Tha' Rayne facts for kids

Tha' Rayne was an American R&B music group. They were a 'girl group' that started in 2000 and stopped making music in 2005. The group usually had two singers and a DJ. The first members were Yummy Bingham and Shaquana Elam. They both sang the main parts in the group's songs. Shaquana Elam is now known as Quana BelleVoix.

About Tha' Rayne

How the Group Started

Tha' Rayne was started in 2000 by a music producer named KayGee. He was a member of the group Naughty by Nature. KayGee brought together Elizabeth "Yummy" Bingham, Shaquana "Quana" Elam, and Tina "Tina-J" Jenkins. Each of these artists wanted to become a solo singer. But they soon found out they would be part of a new girl group instead.

Early Music and Changes

The first song where all three original members sang together was "Finders Keepers." This song came out in 2001 and featured Jaheim and Lil' Mo. Tha' Rayne sang backup vocals on it. After Tina-J left the group, Tha' Rayne became a duo.

In April 2001, the two remaining members signed a record deal. They joined Arista Records, which was led by L.A. Reid. They released their song "Rock wit Me" in April 2002. Another song, "No L.O.V.E.," followed in July. While working on their first album, Tha' Rayne worked with other famous artists. These included Boyz II Men, Jaheim, Queen Latifah, and Next.

Adding a DJ

In August 2002, KayGee had a new idea. He wanted to create an R&B group like Salt-N-Pepa. So, he added Michelle "DJ Myche Luv" Colon to the group. She was a young female DJ. In late 2002, Tha' Rayne was featured on Jaheim's popular song "Fabulous".

More Member Changes

In January 2003, the group changed members again. DJ Myche Luv left, and Qiana "DJ Qi" Drew joined on January 27, 2003. Soon after, Tha' Rayne released "Didn't You Know." This song featured rappers Joe Budden and Lupe Fiasco. It was their first song to appear on a music chart. It reached number 75 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

The song was produced by Rich Harrison. However, it did not become as popular as the record label hoped. Because of this, their first album, Reign Supreme, was put on hold.

The Group Disbands

In early 2004, Arista Records merged with another company called Sony BMG. When this happened, L.A. Reid left his job. Many artists who had signed with him were dropped from the label, including Tha' Rayne. The group decided to break up, and each member planned to start a solo career.

But KayGee convinced Quana to bring the group back together. This time, DJ Myche Luv returned, and a new member named Hadiya Nelson (also known as Deeyah) joined. This new version of Tha' Rayne recorded a demo. However, they disbanded again about a year later, in August 2005.

Tha' Rayne's Songs

Singles