Da Brat Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What Is Da Brat’s Net Worth?

Da Brat, an American rapper and actress, possesses a net worth of $100 thousand. She is recognized as one of the pioneering female MCs to emerge onto the hip-hop scene in the ’90s. In 2004, her debut album, “Funkdafied,” achieved sales of one million copies, making her the first female rapper to attain a platinum-selling album.

However, Da Brat has faced financial difficulties in recent years due to various legal issues, including a bankruptcy filing in 2018 where she reported debts approaching $8 million and assets totaling only $100,000.

Legal Problems/Incarceration

In October 2007, Da Brat was implicated in an assault incident during a Halloween party at Studio 72 nightclub in Atlanta. Following a confrontation with a hostess, Da Brat attacked her from behind with a rum bottle, resulting in permanent scars and nerve damage. As a result of this incident, Da Brat was arrested, subsequently pleading guilty to aggravated assault charges. She received a sentence of three years in prison, along with seven years of probation and 200 hours of community service. After being temporarily released on work release in May 2010, she was officially released from prison on February 28, 2011. The victim of the assault later pursued a civil lawsuit, leading to a February 2014 award of $6.4 million for her injuries and lost earnings.

Financial Problems

In August 2018, Da Brat applied for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, listing $108,700 in assets against liabilities of $7.8 million. Included within her debts was the $6.4 million judgment owed to the assault victim. Her filings revealed additional debts to Sony Music totaling $1.255 million, $12,000 owed to Ally Bank, and several thousand dollars to both the IRS and the Georgia Department of Revenue. Among her assets, she identified a 1999 Mercedes 238i valued at $5,000, a 2014 BMW 328i worth $15,000, and a Jeep Wrangler estimated at $23,000. Da Brat reported an average monthly income of $9,300 against monthly expenses of $10,500. By the time of her filing, she had earned $75,000 in the first half of 2018 and reported a total income of $92,000 for 2016.

Months after her bankruptcy filing, her assault victim initiated a lawsuit aimed at preserving the $6.4 million judgment from being discharged due to bankruptcy. This victim claimed that the original debt had since increased to $8 million due to accrued interest, and asserted that she had yet to receive any compensation from the rapper.

Early Life

Born Shawntae Harris on April 14, 1974, in Chicago, Illinois, Da Brat began rapping at the tender age of eleven. Raised by a Chicago city bus driver mother, Da Brat’s parents never married, leading her to spend part of her upbringing in two different households. She lived part-time with her mother and grandmother, participating in an Apostolic church’s choir four times a week. Da Brat attended Kenwood Academy in Chicago where she played basketball and ran track, graduating in 1992 from the Academy of Scholastic Achievement, a charter school designed for at-risk youth.

Career

In 1992, while still a teenager, Da Brat was discovered by producer Jermaine Dupri after winning an amateur rap contest held by “Yo! MTV Raps.” As a reward for her victory, she met the young rap duo Kris Kross, who introduced her to Dupri, leading to her signing with his So So Def label.

With Dupri’s guidance, Da Brat released her first album, “Funkdafied,” whichachieved platinum success, landing at number two on the R&B charts and dominating the rap singles chart for nearly three months. The single, sharing its name with the album, soared to #1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart and secured the #6 position on the “Billboard” Hot 100. The album’s second single, “Give It 2 You,” made it to #26 on the Hot 100.

With her 1996 follow-up album, “Anuthatantrum,” Da Brat exercised greater control over her music and image, resulting in another commercial triumph. Featuring hits like “Sittin’ on Top of the World” and “Ghetto Love” (with T-Boz from TLC), she returned to the R&B Top Five and the pop Top 20. During this time, she also made prominent cameo appearances on tracks by various artists, including Mariah Carey (on a remix of her hit “Always Be My Baby”), Missy Elliot, Dru Hill, and Lil’ Kim, among others. Throughout the late ’90s, Da Brat’s fame grew more from her featured roles on other rappers’ albums than from her solo work. She collaborated with Kris Kross on the title tracks of their albums “Da Bomb” and “Young, Rich and Dangerous.” In 1996, she made her feature film debut in “Kazaam,” acting alongside Shaquille O’Neal. The following year, she partnered with Dupri for another remix of Carey’s track, “Honey (So So Def mix).” Da Brat delivered the hit remix of “Ladies Night (Not Tonight)” in 1997, collaborating with Lil’ Kim, Left Eye from TLC, Angie Martinez, and Missy Elliot. Later that year, she was featured in “Sock It 2 Me,” a song from Elliot’s debut album “Supa Dupa Fly.” Da Brat also appeared on a remix of Destiny’s Child’s single “Jumpin’ Jumpin'” in 1999.

(Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for WE tv)

Afterward, she released her third album, “Unrestricted,” in the spring of 2000, embracing a more provocative image. This album not only became her second R&B chart-topper but also reached the Top Five on the pop charts, marking her biggest pop success to that point. Da Brat also found success with singles like “That’s What I’m Looking For” and “What’Chu Like,” featuring soul singer Tyrese. However, this album received a less favorable reception compared to her earlier works. In 2001, alongside Ludacris, she hit #1 on the “Billboard” Hot R&B/Hip Hop singles chart with a remix of Mariah Carey’s “Loverboy.” That same year, she appeared as a featured artist on a remix of Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor.” In 2002, Da Brat made her return to film in Mariah Carey’s unsuccessful movie “Glitter.” The following year, she released her fourth album, “Limelite, Luv & Niteclubz,” which peaked at #17 on the “Billboard” Hot 200 and #6 on the Top R&B Albums chart. Additionally, she appeared on VH1’s season four of “The Surreal Life” that year.

A comeback occurred in 2005 when she reunited with Jermaine Dupri and featured on the remix of “I Think They Like Me” by Dem Franchize Boyz, which climbed to #1 on the Hot R&B chart and #15 on the “Billboard” Hot 100. In 2006, she toured with Mariah Carey in cities like Atlanta, New York, Long Island, Washington D.C., Chicago, and Los Angeles, where she performed her rap sections on “Heartbreaker” and “Honey.” In 2007, she collaborated with Kelly Rowland on the bonus track “Gotsta Go” from her album “Ms. Kelly.” That same year, she took part in season five of VH1’s “Celebrity Fit Club.”

Upon her release from prison, Da Brat initiated a web series on YouTube titled “Brat Chronicles: In Transition,” focusing on her life post-incarceration. In 2011, she created a remix…With Kelly Rowland and Lil Wayne, Da Brat collaborated on a track titled “Motivation.” On July 2, 2013, she launched a new single named “Is It Chu?”. Since July 2015, she has been serving as a co-host for the Rickey Smiley Morning radio show and is also a member of the “Dish Nation” cast based in Atlanta. Additionally, she has made appearances as a mentor for aspiring artists on the reality TV series “The Rap Game.” Since 2017, Da Brat has been featured in the reality TV series “Growing up Hip Hop: Atlanta.” Further showcasing her talents, she has starred in various television series including “Envy: Seven Deadly Sins,” “The Chi,” “Brat Loves Judy,” “Step Up: High Water,” and “Saturdays,” as well as the film “Canal Street,” released in 2018.

Personal Life

After years of maintaining a private life concerning her sexuality and relationships, Da Brat publicly came out on Instagram in March 2020, revealing her relationship with entrepreneur Jesseca Dupart. Jesseca, who has found great success as the founder and CEO of Kaleidoscope Hair Products, which earns millions in annual revenue, became Da Brat’s partner. The couple tied the knot in Georgia in February. In July 2023, they welcomed their first child together.