b. Reminisce Smith, 30 May 1981, the Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. US rapper Remy Ma first attracted attention in 2004 as a member of Terror Squad, the Fat Joe affiliated rap crew. Prior to that she had spent several years on the sideline of the New York rap scene, making sporadic mixtape appearances and working with Big Punisher. Following the latter’s untimely demise her career looked to be heading for the rocks. Reports of her rapping prowess caught the ear of Fat Joe, however, and resulted in a recording contract with his major label distributed SRC label. Remy Ma joined the Terror Squad and gained immediate notoriety when she appeared on 2004’s major hit single, ‘Lean Back’. She also guested on the group’s second album, True Story.
A series of mixtape appearances upped the buzz around the rapper before her debut album, There’s Something About Remy: Based On A True Story, was released at the start of 2006. The album detailed the rapper’s dysfunctional upbringing in the Bronx and her struggle to make any progress in the male-dominated rap world. Producers including Swizz Beatz and David Banner helped her work up a commendable head of steam, with slow jams such as the Ne-Yo collaboration ‘Feels So Good’ dotted throughout the album. On 27 March 2008, the rapper was convicted of assault, illegal weapon possession and attempted coercion in connection with a shooting incident the previous July.
