Just call her a legend. Millions of fans cheered on Da Brat (real name Shawntae Harris) when she not only came out but made her social media debut with her girlfriend Jesseca Dupart, 37, on Thursday, March 26. Jesseca, who is a successful self-made entrepreneur, gave her the surprise of her lifetime when she gifted the “What’chu Like” rapper with a gorgeous Bentley ahead of her 46th birthday. “Never have I EVER. Needless to say… I’ve always been a kind of private person until I met my heart’s match who handles some things differently than I do,” Da Brat captioned the emotional clip. “Thank you baby @darealbbjudy for far more than this incredible birthday gift. I have never experienced this feeling. It’s so overwhelming that often I find myself in a daze hoping to never get pinched to see if it’s real so I can live in this dream forever.”
The Chicago native has built quite an amazing career that goes all the way back to the early 90’s. Here are 5 things that you should know about her!
1: The Beginning. Music producer Jermaine Dupri, who has worked with iconic artists like Mariah Carey and Alicia Keys, was the one to sign Da Brat to his So So Def label after she won a local rap contest sponsored by the former television program Yo! MTV Raps.
2: Making History. Jermaine made the right choice by signing her as her debut album, Funkdafied, which topped the R&B/Hip-Hop Album chart in 1994, went on to sell one million copies. She became the first female rapper to achieve platinum status and the second overall female rap act (solo or group) after Salt-N-Pepa.
3. The Envelope Please. Da Brat has picked up a couple of major trophies over her lengthy career. She has won 2 Billboard Music Awards and a Best Rap Album honor for Funkdafied at The Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards in 1995.
4. Legends Working Together. She was featured in Lil Kim‘s “Not Tonight” remix back in 1997 that also included other iconic female rappers like Angie Martinez, Missy Elliott and the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes. The ladies earned a Grammy nomination for their effort and performed the song together at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards.
5. Transition To TV & Film. Da Brat has also excelled in the world of reality and acting. She’s appeared on major shows and films like Empire and Glitter and has also been a supporting cast member on Growing Up Hip-Hop: Atlanta for the past three years.