The Memoir Of Ms. Butterfly

Ray J is particularly lucky to be born to a musician’s family named Willie Norwood. Willie, a relative of Bo Diddley, is a gospel singer who often exposed his children to the art of showbiz, including supporting Ray’s older sister Brandy, who launched a singing career at the age of 2.

 When William Ray Norwood was born on January 17, 1981, his sister was cultivated to become a performer. Thus when the family, which includes mom Sonja Bates-Norwood, moved from Ray’s birth town in McComb, M.S., to Carson, California, two years later, it was considered an open opportunity for the children to spread their wings even more comprehensively.

 Ray only started his career at 8, when he auditioned for several commercials. However, acting soon became his main interest, and he got the opportunity to do so when he was cast as comedian Sinbad’s son in his TV show. Although the show was eventually canceled in 1996, Ray kept his spirit high by branching to music after being inspired by his sister’s early success. He recorded several demo tapes that finally landed in the executives’ hands of Elektra Records. He was immediately signed in 1995.

Two years later, Ray was added to Brandy’s TV show “Moesha,” which garnered success since its launch in 1996 as Dorian Long, the male main character’s out-of-wedlock child.

 Unfortunately, the show, too, received a decline in ratings since the fifth season and was eventually canceled after six seasons. Worse, his debut album, “Everything You Want,” released in 1997, did not do well on the market, and he was dropped that same year. Sticking it out when the going gets tough, he made guest appearances on several TV series in the several years ahead before eventually getting his big break in 2001.

 He recorded a cover of Phil Collin%’s “Another Day in Paradise” with Brandy which eventually sold moderately well in European countries. This proved to boost Ray’s credibility, for when his sophomore effort “This Ain’t a Game” was released in June 2001, it peaked at #21 on Billboard Hot 200, fronted by the single “Wait for a Minute” featuring Lil’ Kim.

At the same time, he was also itching to try his hand in the music industry, inspired by Brandy’s early success. So he signed with Elektra in 1995, recording Everything You Want the following year with a set of superstar songwriters and producers behind him.

 In 1997, he performed in a television special with his sister, but despite the mainstream attention, he was dropped by Elektra soon afterward. However, his easygoing image and boyish looks appealed to the producers of Brandy’s television show, Moesha, who scored him a role on the popular UPN series in 1999.

 He also started producing and putting together the music for several commercials and demos for his second album. When he stepped back into the studio, he called on the Neptunes, Rodney Jerkins, Brycyn “Juvie” Evans, and several other hitmaking producers to help him compile This Ain’t a Game (2001), a pop-oriented album.

 The album dropped in 2001, but despite a strong promotional push from the new label Atlantic, it wasn’t the breakthrough success it was designed to be. It would be four years before he returned to music, but despite the lengthy absence, his high profile still commanded an all-star guest list. Then, with help from Timbaland, R. Kelly, Mya, and Fat Joe, Ray J resurfaced with Radiation (2005), released on Sanctuary.

 Then, he changed labels again for All I Feel (2008), issued through Koch. Furthermore, the album was a success thanks in no small part to the double-platinum single “Sexy Can I,” topping the U.S. indie and R&B charts and rising into the Billboard top ten.

In the decade that followed, Ray J was known more for tabloid headlines and reality television. The singer landed his dating series on VH1 titled For the Love of Ray J, which spawned a soundtrack album that same year (2009). A second VH1 series, Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business, lasted two seasons, and he went on to host Oxygen’s Bad Girls All-Star Battle. After that, he moved toward a fifth proper solo album, including the point “I Hit It First” — which peaked at number 11 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop chart in 2013 — and 2015’s “Brown Sugar,” which featured Lil Wayne. However, that long-dormant album would arrive in 2019, over a decade after All I Feel.

 After releasing a stream of singles in the late 2010s, his comeback efforts were ramped up with the release of “Rich N Whippin” with Soulja Boy and “Hallelujah” with cousin Snoop Dogg, which was featured on his visual project Redemption.

Major Works

Ray J has released five studio albums, two soundtrack albums, and several singles in a two-decade career. In addition, he has made guest appearances on tracks by Gucci Mane, Styles P, Willie Norwood, Brandy, Fabolous, and others. His fourth album, ‘All I feel,’ topped both ‘U.S. Independent albums’ and ‘US R&B/Hip-Hop charts.

