Remy Ma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Remy Ma
Remy Ma in 2005
Background information
Birth name	Reminisce Kioni Smith
Also known as	Remy Martin The BX Savior Shesus Khryst
Born	(1980-05-30) May 30, 1980 (age 45) New York City, U.S.
Genres	East Coast hip hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper
Years active	2000–2008 2014–present
Labels	Columbia Capitol Roc Nation Sure Shot Terror Squad SRC Loud Atlantic Universal

Remy Ma, whose real name is Reminisce Kioni Mackie (born May 30, 1980), is a talented American rapper and songwriter. She became famous as a member of the hip-hop group Terror Squad, led by Fat Joe, after being discovered by the late rapper Big Pun. Her first solo album, There's Something About Remy: Based on a True Story (2006), reached number 33 on the Billboard 200 music chart. Some of her most popular songs include "Lean Back", "Conceited", and "All the Way Up".

Remy Ma has won the BET Award for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist multiple times, in 2005 and 2017. She has also won two Vibe Awards and two Source Awards, and has been nominated for four Grammy Awards. From 2015 to 2020, she appeared on the TV show Love & Hip Hop: New York with her husband, Papoose.

Life and Career

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Remy Ma grew up in The Bronx, New York, in the Castle Hill Projects. She found comfort in writing poetry from a young age. Her talent for writing and rapping became known around the Bronx. This caught the attention of rapper Big Pun.

After meeting and having a freestyle rap session, Big Pun became Remy Ma's mentor. She started her music career using the name "Remy Martin." She was featured on Big Pun's album Yeeeah Baby on the songs "Ms. Martin" and "You Was Wrong."

Joining Terror Squad and First Album

After Big Pun passed away, rapper Fat Joe signed Remy Ma to his record label. She became a member of his hip-hop group, Terror Squad. She was featured on their album, True Story, which came out on July 27, 2004.

Their hit song, "Lean Back", was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for three weeks in 2004. This song also earned Remy Ma her first Grammy nomination.

On February 7, 2006, Remy Ma released her first solo album, There's Something About Remy: Based on a True Story. The album included the songs "Whuteva", "Conceited", and "Feels So Good". Critics liked the album, but it did not sell as many copies as expected.

Mixtapes and Return to Music

In 2011, Remy Ma's music was featured in a documentary called Black Lifestyle in Japan. She was praised for her style and was listed as a popular hip-hop artist among young women in Japan.

Remy Ma was released from prison in 2014. On October 31, 2014, she released a mixtape called I'm Around. On April 28, 2015, she released Remy on the Rocks, which was a collection of songs from her mixtapes.

Television Career and Plata O Plomo

On July 7, 2015, Remy Ma announced she was joining the TV show Love & Hip Hop: New York for its sixth season. She appeared on the show with her husband, Papoose. She continued to be a main cast member for several seasons. She also starred in spin-off shows like Remy & Papoose: Meet the Mackies.

In 2016, Fat Joe and Remy Ma announced they would release a joint album. On March 2, 2016, the album was officially named Plata O Plomo. This Spanish phrase means "silver or lead." The album's first song, "All the Way Up", was released on the same day.

"All the Way Up" was a big success, earning a platinum award. It also received two Grammy Award nominations. Plata O Plomo debuted at number 44 on the Billboard 200 chart. Music critics generally gave the album good reviews.

On August 20, 2017, Remy Ma opened a women's clothing store called Conceited in Raleigh, North Carolina.

New Music and Hosting

On November 16, 2017, Remy Ma released "Wake Me Up". This was the first song from her album, which was then called 7 Winters, 6 Summers. The song featured rapper Lil' Kim. On January 19, 2018, Remy Ma released "Melanin Magic", featuring Chris Brown.

On April 26, 2018, she released "Company" with artist A Boogie wit da Hoodie. On June 12, 2018, Remy Ma released "New Thang" with rapper French Montana. This song was part of the soundtrack for the movie Uncle Drew.

From 2018 to 2020, Remy Ma was a host on the talk show State of the Culture with Joe Budden. In March 2020, she announced that her upcoming album's title had changed to Reminisce. In 2021, Remy Ma acted in the film 6:45, playing the character Cassi.

Chrome 23 Battle League

In February 2022, Remy Ma started a battle rap league called Chrome 23. She created it to give women more chances to shine in battle rap, which is mostly male-dominated. The league's first event was called "Queens Get The Money." It was streamed for free on the Hot97 YouTube channel. Later, the battles were uploaded to the Chrome 23 YouTube channel.

The main battle featured Ms. Hustle and Couture, who are well-known battle rappers. Later that year, Remy Ma held more events. This led to the first-ever all-women battle rap tournament, simply called "The Tournament." Battle rapper C3 won $25,000 after beating Kausion.

In February 2023, Chrome 23 celebrated its first anniversary with an event that included both male and female rappers. The main battle featured Hitman Holla versus Eazy the Block Captain. This battle created a lot of excitement and gained millions of views on YouTube, making it the most-watched battle of 2023. The league continued its success with the "I Do What I Want" event in September 2023.

Personal Life

Remy Ma married Shamele Mackie, known as rapper Papoose, in February 2016. They had planned to get married in 2008 while Remy Ma was in prison. However, the wedding was postponed when Papoose was caught trying to bring a key into the prison.

Remy Ma has one child from a previous relationship. She also has three stepchildren with Papoose. Their first child together, Reminisce Mackenzie, was born on December 14, 2018.

Discography

• There's Something About Remy: Based on a True Story (2006)

Filmography

Film

Television

Documentary

DVDs

• Remy Ma: From the Grind to the Glamour (2006)
• Shesus Khryst (2007)
• INDUSTRY VS. THE STREET: 5 MOST DANGEROUS HOODZ – JIM JONES / CHAMILLIONAIRE / REMY MA / FREEWAY

Awards and Nominations

BET Awards

BET Hip Hop Awards

Soul Train Music Awards

Grammy Awards

Bronx Walk of Fame

• Inducted in 2022

See also

In Spanish: Remy Ma para niños