Brace (singer)
Encyclopedia
Eddy Brace Rashid MacDonald, shortened to Brace is a Dutch singer, who often collaborates with famous Dutch rapper Ali B
, who helped to bring Brace to stardom after their first musical collaboration on the hit single Moppie released in the summer of 2004.
When Brace was at the age of sixteen, his father died. After this traumatic experience, the young singer would not go to school and he put his focus on his singing career. He practiced his freestyle sessions in the barn of Lange Frans'
parents. Together with Lange Frans
, Brutus
, Negativ
, Yes-R
, he was part of the hip hop group called D-Men
.
At a young age, Brace's remarkable musical talent received public attention, when he won the Talent of the Kwakoe Summer Festival and he also went to win the national finals of the Kunstbende in Utrecht.
who were already established Pop acts in the Netherlands, asked him to cooperate with the single Moppie. The single instantly topped the Netherlands Pop charts in the Summer of 2004 and Brace made his national breakthrough.
recognized the talent of Brace and worked with him on another song collaboration Ik ben je zat. Again, this song was proven a huge success, leaving two parallel tracks in the top 5 of the Dutch charts, projecting Brace as a prominent vocalist.
Brace is recognized for his golden voice and impresses his audience every time. Thus, he is seen as one of the main exponents of the new generation of urban artists in the Netherlands. On his first single, Vraag jezelf eens af, he is accompanied by Ali B with beatboxing.
The R & B artist impressed when he sang live in Amsterdam and plays an important role in the highly successful tour Ali B vertelt het leven van de straat (English translation " Ali B tells the life of the street"). The R&B artist also impressed on radio programme 3VOOR12 where he sang Vraag jezelf eens af (English translation "ask Yourself"), a song that he sings on tour with Ali B.
In January 2005, Brace participated at Noorderslag festival and following his performance with the tunes Verleiding and Lauw, a Dutch daily evening newspaper called NRC Handelsblad published a positive review of the R&B artist : "Brace sings with a beautiful, peaceful voice, an emotional song. It is the best time of urban Noorderslag! "
In 2006, Brace travelled to the United States to film the video clip for the single Drijfzand (14 April), which is an R&B mix by DJ Battlecat and a dance remix by Paul T.
Brace wrote a duet together with guitarist Dennis van Leeuwen of Dutch Rock group Kane, for the theme song Overleven of the Dutch horror movie Sl8n8 (premiered 29 September 2006). One month later, Brace lent his vocals again on another single Wees Niet Bang with the collaboration of the solid guitar work of Van Leeuwen.
On 12 October 2007, he released his second album titled Dilemma.
issues music awards ten times every year to support talented bands and artists. Each winner receives a promotional budget of Euro 5000, including excessive media coverage and produced performances at big festivals. The ceremony took place on 14 January during Noorderslag 2006, where Brace performed.
, the Successful Senegalese-American R&B singer-songwriter. Akon
has shown interests in working with Brace on more than one occasion. Notably, Brace features with Colby O'Donis
on the remix of Akon's chart topping number Beautiful
, and he also participates with his American counterparts in the music video for the remix.
Brace's official website contains a photo which shows the Dutch singer's encounter with international pop star Rihanna
, but no music project is known to have occurred between them, although Brace has expressed his wishes to work with her.
A 10 March 2010 publication on the website of Dutch Radio.nl, tends to justify Brace's disappearance from the spotlight. The article reports a run-in with the law for extortion and violations of Netherlands' Arms Act. The article stated that Brace is being detained since 12 January 2010 in the Dome Prison in Haarlem, but the exact reason was never published.
Allegedly, Brace had helped a friend flee into a car after being involved in an altercation with the landlord for refusing to pay rent. The lawyer of the 23 yr-old artist explains;"That weapon was not Brace, he did not use it. But you are in violation if you're wrong. And it was an alarm gun, so it was not even a pistol, but nor should it."
In late April 2010, the singer was sentenced to sixteen months in prison by the court in Amsterdam, with four months suspension, because he was already jailed since January on convictions for kidnapping, extortion and violating the Arms Act. Brace denies to have been aware of the kidnapping plan of his friends.
and mc's J-Rock. The accompanying video clip was also filmed there. Part of the proceeds of Het Kind went to Plan Nederland which is a global humanitarian child-focused development organization. Annually, through the borders of the Philippines, thousands of children are used in human traficking, especially girls. They have a life of exploitation and forced prostitution. Plan works with the Philippine Visayan Forum Foundation organization to put trafficking to a halt. They save children from the hands of child traffickers, ensure that children are taken care of, and be escorted to school.
In 2006, Brace was nominated one of the "ambassadors of liberty" and travelled in that capacity on 5 May 2006 to the Liberation Festivals in Assen, Groningen, Wageningen, Den Bosch and Roermond.
In 2006, rumours surfaced about Brace's engagement to his girlfriend, but in a Press interview he denied the allegation, saying; "I only gave a ring to my girlfriend because I wanted to make a nice gesture to my beloved ".
