Born on January 17, 1987 as Willie Ray Norwood Jr., Ray J is a singer, record producer and actor who has sold over a million albums and appeared on several TV sitcoms. From McComb, Mississippi, he is the son of gospel singer Willie Norwood, as well as the younger brother of R&B sensation Brandy. The two of them were first seen performing in a 1997 television special before they landed roles in the UPN series Moesha. It was also in that year that Ray J released his debut album titled Everything You Want.
In 2001, Ray J was seen on the last episode of Moesha but gained more success with his music. He recorded “Another Day in Paradise” with his sister, and later worked with a number of hitmaking producers like Lil’ Kim and Rodney Jerkins. They aided in creating his second studio album, This Ain’t A Game. Though this didn’t garner as much fame, he went on with his career by appearing on Brandy’s music video for “What About Us.”
Ray J then took a two-year break from the scene, returning to the studio in 2005 to finish his third album Raydiation. It debuted at number forty-eight on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 18,321 copies in the first week. He later came up with his own label, the independent Knockout Entertainment. Also that year, he became part of the cast of UPN’s One on One, playing the character known as D-Mack.
In 2006, Ray J made headlines when he made a pornographic home video with Kim Kardashian, his girlfriend at the time. He continued making breakthroughs in his career, releasing his fourth album All I Feel. Later on, he decided to settle down, taking part in the VH1 reality dating series, For the Love of Ray J. There, 14 women followed Ray J and undergo numerous challenges in attempts to win him over. During the first season, he ended up with Cocktail (real name Joanna Hernandez). The second season had 19 ladies competing, and the winner ended up being Mz Berry (real name Connie Deveaux). He has also embarked on another series with his sister, Brandy Norwood, called Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business.