Omarion Biography

Omari Ishmael Grandberry (born November 12, 1984), better known as Omarion, is an American R&B singer, songwriter, dancer and actor. He is best known as being the lead singer of R&B boy band B2K. Managed by Christopher B. Stokes, the group achieved success with singles like "Bump, Bump, Bump", which reached number-one on the Billboard Hot 100. After the group's disbandment, Omarion released his debut solo album O (2005), which debuted atop the Billboard 200 and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 48th Grammy Awards. His second solo album, 21 (2006), contained his highest charting single to date, "Ice Box", which reached the top 20 on Billboard Hot 100. His third album Ollusion (2010) was released January 12, 2010 with the lead single "I Get It In". His fourth album, Sex Playlist (2015), spawned the single "Post to Be", which was certified platinum and reached the top 20 on the Hot 100 chart.

Omarion also ventured into acting, with appearances in films such as You Got Served, Fat Albert, Somebody Help Me and The Proud Family Movie.

Early life

Born in Inglewood, California, to Leslie Burrell and Trent Grandberry, Omarion is the oldest of seven children. His brother O'Ryan is the father of Jhen Aiko 's daughter, Namiko. At school he played on the football team and was also known for his quirky dance moves. Although he dropped out of school midway, Omarion began to perform at age five. Before he made it into the music business, he was in commercials for Kelloggs Corn Pops and McDonald's. He also made cameos in the R&B girl group Before Dark's music videos, before he embarked on a career in music. The smooth harmony singing that formed an integral part of the band B2K, helped him establish a solo career. His younger brother O'Ryan is also a singer.

Career

2005-07: O and 21

In early 2004, Omarion appeared in several films, most notably You Got Served in which he starred alongside Marques Houston, as well as his former B2K band mates. The movie centered around a group of friends in a hip hop dance crew who take part in underground dance competitions. That same year, he played the role of the school bully "Reggie" in the comedy Fat Albert, based on the animated series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. On February 22, 2005, Omarion released his debut solo album O. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. The first single from the album was "O". The single peaked at #27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The second single "Touch", peaked at #94 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album received a third and final release with, "I'm Tryna", which failed to chart. O has sold over 758,000 copies in the United States since its release. Omarion received a Grammy nomination for the album at the 48th Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary R&B Album.On December 26, 2006 Omarion released his second album 21. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. The first single from the album was "Entourage". The second single "Ice Box", produced by Timbaland, peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is Omarion's most successful solo single to date, reaching gold certification by the RIAA. 21 has sold over 390,000 copies in the United States since its release.

2007-10: Face Off and Ollusion

Towards the end of 2007, he displayed his acting skills in the thriller Somebody Help Me. This movie was released exclusively on DVD and aired on BET in celebration of Halloween. Omarion has also made several appearances in a number of TV shows, including One on One. Omarion also played the voice of Fifteen Cent in The Proud Family Movie. His portrayal of a rapper, who gets involved with thugs, in the movie Feel the Noise, received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics. Omarion also co-produced Feel the Noise. In late 2007, Omarion and Bow Wow recorded a collaboration album entitled Face Off. The album sold over 100,000 copies in its first week and went on to sell over 500,000 copies, reaching gold certification by the RIAA. The first single from the album was "Girlfriend", followed up by "Hey Baby" as the second single. During this time, Omarion toured with numerous artists, including Bow Wow, Ciara, Yung Joc, Ne-Yo, Usher, Lloyd, Mario, Pretty Ricky, and Jibbs.

On March 30, 2009, Lil Wayne confirmed that Omarion was officially signed to Young Money Entertainment but only after four months he parted ways with the label, with both Lil Wayne and Omarion confirming he was out for business reasons. In early 2010, Omarion signed with EMI and created his own label, StarrWorld Entertainment. Omarion later re-released the single "I Get It In" with Lil Wayne replaced by Gucci Mane. Then he released his second single "Speedin'". He released his third studio album Ollusion, which sold 19,400 copies in its first week.

