Kid Sister

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Kid Sister

Kid Sister performing at Czar in Tampa, Florida
Background information
Birth name Melisa Young
Born (1980-07-03) July 3, 1980
Markham, Illinois, United States
Origin Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genres Hipster hop, electro hop, electro, R&B
Occupations Rapper, singer
Years active 2006–present
Labels Fool's Gold, Downtown, Universal Republic
Associated acts Flosstradamus, Kanye West, A-Trak
Website kidsistermusic.com

Melisa Young (born July 3, 1980), better known by her stage name Kid Sister, is an American rapper based in Chicago, Illinois, well known for her single "Pro Nails", which features Kanye West.

Biography

Kid Sister was born Melisa Young on July 3, 1980 in Markham, Illinois.[1] She started to rap in October 2005, becoming an MC at monthly dance parties hosted by DJ duo Flosstradamus who were featured in MTV's My Block that same year.[2] She made URB's "The Next 1000" cover in April 2007,[3] and was signed to DJ A-Trak's label, Fool's Gold, who released her first single "Pro Nails", which features Kanye West. Kid Sister later signed with Downtown Records,[4] who re-released "Pro Nails" to critical acclaim.

Kid Sister also appears on Tittsworth's "WTF", from his debut album 12 Steps, with Pase Rock.[5] She had also finished a mixtape with A-Trak.[2] In Fall 2009, Kid Sister finished recording her debut studio album. The title was changed from Dream Date to Ultraviolet. The album was produced by dubstep artist Rusko, The Count & Sinden, XXXChange, and Brian Kennedy, and includes a collaboration with English singer Estelle titled "First Ladies", which is a remake of Queen Latifah's 1989 acclaimed track "Ladies First" from her debut album All Hail the Queen.[6]

Her single "Control" is featured in the 2009 music video game DJ Hero, combined with Rihanna's "Disturbia". The album's lead single was "Right Hand Hi", produced by Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso of house DJ group Swedish House Mafia.[7]

"I think a lot of people are going to be surprised with the fact that there's a bunch of raw hip-hop records on there", according to A-Trak. "It's not all up tempo clubby stuff. I think a lot of people are going to be impressed with her growth also because when she made a lot of the records that people have heard by now, she was just starting to rap."[8]

In late 2010, Kid Sister released a mixtape titled Kiss Kiss Kiss. She has also been working on her second album and on an EP.[9] Scoop DeVille, who worked on Kiss Kiss Kiss, and The Neptunes are producing a large amount of the songs.[10]

Personal life

Kid Sister's ethnic background includes African American, Native American, and Caucasian.[11] In numerous interviews and magazine articles, she has revealed that she has struggled financially for years before becoming West's protégé.[12][13] She has also admitted to being 215 pounds at one point in her life. She continued in the same interview to state that she has been "thick" her whole life, but explained that this has had no bearing on her self-esteem, because at her core she is not a passive person.[14]

Kid Sister has a degree in film from Columbia College Chicago and worked on two independent feature films during her studies: 9/11 drama The Guys (2002) starring Sigourney Weaver and Anthony LaPaglia; and Best Thief in the World (2003) starring Mary-Louise Parker and Audra McDonald.[citation needed] Kid Sister for a time concurrently worked for the retail chain Bath & Body Works, Little Threads, a children's clothing store, and Wild Hare, a reggae bar in Wrigleyville.[15]

Discography

Albums

Mixtapes

  • Kiss Kiss Kiss (2011)

EPs

  • Kiss & Tell (2011)

Singles

Solo

Year Title Peak chart positions Album
US US sales UK[16] UK dance UK
R&B
2007 "Control" — — — — — Ultraviolet
2008 "Pro Nails" (featuring Kanye West) — 21 — — —
2009 "Get Fresh" — — — — —
"Right Hand Hi" — — 97 — 31[17]
2010 "Daydreaming" (featuring Cee Lo Green) — — 132[18] 14[19] —
"Big 'n Bad" — — — — —
2011 "Look Out Weekend" (featuring Nina Sky) — — — — — Kiss Kiss Kiss
"Kiss Kiss Kiss" — — — — —

As featured performer

Year Title Peak chart positions Album
US US sales UK[16] UK dance UK
R&B
2008 "Beeper" (The Count & Sinden featuring Kid Sister) — — 69 1 — Non-album single
2010 "Do Do! Do!" (Carte Blanche featuring Kid Sister) — — — Black Billionaires
2010 "Im'ma Get It" (Paul Wall featuring Kid Sister and Bun B) — — — — — Heart of a Champion

Awards and nominations

  • BET Awards
    • 2008: Best Female Hip-Hop Artist (nominated)

References

  1. ↑ downtown (November 5, 2009). "Kid Sister's Ultraviolet Out November 17th – Just Day's Away!!". RCRD LBL. Retrieved November 5, 2009. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Hopper, Jessica (August 4, 2006). "Social Mixers". Chicago Reader. Creative Loafing. Retrieved January 21, 2008. 
  3. ↑ Tankboy (March 15, 2007). "Chicago Kids Do Big Things". Chicagoist. Gothamist. Retrieved January 21, 2008. 
  4. ↑ Bolden, Janeé (February 28, 2008). "Kid Sister Signs With Downtown Records". SOHH. Archived from the original on June 16, 2008. Retrieved February 28, 2008. 
  5. ↑ Queen, Neil (August 8, 2008). "WTF feat Pase Rock and Kid Sister by Tittsworth". The Times. Times Newspapers. Retrieved September 1, 2008. 
  6. ↑ "Kid Sister & Estelle Pay Homage to Hip-Hop's First Ladies". Rap-Up. October 20, 2008. Retrieved July 10, 2009. 
  7. ↑ Dombal, Ryan (July 10, 2009). "Kid Sister Talks Album Delay, New Single". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved July 10, 2009. 
  8. ↑ Dow, Danica (August 31, 2008). "SOHH EXCLUSIVE: A-Trak Plans "Dream Date" W/ Kid Sister, Strikes Gold In New Label". SOHH. Archived from the original on September 11, 2008. Retrieved September 1, 2008. 
  9. ↑ Mr Goldbar (June 20, 2011). "Kelly Rowland "Motivation (Kid Sister Remix)"". Fool's Gold Records. Retrieved June 20, 2011. 
  10. ↑ DJ Jelly (June 15, 2011). "Kid Sister ATWS Interview!". As the World Spins. Retrieved June 15, 2011. 
  11. ↑ Cruz, Richard (March 8, 2009). "Kid Sister". Format Magazine. Retrieved July 6, 2009. 
  12. ↑ Mr Goldbar (July 7, 2008). "Kid Sister URB Photoshoot on Vimby". Fool's Gold Records. Retrieved July 11, 2008. 
  13. ↑ "article in press album on myspace page". Myspace. Retrieved July 11, 2008. 
  14. ↑ "Complex Women Kid Sister". Complex. 
  15. ↑ Schroeder, Amy (September 1, 2008). "How does a Catholic school girl become a hip-hop star?". Venus Zine. Retrieved October 5, 2010. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Kid Sister". Chart Stats. Archived from the original on 2013-01-18. Retrieved 2012-03-26. 
  17. ↑ "2009-12-12 Top 40 R&B Singles Archive". Official Charts. 2009-12-12. Retrieved 2012-03-26. 
  18. ↑ Retrieved May 3, 2010.
  19. ↑ "2010-05-01 Top 40 Dance Singles Archive". Official Charts. 2010-05-01. Retrieved 2012-03-26. 

External links

Kid Sister
Studio albums
Mixtapes
  • Kiss Kiss Kiss
Singles
Featured singles
Related articles
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