Best known for being the lead vocalist of the R&B band B2K, Omari Ishmael Grandberry – better known as Omarion – was born in 1984 in California. He has had huge success with the boy band, with tunes such as Bump Bump Bump topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Omarion went on to release his own debut solo album, entitled O, following the split of B2K, and this album went on to take the top spot on the Billboard 200, with the hits O and Touch being particularly popular with fans and critics alike. The album even scored a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 48th Grammy Awards.
The singer’s second solo album, released in 2006, also created a hit with the single Entourage, which reached the Top 20 on Billboard Hot 100, while 2014 brought his biggest hit to date with the platinum-certified Post To Be, which featured Chris Brown and Jhené Aiko, from the album Sex Playlist. 2014 was also the year that the singer welcomed his first child, a son, something he says has changed his ambition and affected the way he now views his musical career. Omarion wrote in his official biography: “My muse and motivation is being a father. After having a child, I truly understand all of the parents in the world. He’s motivated me to dive into my art more, challenge myself, be more creative, and try different sounds and ways of saying what’s on my mind. I saw the importance of being selfless. That’s helped me with my music and my art. I’m supposed to motivate others. I’m supposed to make people have a good time and allow them this feeling through music to turn up.”
Omarion has also turned his hand to acting, appearing in the films Somebody Help Me, Fat Albert and The Proud Family Movie.
