| Natina Reed Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 7 in |
| Weight | 58 kg |
| Date of Birth | October 28, 1980 |
| Zodiac Sign | Scorpio |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
Natina Reed was an American singer, rapper, and actress, best known for her music career with the band Blaque. She was very active in her childhood as she used to play drums at her father’s church and participate in dramas and plays. As a child, Natina attended several auditions and by the age of 8, she had about half a dozen modeling and advertisement credits to her name. She was also a talented writer and would often pen down poems and jingles, and even develop lyrics to the melodies that she would create by beatboxing. At the age of 13, she had submitted a song in a competition and won. That experience made her realize that she needed to be more open about her writing skills and pursue a career in that direction.
Her talents were recognized by hip-hop artist Lisa Lopes via her talent-scout brother. She helped Natina get a writing gig for the all-female musical group TLC. Following her growth as a writer, Natina gained widespread recognition once she joined Lisa’s girl band Blaque as writer and rapper at the age of just 19. The band released 2 albums – Blaque (1999) and Blaque Out (2002). In parallel, she also featured in a few films and TV series in the early 2000s. Her band, Blaque, however, could not build on its initial success. After transitioning to the label Elektra, they did not meet with the desired success and eventually disbanded in 2003. They attempted to reunite in 2010 but the efforts did not bear fruit. Natina, consequently, took a break from music to develop an acting career. Her promising journey, however, was tragically cut short in October 2012 when she was involved in a fatal car accident.
Born Name
Natina Tiawana Reed
Nick Name
Natina
Age
Natina was born on October 28, 1980.
Died
She died on October 26, 2012, due to a road accident in Duluth, Georgia, United States. She was just 31 years old at the time of her death.
Sun Sign
Scorpio
Born Place
Queens, New York City, New York, United States
Nationality
Education
Natina was a high school graduate. She had attended Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood, Georgia.
Occupation
Singer, Rapper, Actress
Family
- Father – Paul Reed (Reverend)
- Mother – Tamara Goodridge
- Siblings – Niesha Reed-Stevens (Sister) (Died in 2003), Genni Reed (Sister), Michael Whalen (Brother)
- Others – Mark Goodridge (Stepfather), Luci Reed (Stepmother), Farrah Franklin (Cousin) (Singer), John A. Reed (Paternal Grandfather), Florine Reed (Paternal Grandmother)
Genre
R&B, Hip-Hop, Pop
Instruments
Vocals
Labels
- Elektra Records
- Trackmasters Entertainment
- Columbia Records
Build
Slim
Height
5 ft 7 in or 170 cm
Weight
58 kg or 128 lbs
Boyfriend / Spouse
Natina had dated –
- Kurupt (2001-2003) – Natina had dated fellow rapper and actor Kurupt in 2001 and had even appeared in the music video of one of his singles. The same year, they got engaged. They had planned to get married in the spring of 2001 but due to schedule conflicts, they pushed it back by a year. The couple had a son in 2002 named Tren Brown. Shortly after that, the pair parted ways in 2003.
Race / Ethnicity
Black
Hair Color
Black
She often dyed her hair ‘Light Brown’.
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Dimpled smile
- Wore bracelets on both arms
- Had Tattoos on her waist
- Smoldering eyes
Brand Endorsements
Natina had appeared in the commercials for brands such as –
- Macy’s
- Bloomingdales
Religion
Christianity
Best Known For
- Her performances as part of the all-girl band, Blaque
- Writing hit songs like I Do, 808, and Bring It All to Me
First Album
Natina, as part of the band Blaque, released her first album titled Blaque in 1999. The album went on to receive the ‘Platinum’ certification.
First Film
In 2000, Natina made her feature film debut as Jenelope in the teen comedy film Bring It On.
First TV Show
Natina made her TV show debut as “Herself” on the documentary series, Disney’s 2 Hour Tour in 2000.
Natina Reed Favorite Things
- Music Band – Spice Girls
Source – YouKnowIGotSoul.com
Natina Reed Facts
- Born in New York, Natina’s family moved to Atlanta, Georgia when she was 4 years old.
- When she was in her teens, one of her jingles was bought by the beverage company Sprite.
- The name of the music group, Blaque that Natina was famous for being a part of, was an acronym. It stood for “Believing in Life and Achieving a Quest for Unity in Everything”. The group also included singers Shamari Fears and Brandi Williams.
- Natina and Blaque made their first appearance with cameos in the music videos for Lil’ Kim‘s 1997 single Not Tonight and Jermaine Dupri‘s 1998 song Someday at Christmas.
- In 1999, the band started getting recognition after performing as the opening act for NSYNC’s NSYNC in Concert.
- Blaque’s maiden self-titled album released in 1999 peaked at number 53 on the Billboard 200. The album was released internationally as Blaque Ivory. It was certified ‘Platinum’Â and sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide. One of the album’s singles, titled 808, also received ‘Gold’ certification for selling more than 500k copies.
- For their 1999 song Bring It All to Me, Natina and her band received the “Best New Artist-R&B” award at the 2000 Billboard Video Awards.
- For the 2000 teen film Bring It On, Natina and Blaque contributed 2 songs to the soundtrack – As If and a remix of Bring It All to Me. The 2nd of those songs featured verses from famed rapper 50 Cent.
- In 2001, Natina featured on her then-fiancée Kurupt‘s single It’s Over. The song peaked at number 88 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Billboard chart.
- In 2002, Blaque‘s 2nd album, Blaque Out was released, but only in Japan. It faced several technical difficulties in its US release and the death of a group member’s mother delayed it even further. In the US, it was only made available temporarily in 2007 and was reissued in 2011. Natina even attributed the album’s limited release to her pregnancy at that time and the members’ uncertainty over the band’s future.
- In 2003, Blaque contributed the single I’m Good for the dance film Honey‘s soundtrack. The song became their highest-charting single in the UK.
- In 2003, Blaque switched from Columbia Records to Elektra Records. They recorded their 3rd album titled Torch which was never released. Natina stated in an interview that she was upset with the fact that she did not have enough creative control.
- Blaque disbanded in 2003 and Natina joined a Christian ministry. For quite some time, she refused to record secular music and only focused on gospel music.
- In 2008, Natina featured in a TV film titled Til 6 in the Morning by Platinum Souls.
- In June 2011, Natina was arrested on the charges of reckless driving, driving under the influence, and driving without a license. She was subsequently jailed for 2 days and her license was revoked.
- Before her death in 2012, Natina was reportedly working on multiple projects – a solo album, a book, and was reading some scripts. She had also hired an acting agent to revamp her career. But, post her death, no information was revealed by her representatives about any of those projects.
- Natina is buried at the North Atlanta Memorial Park and Chapel Mausoleum in Doraville, Georgia. Before her funeral, her parents had criticized the police investigation alleging that they had been very lax in providing the details of the case to the family.
- In a strange coincidence, Natina’s godmother in the industry, Lisa Lopes had also passed away in an automobile accident. The incident had occurred in La Ceiba, Honduras, in 2002.
- In 2013, a year after Natina’s death, her sister Niesha Stevens died of unknown causes.
- She wasn’t active on social media.
Featured Image by BlaqueVEVO / YouTube
