Michel'le

Michel'le
Birth name Michel'le Toussaint
Born December 5, 1970
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres R&B
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1988–present
Labels Ruthless Records
Priority Records
Death Row Records
Associated acts Dr. Dre
Suge Knight
Eazy-E
2Pac
R&B Divas: Los Angeles
Website http://michellenow.com/

Michel'le Toussaint (/mɪʃɛˈleɪ/; born December 5, 1970 in South Central, Los Angeles, California), known mononymously as Michel'le, is an American R&B singer-songwriter known for her Billboard Top 10 hit "No More Lies" and R&B chart topper "Something In My Heart" along with a signature childlike speaking voice, which is a startling contrast to her strong singing vocals. Since its July 2013 premiere, Michel'le is currently one of six members on the hit TV One reality show R&B Divas: Los Angeles.

Career

Michel'le was originally a featured female vocalist on World Class Wreckin' Cru's 1987 single "Turn Off the Lights". The singer was called at the last minute to record vocals originally for Mona Lisa who could not make it to the studio. Michel'le was signed to Eazy-E's Ruthless Records. In 1989, she released her self-titled debut album, produced entirely by then-boyfriend Dr. Dre. The album contained "No More Lies" and the hit singles "Nicety" and "Something in My Heart." Michel'le sold 1.8 million copies in the United States and was certified Double Platinum on November 4, 1992 3 years after its release. worldwide sales stand at 2.7 million sold to date. During the Suge Knight shakedown incident, Eazy was forced to sign over Dr. Dre, The D.O.C. and Michel'le. In 1998, she released her second album Hung Jury on Death Row Records but it garnered little attention and no hit singles as of 2013 worldwide sales for the album stand at a disappointing 171,000 copies sold. She also sung on 2Pac's song "Run Tha Streets" on his album, All Eyes On Me. Following Dr. Dre's departure from Death Row Records, Michel'le and Dr. Dre parted ways. Her most recent music was a contribution to the Dysfunktional Family (soundtrack) in 2003. She has since confirmed through several media outlets that she's been working on new material and looking for a label for her third album. A trailer video for Michel'le's single "Freedom To Love" can be seen on YouTube and also has a brand new single "It Still Hurts". Currently, as of 2014, Michel'le is part of the cast of TV One's R&B Divas LA.

Personal life

Toussant is an American R&B vocalist with Louisiana Creole heritage. Michel'le and Dr. Dre have a son named Marcel (born 1991).[1] She has gone on record stating that Dr. Dre used to physically abuse her, including breaking her nose and ribs.[2] She married Death Row Records CEO/founder Suge Knight in 1999. They have a daughter Balei, who was born in 2002.[3][4]

Discography

Studio albums

Year Album Peak chart positions[5] Certifications
US US R&B
1989 Michel'le 35 5
1998 Hung Jury — 56

Singles

Year Single Chart Positions[7] Album
US Hot 100 US R&B
1989 "No More Lies" 7 2 Michel'le
1990 "Nicety" 29 5
"Keep Watchin'" — 65
"Something in My Heart" 31 2
1991 "If?" — 22
1998 "Hang Tyme" — 66 Hung Jury
"Can I Get a Witness?" — —
2011 "Freedom to Love" — 91 non-album single
2014 "It Still Hurts" — — non-album single

References

  1. ↑ Ro, Ronin (2007). Dr. Dre: The Biography. New York City, United States: Thunder's Mouth Press. ISBN 1-56025-921-3.
  2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-80yhVeegkA
  3. ↑ Alcorn, Jonathan (2007-06-17). "Like Knight and Day?". washingtonpost.com. p. 1. Retrieved 2009-07-14.
  4. ↑ http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2010/01/10/michel_le_toussaint_suing_suge_knight_ov_1 Michel'le Toussaint Sue Suge Knight
  5. ↑ "Billboard Album Chart Positions". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2009-07-14.
  6. ↑ http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?content_selector=gold-platinum-searchable-database
  7. ↑ "Artist Chart History - Michel'le". billboard.com. Retrieved 2009-07-14.

External links