Ray J facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ray J
Norwood in 2011
Born	William Ray Norwood Jr. (1981-01-17) January 17, 1981 (age 44) McComb, Mississippi, U.S.
Occupation	Singer songwriter rapper television presenter actor entrepreneur
Years active	1989–present
Works	Discography filmography
Television	For the Love of Ray J Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood
Spouse(s)	Princess Love ​ (m. 2016)​
Partner(s)	Kim Kardashian (2002–2006)
Children	2
Parent(s)	Willie Norwood (father)
Relatives	Brandy Norwood (sister)
Musical career
Genres	R&B
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	TMG E1 Knockout Deja 34 Epic Koch Sanctuary Atlantic Elektra EastWest

William Ray Norwood Jr. (born January 17, 1981), known professionally as Ray J, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, television presenter, and actor. Born in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Carson, California, he is the younger brother of singer and actress Brandy.

Ray J's 1997 debut single, "Let It Go", was released by EastWest Records for the soundtrack to the F. Gary Gray film, Set It Off. Both moderate hits, the song peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and additionally served as lead single for Ray J's debut studio album, Everything You Want (1997), which entered the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. He then signed with Atlantic Records to release his second album, This Ain't a Game (2002). Led by his second top 40 single, "Wait a Minute" (featuring Lil' Kim), the album became his first to enter the Billboard 200–at number 21. His 2005 single, "One Wish", peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded his third album, Raydiation (2005), which commercially trailed the success of both the song and his previous album. The albums were each met with mixed critical reception.

..... Released independently, his 2013 single, "I Hit It First" (featuring Bobby Brackins), peaked at number 51 on the chart, providing a brief period of resurgence as it discomfited his previous affair with Kardashian.

In January 2017, he competed in the nineteenth season of the British reality television series Celebrity Big Brother. In his entrepreneurial career, he launched the technology company Raytroniks in 2016, as well as the Raycon line of direct-to-consumer earbuds in 2017.

Early life

William Ray Norwood Jr. was born in McComb, Mississippi to Willie Norwood and Sonja Bates-Norwood. His older sister Brandy is a multi-platinum recording artist. Early in his life, he moved with his family from McComb, Mississippi to Los Angeles, California, and in 1989 started appearing in television commercials for different companies. In 1989, at the age of eight, Norwood began auditioning for and appearing in television commercials; he played the foster son in The Sinbad Show, from 1993 to 1994. This period in Norwood's life would shape his acting career. According to Bradley Torreano of AllMusic, "his easygoing image and boyish looks appealed to the producers of Brandy's television show, Moesha, giving him a role on the UPN series as Dorian "D-Money", a role he played from 1999 until the show ended in 2001.

Career

1995–2006: Everything You Want, This Ain't a Game, and Raydiation

He signed to Elektra Records in 1995 and he began to record his debut album Everything You Want the same year. The album, released in March 1997, spawned the lead single "Let It Go", which appeared on the Set It Off soundtrack. "Let It Go" peaked at number 25 in the U.S. and number 11 in New Zealand. The second single peaked at number 54 on the U.S. R&B chart. In 1997, he was dropped from the label. In 1998, he appeared on the Dr. Dolittle soundtrack with the single "That's Why I Lie". He produced for toy company Mattel, putting together the music for several commercials and a few of the demos for his second record.

Ray J recorded "Another Day in Paradise" with Brandy, which was a Top Ten success in Austria, UK, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Norway, Ireland, the Netherlands and number 11 in Australia and France. The song was the lead single of the R&B/Hip Hop tribute Urban Renewal, in which he co-produced and performed songs. Norwood also worked with the Neptunes, Rodney Jerkins and Lil' Kim, and several other producers and singers for his second studio album This Ain't A Game. The album was recorded over 18 months, and was released on June 26, 2001, with Atlantic Records. The lead single "Wait A Minute" peaked at #30 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and #8 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "Formal Invite" followed at #54 on the R&B chart.

After a two-year break, Norwood returned to recording studios, adding the finishing touches on his third studio album Raydiation with help from producers such as Rodney Jerkins, Timbaland, R. Kelly, and Rob Egerton. A joint venture by Sanctuary Records and Ray-J's own label, independent Knockout Entertainment, the album was finally released on September 27, 2005, in North America after several delays, debuting at number forty-eight on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 18,321 copies in the first week. The album's lead single "One Wish" was a top 20 success in the US, UK, Ireland, and New Zealand. Raydiation eventually sold over 400,000 copies domestically.

