials for Kellogg's Corn Pops and McDonald's. He started his dancing career as a background dancer for the R&B group Before Dark. He even appeared in their music videos. Soon, Omarion decided to become a singer himself. He later became the lead singer of the boy band B2K.

Becoming famous with B2K (1999–2004)

Omari joined the group B2K in 1999 and chose the stage name Omarion. The group's name, B2K, was short for "Boys of The New Millennium." They started touring with Lil Bow Wow and released their first song, "Uh Huh", in 2001.

Their first album, B2K, came out on March 12, 2002. It reached number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. In December, they released their second album, Pandemonium!. This album included their most successful song, "Bump, Bump, Bump", which featured P. Diddy. This song reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. B2K broke up in early 2004.

Solo success and movies (2004–2008)

In early 2004, Omarion appeared in several movies. He starred in You Got Served with his former B2K bandmates. This movie was about friends in a hip hop dance crew who compete in dance battles. That same year, he played "Reggie" in the comedy Fat Albert.

On February 22, 2005, Omarion released his first solo album, O. It reached number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The first song from the album was "O". The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album.

On December 26, 2006, Omarion released his second album, 21. This album also reached number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The song "Ice Box", produced by Timbaland, became his most successful solo song. It reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Later in 2007, Omarion acted in the thriller Somebody Help Me. He also voiced the character Fifteen Cent in The Proud Family Movie. In late 2007, Omarion and Bow Wow released an album together called Face Off.

New music and TV (2009–2010)

In 2009, Omarion worked with Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment. A few months later, he left the label for business reasons. Omarion then signed with EMI and started his own music label, StarrWorld Entertainment.

In January 2010, Omarion released his third album, Ollusion. Omarion also became a judge on the TV show America's Best Dance Crew for its fifth season. He left the show after that season to focus on his music again.

More albums and tours (2011–2017)

In 2011, Omarion released his first mixtape, The Awakening. In 2012, he signed with Rick Ross's label Maybach Music Group. He also signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation Management. He released his first EP (a shorter album) called Care Package in November 2012.

On February 14, 2014, he released "You Like It", a song from his fourth album, ... Playlist. In August 2014, Omarion joined the TV show Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood with his mother and girlfriend Apryl Jones. In November 2014, he released the song "Post to Be" with Chris Brown and Jhené Aiko. This song became very popular and sold many copies. It also won him a Soul Train Music Award.

He released more EPs, Care Package 3 in 2015 and Care Package 4 in 2017. In 2017, Omarion released the song "Distance" and filmed its music video in South Africa.

Tours and new projects (2018–2023)

Omarion in 2018

In 2019, B2K got back together for a short time to go on The Millennium Tour. Other artists like Mario and Chingy also joined the tour. Later, it was announced that Omarion would continue The Millennium Tour without his B2K bandmates. Bow Wow and other acts joined him for the 2020 dates.

In 2020, Omarion released the song "Can You Hear Me?" with T-Pain. This song was from his fifth album, The Kinection, which came out on October 30, 2020.

In 2021, Omarion was a contestant on The Masked Singer as "Yeti". He finished in fourth place. In May 2021, he released the song "We Will Never Forget" with Lalah Hathaway and Kierra Sheard. This song was featured in a documentary film.

Omarion led The Millennium Tour again in late 2021. He also released a song called "EX" with Soulja Boy and Bow Wow. In June 2022, he took part in a music battle called Verzuz with Mario. He also announced a new book, Unbothered: The Power Of Choosing Joy, and a 5-part documentary series called Omega: The Gift and the Curse.

Recent music (2023–present)

In April 2023, Omarion released the song "Serious" from his album Full Circle: Sonic Book 1. The song became very popular online. His next song, "Taking Off", with singer BJRNCK, also did well on the music charts.

In February 2024, Omarion announced his Vbz on Vbz Tour, but it was later canceled.

Personal life

Omarion has two children, a son born in 2014 and a daughter born in 2016. Their mother is Apryl Jones, whom he dated from 2013 to 2016. Their relationship was shown on the TV show Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood.

Discography

Studio albums

• O (2005)
• 21 (2006)
• Ollusion (2010)
• ... Playlist (2014)
• The Kinection (2020)
• SexSonics (2024)

Collaboration albums

• B2K (with B2K) (2002)
• Pandemonium! (with B2K) (2002)
• Face Off (with Bow Wow) (2007)

Filmography

Tours

• Scream Tour I (2001)
• Scream Tour II (2002)
• Scream Tour III (2003)
• Scream Tour IV (2005-2006)
• Scream Tour V (2006)
• The Millennium Tour (2019-2021)
• Omarion Presents: VBZ on VBZ Tour (2024; canceled)
• The Millennium Tour (2025)

Awards and nominations

• African Muzik Magazine Awards

• African Entertainment Awards

• American Music Awards

• BET Awards

• Billboard Music Awards

• Urban Music Awards

• NAACP Image Awards

• Grammy Awards

• iHeartRadio Music Awards

• MTV Movie Awards

• Soul Train Music Awards

• Teen Choice Awards