Da Brat
She shattered the glass ceiling for female rappers, delivering the first platinum solo album in hip-hop with her raw, confident flow.
Born 1974 (age 52)·American rapper·Birthday: April 14·Generation X
Biography
Da Brat erupted onto the hip-hop scene from Chicago with a swagger that was immediately undeniable. Signed to Jermaine Dupri's So So Def label as a teenager, her 1994 debut 'Funkdafied' was a seismic event. With its deep bass and her distinctive, rapid-fire delivery, the album didn't just go gold—it crashed through a historic barrier, becoming the first album by a solo female rapper to be certified platinum. This commercial breakthrough proved that women could be headline attractions in a male-dominated genre. Her career, marked by hit collaborations and a consistent, unapologetic persona, paved the way for the next generation of female MCs, establishing a template for success built on skill and sheer force of personality.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Da was born in 1974, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Da Was Born
The biggest hits of 1974
#1 Movie
The Towering Inferno
Best Picture
The Godfather Part II
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Da's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1974Born
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1979Started school
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1987Became a teenager
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Could drive
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1992Could vote
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Turned 21
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2004Turned 30
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 40
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 50
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 52 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Her debut album 'Funkdafied' was certified platinum, making it the first by a solo female rapper to achieve that sales milestone.
- The single "Funkdafied" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart in 1994.
- She earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album for her sophomore release, 'Anuthatantrum.'
- She starred alongside Jermaine Dupri and Kris Kross in the 1994 film 'Who's the Man?'
Did You Know?
She was discovered by Jermaine Dupri after he saw her perform in a local Chicago talent show.
Her stage name was inspired by a friend who said she had a "bratty" attitude.
She is an out lesbian and married her wife, Jesseca Dupart, in 2022.
She served a three-year prison sentence for an aggravated assault charge in the early 2000s.
“I came in the game and kicked the door down for females.”