In 2005, Norwood joined the cast of UPN's One On One, where he played the character D-Mack for the final season. On both shows, Ray's character was related to Brandy's (cousin/half-brother on Moesha, brother on One on One).

2012: Death of Whitney Houston

On February 11, 2012, Whitney Houston died of "accidental drowning", as ruled by the coroner. Ray J was in San Diego when she died and arrived at the Beverly Hilton, where Houston died, at the time paramedics and police officers came to the scene. While waiting for more information, he became angered upon hearing one of the officers make a "disrespectful comment" about Houston, prompting him to force entry into the suite prior to being restrained. Though he initially did not publicly address her death, Ray J broke his silence on February 17, 2012, when he told US Weekly that while the "world had lost an icon", he had lost a "close friend". Ray J's sister Brandy described him at the time of Houston's death as being "very distraught" and "disconnected" as well as referring to it as "a very hard time in his life."

Ray J and Houston became very close in the last years of her life, leading to speculation of a romantic relationship between the singers. However, Ray J stated that he and Houston were friends, and that they had never dated. On May 21, 2012, Ray J was found in his hotel room, unable to get out of bed and was rushed to a hospital by ambulance. The day before, he was said to have had a confrontation at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards when Whitney Houston's sister-in-law Pat Houston called security on him when she saw Ray J was seated next to Bobbi Kristina Brown, Whitney's daughter. Ray J went to the Beverly Hilton on August 1, 2012, for a panel during the TVOne portion of the 2012 Summer Television Critics Association tour. It was his first time there since Houston's death.

2013–present: Reality TV and new music

Ray J teamed up with Bobby Brackins for the track "I Hit It First", which was released on April 6, 2013. "I Hit It First" caused controversy for allegedly aiming its lyrics at Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. The song has since debuted at #51 on the Billboard Hot 100. "ATM" was released as a single on August 5, 2014, and it features Migos. Ray J is hosting Oxygen's new reality game show series Bad Girls All-Star Battle. In May 2014, Kardashian and West married. .....

He competed with his sister on the FOX reality cooking series My Kitchen Rules.

On January 3, 2017, Ray J took part as a "new star" housemate on season 19 of Celebrity Big Brother. He walked off the show after a week. He also threatened legal action after his exit from the show.

On March 15, 2020, Ray J and Princess Love took part in The Conversation on Zeus Network. In May 2020, Love filed for divorce.

Other ventures

Technology companies

Raytroniks Inc.

As the founder of Raytroniks, Ray J introduced a line of consumer electronics to the United States market. The product categories included electric bikes, smartphone fans, and smartwatches. In particular, the Scoot-E-Bike brand which Ray J developed grew exponentially after implementing a viral organic marketing strategy. Ray J secured product placements through celebrities such as Sean Combs and Brandy and professional athletic teams, including the L.A. Clippers.

Raycon Inc.

In November 2017, Ray J co-founded a direct-to-consumer electronics brand called Raycon. Raycon sells wireless audio products such as earbuds and headphones. Ray J oversees brand and strategy.

Personal life

In August 2016, Ray J married Princess Love at Los Angeles' Cathedral of Saint Vibiana. The two starred on VH1's Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood. Their daughter, Melody Love, was born on May 22, 2018. Their son, Epik Ray, was born on January 7, 2020. In May 2020, Love filed for divorce.

Politics

He, alongside Kanye West, attended the premiere of conservative commentator Candace Owens's documentary The Greatest Lie Ever Sold, a film investigating Black Lives Matter financial controversies. .....

In January 2022, Ray J visited Donald Trump at his Mar-A-Lago residence to discuss job creation. Ray J went on to say, "I've always admired and respected [Trump's] business acumen... job creation, encouraging small business development and how Information Technology plays an important role in the future of our economy." Despite not endorsing a candidate, Ray J has intimated his support for Trump.

Discography

Studio albums

• Everything You Want (1997)
• This Ain't a Game (2001)
• Raydiation (2005)
• All I Feel (2008)
• Raydemption (2022)

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Ray-J para niños