In the same interview, he joked that the only person he could ever cheat on his girlfriend with was Rihanna.
Ali B
Ali B is a Dutch rapper of Moroccan descent. He has been noted as the first Moroccan-Dutch star in Dutch pop culture, "perhaps the most popular rapper in the Netherlands", and has performed together with Akon and Dutch artist Marco Borsato.-Personal life:Ali B married his then-manager Breghje,...
, who helped to bring Brace to stardom after their first musical collaboration on the hit single Moppie released in the summer of 2004.
Early life
Brace was born 23 August 1986 in Surabaya (Indonesia), as a child of Surinamese parents. The family moved to the Netherlands, where he was raised in Amsterdam. His father Eddy MacDonald is a songwriter and his brother is a singer in the R&B groups K Shaw and VIP Allstars. Since he was eleven years old, he began to perform regularly on German stages, because his act was considered too young in the Netherlands.When Brace was at the age of sixteen, his father died. After this traumatic experience, the young singer would not go to school and he put his focus on his singing career. He practiced his freestyle sessions in the barn of Lange Frans'
Lange Frans
Frans Christiaan Frederiks known by his stage name Lange Frans is a Dutch rapper and television presenter. Earlier he was part of the band D-Men...
parents. Together with Lange Frans
Lange Frans
Frans Christiaan Frederiks known by his stage name Lange Frans is a Dutch rapper and television presenter. Earlier he was part of the band D-Men...
, Brutus
Brutus (rapper)
Thijs Frederiks better known by his stage name Brutus is a Dutch rapper originating from Diemen, The Netherlands...
, Negativ
Negativ
Maurits Robert Delchot better known by his stage name Negativ is a Dutch rapper, actor and radio broadcaster of Surinamese origin from Amsterdam-Oost....
, Yes-R
Yes-R
Yesser Roshdy better known by his stage name Yes-R , is Dutch rapper and television presenter of Moroccan-Egyptian origin. Before going solo, he was part of the Dutch hip hop formation D-Men...
, he was part of the hip hop group called D-Men
D-Men
D-Men was a Dutch rap formation established in 1997 under the name D-Men Squad. This was after a freestyle session they held on a basketball court in Diemen-Zuid. The original members of D-Men were rapper Lange Frans, his brother rapper Brutus and a childhood friend rapper-singer Bart Zeilstra...
.
At a young age, Brace's remarkable musical talent received public attention, when he won the Talent of the Kwakoe Summer Festival and he also went to win the national finals of the Kunstbende in Utrecht.
Rise to stardom
Rappers Lange Frans and Baas BLange Frans & Baas B
Lange Frans & Baas B was a Dutch hip hop duo. Both Lange Frans as Baas B grew up in Diemen, Netherlands.-1997-2003: Underground music:...
who were already established Pop acts in the Netherlands, asked him to cooperate with the single Moppie. The single instantly topped the Netherlands Pop charts in the Summer of 2004 and Brace made his national breakthrough.
R&B career
Following the success of the hit single Moppie, Ali BAli B
Ali B is a Dutch rapper of Moroccan descent. He has been noted as the first Moroccan-Dutch star in Dutch pop culture, "perhaps the most popular rapper in the Netherlands", and has performed together with Akon and Dutch artist Marco Borsato.-Personal life:Ali B married his then-manager Breghje,...
recognized the talent of Brace and worked with him on another song collaboration Ik ben je zat. Again, this song was proven a huge success, leaving two parallel tracks in the top 5 of the Dutch charts, projecting Brace as a prominent vocalist.
Brace is recognized for his golden voice and impresses his audience every time. Thus, he is seen as one of the main exponents of the new generation of urban artists in the Netherlands. On his first single, Vraag jezelf eens af, he is accompanied by Ali B with beatboxing.
The R & B artist impressed when he sang live in Amsterdam and plays an important role in the highly successful tour Ali B vertelt het leven van de straat (English translation " Ali B tells the life of the street"). The R&B artist also impressed on radio programme 3VOOR12 where he sang Vraag jezelf eens af (English translation "ask Yourself"), a song that he sings on tour with Ali B.
In January 2005, Brace participated at Noorderslag festival and following his performance with the tunes Verleiding and Lauw, a Dutch daily evening newspaper called NRC Handelsblad published a positive review of the R&B artist : "Brace sings with a beautiful, peaceful voice, an emotional song. It is the best time of urban Noorderslag! "
In 2006, Brace travelled to the United States to film the video clip for the single Drijfzand (14 April), which is an R&B mix by DJ Battlecat and a dance remix by Paul T.
Brace wrote a duet together with guitarist Dennis van Leeuwen of Dutch Rock group Kane, for the theme song Overleven of the Dutch horror movie Sl8n8 (premiered 29 September 2006). One month later, Brace lent his vocals again on another single Wees Niet Bang with the collaboration of the solid guitar work of Van Leeuwen.