2011-present: Sex Playlist and Reasons

In 2010, Omarion became a judge on the fifth season of America's Best Dance Crew, replacing former judge Shane Sparks. He left after Season 5 to focus on his music career. In early 2011, Omarion worked on his first mixtape presented by DJ Drama, titled The Awakening. Originally to be released on April 27, 2011, the mixtape was instead released on May 11, 2011. In November 2011, Omarion was seen on set with Japanese star Koda Kumi. On December 6, 2011, it was revealed that he collaborated with the star on the song "Slow" for her 2012 album Japonesque and appeared in the music video. On May 2, 2012, Omarion signed with Rick Ross label Maybach Music Group and Warner Bros. Records. He then appeared on Self Made Vol. 2 and is set to release his debut EP through the labels. Also in 2012, Omarion signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation Management. On November 29, 2012, Omarion released his debut EP Care Package. On November 5, 2013 Omarion released his second EP Care Package 2.

On August 18, 2014 Omarion was cast to be a part of Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood along with his mother and girlfriend Apryl Jones while awaiting the arrival of the first child. In November 2014, Omarion released the lead single from his fourth studio {double statement} album titled "You Like It" on February 14, 2014. The second single from the album called "Post to Be," features Chris Brown and Jhen Aiko. "Post to Be" gained substantial commercial success, reaching No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is Omarion's highest selling song. The song also peaked in the top ten on Urban Radio chart, Rhythmic chart, and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and reached gold status by the RIAA in May 2015. He released his fourth {double statement} studio album, Sex Playlist, on December 2, 2014.

In June 2015, Omarion stated in an interview that he wants to open his own dance studio by the end of the year. Omarion's new album is titled Reasons, and was scheduled to be released on October 23, 2015, and will include the singles "I'm Up" featuring Kid Ink and French Montana and "Sweet Anita". Omarion postponed the album for sometime in 2016 opting to release Care Package 3 instead in November. On the 20th of November 2015, Omarion released his newest single "I'm Sayin" featuring Rich Homie Quan.

Personal life

From 2003 to 2005, Omarion was in a relationship with actress Jennifer Freeman. The pair appeared as love interests in the film You Got Served, and Freeman appeared in the B2K videos Girlfriend and What A Girl Wants, appearing as Omarion's love interest.

In August 2014, Omarion and his girlfriend Apryl Jones had a son named Megaa Omari. In 2014 a nude picture of Omarion was leaked via iCloud. He confirmed that it was real, but called it an "old photo". On September 29, 2015, Omarion revealed via instagram that Apryl Jones is pregnant with his second child, a girl.

Discography

See Omarion discography for more information

• O (2005)
• 21 (2006)
• Ollusion (2010)
• Sex Playlist (2014)
• Reasons (2016)

Filmography

Films

Year	Film	Role	Notes
2004	You Got Served	David	lead role
	Fat Albert	Reggie	main role
2005	The Proud Family Movie	Fifteen Cent	main role
2007	Feel the Noise	Rob	lead role
	Somebody Help Me	Darryl Jennings	lead role
2010	Wrong Side of Town	Stash	cast
	Somebody Help Me 2	Darryl Jennings	lead role

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2004, 2005	The Bernie Mac Show	Shonte	Episodes: "Family Reunion" and "Who Gives This Bride"
2004, 2006	One on One	Darius/Nytmare	Episodes:"East Meets East Coast" and "Double Trouble"
2009	Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami	as Himself	One episode "All Men are Dogs"
2010	America's Best Dance Crew	as Himself	Replaced former Judge Shane Sparks
2012	Let's Stay Together	as Julian	Season 2, Episode 12 "The Choice is Yours"
2014-2015	Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood	as Himself	Main Cast

Awards and nominations

• American Music Awards

|- |2005 |Himself |Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist | |}

• BET Awards

|- |rowspan=2|2005 |Himself |Best New Artist | |- |O |Viewer's Choice | |}

• Urban Music Awards

|- |2007 |Himself |Most Inspiring Act | |}

• NAACP Image Awards

|- |2006 |Himself |Outstanding New Artist | |- |2008 | Omarion with Bow Wow |Outstanding Duo or Group | |}

• Grammy Awards

|- |2006 |O |Best Contemporary R&B Album | |}

• MTV Movie Awards

|- |rowspan=2|2004 |rowspan=2|You Got Served |Best Male Breakthrough Performance | |- |Best Dance Sequence with Marques Houston | |}

• Teen Choice Awards

|- |2004 |You Got Served |Choice Breakout Movie Star - Male | |- |rowspan=3|2005 |"O" |Choice Music: Make-Out Song | |- |Himself |Choice Music: R&B Artist | |- |"Touch" |Choice Music: R&B Track | |- |2008 |"Hey Baby (Jump Off)" w/ Bow Wow |Choice Music: R&B Track | |}