Shawntae Harris (born April 14, 1974), known professionally as Da Brat, is an American rapper, songwriter, actress, and television personality from Chicago, Illinois. She emerged during the early 1990s and became one of the most commercially successful female rappers of her generation. Her appeal rested on a direct, rhythmic delivery, a playful but forceful lyrical style, and an image that initially contrasted with the more polished presentation common among many mainstream female performers of the period.
Da Brat's career accelerated after she signed with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings. Her debut album, Funkdafied, was released in 1994 through So So Def and Columbia Records. Built around a funk-influenced, West Coast-inspired sound, the album established her as a distinctive new voice in hip-hop. Its title track became her signature song, reaching the top of the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart and entering the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. The album itself became a major commercial success and was certified platinum, making Da Brat the first female solo rapper to achieve that distinction.
The success of Funkdafied positioned Da Brat as an important figure in the expansion of women-led rap during the 1990s. Rather than relying primarily on singing or crossover pop presentation, she was promoted as a technically confident emcee whose music emphasized punchlines, attitude, and rhythmic control. Her early work also reflected the production priorities of So So Def, where catchy hooks, prominent samples, and club-oriented arrangements helped bring Southern and Midwestern rap perspectives to a broad national audience.
Da Brat followed her debut with Anuthatantrum in 1996. The album continued her association with Dupri while allowing her to develop a broader musical persona. It included the singles "Sittin' on Top of the World" and "Ghetto Love," and showed her moving between assertive rap performances and more accessible, radio-friendly material. During the same period, she became a sought-after guest performer. Her appearances on songs by Mariah Carey, Missy Elliott, Destiny's Child, and other major artists helped make her a recognizable presence beyond her own albums.
Her third studio album, Unrestricted, arrived in 2000. The project reflected the increasingly commercial direction of late-1990s and early-2000s hip-hop, with Da Brat adopting a more openly glamorous presentation while maintaining her rap-centered identity. In 2003, she released Limelite, Luv & Niteclubz, her fourth studio album. Although it did not reproduce the impact of her debut, it extended her catalog and demonstrated her continued association with the So So Def sound.
Da Brat also developed a parallel career in entertainment. She appeared in films and television programs, including the sports drama Glitter and the comedy Civil Brand, and later became familiar to television audiences through reality and talk programming. Her media work broadened her public profile at a time when many hip-hop artists were moving between music, acting, and television.
With two Grammy Award nominations, a platinum debut, and a long list of high-profile collaborations, Da Brat remains a significant figure in 1990s rap. Her breakthrough helped establish the commercial viability of a female solo rapper in the mainstream market, while her recognizable delivery and energetic presence secured her a lasting place in hip-hop history.