Awards & Achievements

His single ‘Sexy Can I’ from the album ‘All I Feel,’ featuring Yung Berg, was certified Platinum by RIAA.

Controversies & Scandals

Ray J was arrested in September 2011 after punching rapper Fabolous in the face at the ‘Palms Casino’ in Las Vegas for a tweet he (Fabolous) had posted several days earlier.

In the tweet, Fabolous had mocked Ray J for playing his own song, ‘One Wish,’ on a piano at Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s house while filming a documentary on the fight between Mayweather and Victor Ortiz. In 2014, almost three years after the incident, Ray J took responsibility for his actions.

On May 30, 2014, a woman accused Ray J of inappropriately touching her posterior at a bar at the ‘Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. The police were contacted, and they deemed the incident unintentional.

According to the police, after the hotel asked him to leave, Ray J turned aggressive, spitting at an officer and kicking a window of a police car when they did try to arrest him. After the arrest, the bail was set at $20,000, which he posted, and he was released.

On July 22, 2014, he was charged with four criminal offenses, including sexual battery. He pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charges on August 19 during an appearance before the court.

Personal Life

Ray J met future reality TV superstar Kim Kardashian while she was employed as a stylist for his sister. They had an on-again, off-again relationship that lasted till 2007. In February of that year, a pornographic home video they had made together in 2003 began circulating.

At first, Kardashian denied that the tape existed, but later she sued ‘Vivid Entertainment,’ the company that had acquired the rights to the video, for its ownership. The suit was dropped in late April in favor of a settlement that awarded Kardashian $5 million.

He married his ‘Love & Hip-Hop: Hollywood’ co-star Princess Love in August 2016.

Trivia

Ray J is Snoop Dogg’s first cousin.

He appeared in the music video of Brandy’s 2002 song, ‘What About U.’

He and Mayweather share a brotherly bond as they have grown up together.

Besides promoting his album, Ray continued his stints in TV series plus nabbing the leading role in an indie movie titled “Envy” in 2005. The third album was then prepared with the help of Rodney Jerkins, Timbaland, and R. Kelly.

 The third set, aptly called “Radiation” was dropped in stores on September 27, 2005, and quickly took #48 post on the Top 200 albums chart, selling 18,321 copies in the first week.

 As his music career took off, his acting gigs did too. Although uncredited, he starred as a DJ in the sequel to “Save the Last Dance. Which was released in 2006 and in the crime drama “A Day in the Life” alongside Omar Epps in 2007. However, his name suddenly media attention when in 2007, a tape of him having sex with socialite Kim Kardashian leaked online.

 Kardashian accused him of deliberately putting the tape on the Internet to boost his career. Still, Ray denied this, reasoning that he tapped the intercourse to watch himself perform and take the initiative from it. After the incident, Ray was quick to prep for the release of his fourth album, which would later be named “All I Feel.” The rapper signed a significant deal with Koch Records to create his own imprint, Knockout Entertainment, and release “All I Feel” on April 8, 2008. “Sexy Can I,” the first single off the album, peaked at #3 and became Ray’s biggest hit as of 2008.

Princess first appears as a guest star in season one of Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood, which chronicles her relationship struggles with Ray J while feuding with his ex, Teairra. In one memorable scene, Ray pushes her into a pool during an argument. At the reunion, she gets into a physical brawl with Ray’s former assistant, Morgan Hardman.

Princess joins the supporting cast in season two, chronicling the aftermath of her 2015 arrest for alleged domestic violence against Ray. She initially tries befriending Teairra before the two have a violent falling out. However, princess and Ray eventually reconcile, and when he proposes to her in the season finale, she accepts.

Princess is promoted to the main cast in season three. Her wedding ceremony is featured in the season finale. Although credited in every season four episode, she infrequently appears, her storyline revolving around her struggle to get pregnant. She is successful in season five, and the couple welcomes their first child, Melody Love Norwood, in the special Ray J & Princess’s Labor of Love. She announces that she is pregnant with their second child in season six.

Ray J and Princess Love have had a rollercoaster relationship since the beginning of their union. So it was no surprise to Love & Hip Hop fans when divorce paperwork was filed. The couple has filed for divorce three times in their six-year marriage. Now, Ray J is taking steps to ensure the divorce is finalized. The former Death Row Records owner recently submitted a declaration that includes a list of his monthly income and expenses and reveals his assets. It’s a filing that both parties require before the divorce can be finalized. 

