Omari Ishmael Grandberry, known popularly as Omarion is a famous American singer, rapper and songwriter. He is also known for his acting and dancing talents. Omarion gained prominence after being named the lead singer of B2K, the American R&B boy band. The band produced chart topping singles such as “Bump, Bump, Bump”, “Girlfriend” and “Uh Huh”, all of which reached top positions on the Billboard Hot 100 charts across the United States.
Omarion started his career as a solo artist, marking his debut with album ‘O’ in 2005 after B2K split up in 2004. The album debuted on the top of the Billboard 200 chart and earned Omarion a Grammy nomination in the category ‘Best Contemporary R&B Album’. He released his second solo album, titled ’21’ in 2006, which became the highest-seller of his career. Omarion then went on to release his next two solo albums, ‘Ollusion’ in 2010 and ‘Sex Playlist’ in 2014, both of which were successful. He then ventured into acting, appearing in films like ‘You Got Served’, ‘Somebody Help Me’, ‘Fat Albert’, and ‘The Proud Family Movie’.
Early Life and Education
Omarion was born in Inglewood, California on 12 November 1984 as the oldest of the seven children of Leslie Burrel and her husband Trent Grandberry where he was raised along with his younger siblings; sisters Arielle, Amira and Kira and brothers O’Ryan, Tymon and Ukil. He is an American citizen with African-American ethnicity.
Omarion started performing at the young age of five and was known for his unique dance moves. As a child, he appeared in commercials for McDonald’s and Kellogg’s Corn Pops. Omarion was never interested in studies. He played on his high school’s football team but dropped out mid-way when he was discovered by music producer Chris Stokes who cast him in the boy band ‘B2K’ in 1999, when he was 15.
Career Rise
Omarion was part of the R&B boy band ‘B2K’ from 2001 to 2004 during which time, the band released two successful albums; ‘B2K’, and ‘Pandemonium’. ‘B2K’ featured the hit singles “Girlfriend”, “Bump, Bump, Bump” and “Uh Huh”, all of which became hugely successful and featured on the Billboard Hot 100 list. The band also appeared together in the 2004 film ‘You Got Served” but split in 2004 and Omarion embarked upon a solo career. Around the same time, Omarion started his career on the big screen appearing in films like ‘Fat Albert’, ‘The Proud Family Movie’, ‘Somebody Help Me’ and ‘Feel the Noise’.
The 1.68 meter tall Omarion made his solo debut in 2005 with the album ‘O’ which reached the number 1 spot on U.S. Charts. He released his second solo album, ’21’ in 2006 featuring the hit single “Ice Box”, which became a huge hit. In 2010, Omarion released ‘Ollusion’, his third solo album, which featured the hit single “I Get It In” and 4 years later, in 2014, released ‘Sex Playlist’, his fourth solo album which featured the 3x platinum certified single “Post to Be”, which reached number 13 on Billboard Hot 100 and went on to become the highest charting single of his career. His TV appearances include. ‘The Bernie Mac Show’, ‘America’s Best Dance Crew’, ‘Let’s Stay Together’ and ‘Love & Hip Hop’.
Personal Life
Omarion was in a relationship with his ‘You Got Served’ co-star, actress Jennifer Freeman. The couple dated from 2003 – 2005 when they announced their split.
Omarion then started dating Apryl Jones and the couple announced the birth of their son, Megaa Omari in August 2014. Jones gave birth to their second child, a daughter named A’mei Kazuko in March 2016. The couple announced their breakup in late 2016.
Omarion – Net Worth
Omarion has an estimated net worth of approximately $8 Million