Background and career
Omari Ishmael Grandberry (born November 12, 1984), better known by his stage name Omarion, is an American R&B and pop singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. He rose to prominence as lead vocalist of the boy band B2K, which was formed in 1998 and managed by record executive Chris Stokes. The group achieved success in the early 2000s with their singles "Gots ta Be", "Uh Huh", "Girlfriend", and the Billboard Hot 100-number one hit "Bump, Bump, Bump" (featuring P. Diddy). After the group's 2004 disbandment, Omarion promptly embarked on a solo career. He signed with Epic Records to release his first two studio albums, O (2005) and 21 (2006), both of which debuted atop the Billboard 200. The former was led by the Billboard Hot 100-top 40 single "O" and was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, while the latter spawned the single "Ice Box", which remains his highest-charting song on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 12. Omarion guest appeared on Bow Wow's 2005 single "Let Me Hold You", which peaked at number four on the chart; the artists released the collaborative album, Face Off (2007), followed by Omarion's third studio album, Ollusion (2010), both of which received moderate commercial response. He signed with Rick Ross' record label Maybach Music Group to release his fourth album, Sex Playlist (2014). It was preceded by the single "Post to Be" (featuring Chris Brown and Jhené Aiko), which peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received sextuple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Omarion has also ventured into acting, with appearances in films such as You Got Served, Fat Albert, Somebody Help Me and The Proud Family Movie. As a solo artist, he has received a BET Award, a Billboard Music Award, and a Soul Train Music Award.
Omarion was born Omari Ishmael Grandberry on November 12, 1984, in Inglewood, California to Leslie Burrell and Trent Grandberry. His younger brother, O'Ryan, is also a singer. He appeared in commercials for both Kellogg's Corn Pops and McDonald's. He started his dancing career as a background dancer for the R&B girl group Before Dark and appeared in their music videos. Omarion soon began pursuing a career in music and would go on to become the lead singer of the boy band B2K. Omarion also attended Alexander Hamilton High School in Los Angeles.
Omari joined the group B2K in 1998 and took the stage name Omarion. The group named themselves B2K, an acronym for "Boys of The New Millennium". They began touring with Lil Bow Wow and eventually released their debut single, "Uh Huh", in 2001. They soon after released their debut album, the self-titled B2K, on March 12, 2002. The album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart. They followed the album up in December with their second album, Pandemonium!, supported by their most successful single, "Bump, Bump, Bump" featuring P. Diddy. The single peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. This would prove to be the group's last album, as they would disband in early 2004.
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 bandmates. The movie centered on 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 No. 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 No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The second single, "Touch", peaked at No. 94 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album received a third and final release with "I'm Tryna". 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 Annual Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary R&B Album. On December 26, 2006, Omarion released his second album, 21. The album debuted at No. 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 No. 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. 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, which he co-produced, received mixed reviews from critics. In late 2007, Omarion and Bow Wow recorded a collaboration album titled 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.
On March 30, 2009, Lil Wayne confirmed that Omarion was affiliated (though not officially signed) with Young Money Entertainment. Four months later, he parted ways with the label; both Lil Wayne and Omarion confirmed that his departure had been for business reasons. Omarion then signed with EMI and created his own label, StarrWorld Entertainment. He later re-released the single "I Get It In" with Lil Wayne replaced by Gucci Mane. In January 2010, Omarion released his second single, "Speedin'". That same month, he released his third studio album, Ollusion, which sold 19,400 copies in its first week. Omarion also 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 set 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, which made the Top 10 on the Billboard 200. Also in 2012, Omarion signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation Management. On November 29, 2012, he released his debut EP, Care Package. September 2013 saw the release of Self Made Vol. 3 featuring Omarion, which also reached the Top 10 on Billboard 200 at number 4. Care Package 2, his second EP, was released on November 5, 2013. On February 14, 2014, he released "You Like It", the first single in promotion of his fourth studio album, Sex Playlist. On August 18, 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 their first child. In November 2014, he released a second single, "Post to Be", featuring Chris Brown and Jhené Aiko. Sex Playlist was released on December 2, 2014. "Post to Be" gained substantial commercial success, reaching No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song peaked in the top ten on the Urban Radio chart, the Rhythmic chart, and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, reaching gold status by the RIAA in May 2015. The song also won him a Soul Train Music Award for Best Collaboration. In June 2015, Omarion stated in an interview that he wanted to open his own dance studio by the end of the year. He released his third EP, Care Package 3 on November 12, 2015. November 2017 was met with the release of the fourth EP, Care Package 4. Omarion released the song "Distance" in 2017, for which he filmed a music video in South Africa.