Ray J is seeking joint legal and physical custody of their two children. The couple is parents to 3-year-old Melody and 1-year-old Epik. He cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split and asked the court to cut off Love’s right to collect spousal support. Love has yet to respond to the latest filing but doesn’t appear to object, as she’s removed all marital insinuations from her social media and previously boasted that she’ll be single by this August. As for Ray J, the 40-year-old filed for divorce in Oct. 2021. This is the third time the couple has filed for divorce, with Love filing in May 2020 before opting to work things out amid the COVID-19 quarantine. They even moved together from LA to Miami. Ray J filed the same September, which Love says she was blindsided by. 

The documents also reveal there’s a prenup between the two. Ahead of their wedding on Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood, Ray J was conflicted about whether or not a prenuptial agreement was necessary. Despite ripping up the document on national television, he apparently changed his mind and went forward with one.

The couple has been on and off in their nearly decade of relationship, even before tying the knot in 2016. Because there have been so many breakups and makeups, many wonder if this time will be the last. TMZ recently spoke with Love at LAX and asked whether she’d be open to reconciling with her estranged husband. “I mean, you never know; the door is always open,” she said. “You know, we love each other, but when you stop trying, you must do what you must.” Before Ray’s final divorce petition in Oct. 2021, the two appeared together on VH1’s Couples Therapy. However, the “One Wish” singer didn’t give a straight answer when their life coach asked if he preferred to stay married. 

TMZ asked Love if she wanted to give their relationship another shot. She’s impartial to the idea. “I don’t know what. “I mean, you never know; the door is always open,” she said. “You know, we love each other, but when you stop trying, you must do what you must.” Before Ray’s final divorce petition in Oct. 2021, the two appeared together on VH1’s Couples Therapy. Unfortunately, the “One Wish” singer didn’t give a straight answer when their life coach asked if he preferred to stay married. 

TMZ asked Love if she wanted to give their relationship another shot. She’s impartial to the idea. “I don’t know what I want,” she explained. “But when someone keeps filing for divorce, you have to give them what they want.” I want,” she explained. “But when someone keeps filing for divorce, you have to give them what they want.”

Fans expressed concern for Ray J after he posted and deleted videos of himself seemingly contemplating taking his own life.

In one video, the “Love & Hip Hop Hollywood” alum, 41, appeared to be sitting on some elevated surface while he zoomed in on a bright orange full moon. “If it wasn’t 4 my Kidz, I would jump off and die tonight,” he captioned the since-deleted video on Thursday night.

Another video showed the singer sitting on a ledge with his feet dangling off while he panned to the ground below and the ledge surrounding him.

“SHOULD I JUST JUMP off and end it rit [sic]? Now!!! ????” he captioned the video, which he deleted on Thursday night.

Ray J, whose real name is William Ray Norwood Jr., additionally took to his Instagram Stories to post similar videos and photos of the nighttime setting.

He captioned one video of the moon, “IF I DIE TONIGHT,” while adding another video of the ground below him, “trying to figure it out – maybe this life was an illusion – maybe the next life was my real reality.

A source close to Ray J told Page Six that he’s “fine” and “everything is OK.” The source added that the videos were taken “on vacation with Princess Love,” his on-again, off-again wife.

The “Turnin’ Me On” singer has had a challenging last few months. In May, Ray J accused Kris Jenner and his ex-girlfriend Kim Kardashian of partnering with him to release the couple’s infamous 2007 sex tape.

The Kardashians kept quiet on the accusations for months until Jenner denied the claims in a lie detector segment on “The Late Late Show with James Corden” in September. Ray J then fired back and alleged that they filmed three sex tapes and that he and Kardashian received $400,000 in the original sex tape contract. 

When anyone speaks about wanting to end their life, whether famous or it should be taken seriously because life is a gift from god, and life is minimal, instead of us speaking of how we would end things just because life has been easy. News flash, people’s life is not meant to be easy for anyone, if we come from money or not. Life is a classroom that no one can run away from or should run away from. We should take every stone that we stumble upon as a lesson to learn from. Instead of standing by and watching someone struggle with mental health, support surrounds them with Love. 

Ms. Butterfly Genesis