Chicago-bred Da Brat took the hip-hop world by storm in 1994 with Funkdafied, her debut album. In the man's world of rap, Da Brat became a true record-breaker: the first female solo rapper to strike platinum and the biggest-selling female solo rapper to date.

Brat was introduced to the national scene in 1992 when she won a local MC contest sponsored by Yo MTV Raps. First prize was an introduction to Kriss Kross, then at the top of the rap charts. Kriss Kross subsequently hooked her up with their producer Jermaine Dupri who went on to produce her work, styling her as a female counterpart to Snoop Doggy Dogg -- equally as buzz obsessed and as foul mouthed.

Funkdafied blew up. The album entered the Billboard Rap Album Chart at No. 1 and sold more than 62,000 copies its first week in stores. "Funkdafied," the single, went platinum, making Da Brat the first female solo rap artist ever to deliver a million-selling single off a debut album. The single also broke another record by holding down the No. 1 position on the Billboard Hot Rap singles chart for 11 weeks.

Da Brat followed that up with Anuthatantrum in 1997. While working on her album, Brat also found time to venture into the world of film. She made her acting debut in 1997 in Full Court Press, as Kameesha, the loyal girlfriend of a basketball player.

Credit: allperson.com