Album releases
On 4 November 2005, saw the release of his debut album Strijder (English translation " The Warror"). Besides two promotional tracks titled Verleiding, then Lauw , the album is preceded by a second hit single in August, titled Hartendief (English translation "Heart Thief").On 12 October 2007, he released his second album titled Dilemma.
Awards
In November 2005, it was announced on the Dutch Radio.nl that the winner of Essent Award was Brace. The Dutch Energy company EssentEssent
Essent NV, based in Arnhem, The Netherlands, is an energy company. It is a public limited liability corporation. Essent is one of the largest players on the energy market in its chief market the Netherlands, and also operates in Belgium...
issues music awards ten times every year to support talented bands and artists. Each winner receives a promotional budget of Euro 5000, including excessive media coverage and produced performances at big festivals. The ceremony took place on 14 January during Noorderslag 2006, where Brace performed.
International collaboration
Brace is one of very few Dutch artists to receive international exposure across the pond per se, by establishing a professional relationship with AkonAkon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
, the Successful Senegalese-American R&B singer-songwriter. Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
has shown interests in working with Brace on more than one occasion. Notably, Brace features with Colby O'Donis
Colby O'Donis
Colby O'Donis is an American-Puerto Rican pop and R&B singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer and actor. In 2008, he released his debut album Colby O, and his single "What You Got" featuring Akon reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100...
on the remix of Akon's chart topping number Beautiful
Beautiful (Akon song)
"Beautiful" is the third single from Akon's third studio album Freedom. The song features American pop singer, Colby O'Donis and a rap verse from Canadian rapper, Kardinal Offishall. The song describes being in a nightclub and seeing a person that the singer is attracted to, but feeling shy to...
, and he also participates with his American counterparts in the music video for the remix.
Brace's official website contains a photo which shows the Dutch singer's encounter with international pop star Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
, but no music project is known to have occurred between them, although Brace has expressed his wishes to work with her.
Legal issues
As of December 2008, Brace's official website suggests that the Dutch artist has kept his career low-key, as no further appearances nor music projects have occurred nor are scheduled.A 10 March 2010 publication on the website of Dutch Radio.nl, tends to justify Brace's disappearance from the spotlight. The article reports a run-in with the law for extortion and violations of Netherlands' Arms Act. The article stated that Brace is being detained since 12 January 2010 in the Dome Prison in Haarlem, but the exact reason was never published.
Allegedly, Brace had helped a friend flee into a car after being involved in an altercation with the landlord for refusing to pay rent. The lawyer of the 23 yr-old artist explains;"That weapon was not Brace, he did not use it. But you are in violation if you're wrong. And it was an alarm gun, so it was not even a pistol, but nor should it."
In late April 2010, the singer was sentenced to sixteen months in prison by the court in Amsterdam, with four months suspension, because he was already jailed since January on convictions for kidnapping, extortion and violating the Arms Act. Brace denies to have been aware of the kidnapping plan of his friends.
Humanitarian interest
During the MTV documentary Rap Around the world, the song Het Kind which is also the 3rd single from the album Strijder was produced during the stay of Brace in the Philippines to participate in the filming of the documentary about child traficking. He collaborated with Ali BAli B
Ali B is a Dutch rapper of Moroccan descent. He has been noted as the first Moroccan-Dutch star in Dutch pop culture, "perhaps the most popular rapper in the Netherlands", and has performed together with Akon and Dutch artist Marco Borsato.-Personal life:Ali B married his then-manager Breghje,...
and mc's J-Rock. The accompanying video clip was also filmed there. Part of the proceeds of Het Kind went to Plan Nederland which is a global humanitarian child-focused development organization. Annually, through the borders of the Philippines, thousands of children are used in human traficking, especially girls. They have a life of exploitation and forced prostitution. Plan works with the Philippine Visayan Forum Foundation organization to put trafficking to a halt. They save children from the hands of child traffickers, ensure that children are taken care of, and be escorted to school.
In 2006, Brace was nominated one of the "ambassadors of liberty" and travelled in that capacity on 5 May 2006 to the Liberation Festivals in Assen, Groningen, Wageningen, Den Bosch and Roermond.
Personal life
Brace began his solo career in Betondorp in Amsterdam. He had the support of his mother who is also his manager.In 2006, rumours surfaced about Brace's engagement to his girlfriend, but in a Press interview he denied the allegation, saying; "I only gave a ring to my girlfriend because I wanted to make a nice gesture to my beloved ".
In the same interview, he joked that the only person he could ever cheat on his girlfriend with was Rihanna.
Singles
- 2004: Moppie
- 2004: Ik ben je zat
- 2005: Vraag jezelf eens af
- 2005: De Verleiding
- 2005: Leipe mocro flavour
- 2005: Hartendief
- 2005: Het kind
- 2006: Drijfzand
- 2006: Mammie
- 2006: Superster
- 2007: Pomp je booty
- 2007: Vijand
- 2007: Dilemma
- 2008: Zo donker zonder jou
External links
- http://www.popinstituut.nl/biografie/brace.18232.html