Raz-B
Encyclopedia
De'Mario Monte Thornton (born June 13, 1985), better known as Raz-B, is an American
singer
and actor
, most famous for being is a founding member of R&B
boy band
B2K
.
, Raz B was a member of the group B2K as a teen. The release of B2K’s album, Pandemonium!
, and an accompanying tour finished the year for him that concluded with the release of the group’s first feature film, You Got Served
.
Raz B is soon to release Heal the World, a compilation record project he hopes will "bring families together." Distributed through his newly created production company, RazBeatz Entertainment, Heal the World will feature collaborations with a host of emerging artists.
Along with the release of the Heal the World project, Raz has a solo venture in the making. Anticipating the release of his solo album, Raz hopes to bridge cultures through entertainment and create music that speaks from the soul with his first solo debut. Leading up to his official unveiling as a soloist, Raz released his first debut single, Fire in May 2007. Fire officially debuted on the Billboard charts (the week of 5/12/07) on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales charts debuting at #2 and also hitting the Billboard Hot Singles Sales charts at #2. At the time there was literally no promotion behind the single as it debuted.
Raz has future plans to release his autobiography. Additionally, projects on the immediate horizon include television, film properties, charity ventures and several international ventures.
March 19, 2010 Raz B released his first mixtape entitled Boy 2 King.
, and various internet media outlets showing Raz-B discussing allegations of rape
and sexual misconduct
by his ex-manager and cousin, Chris Stokes, against him and fellow members of his former band, B2K. In the videos, Raz-B also alleged that similar goings-on took place with former members of the band IMx
. Stokes denied all allegations.
On December 26, 2007, a third part of the allegations was released. Thornton made a public apology, stating that the allegations were not true about Chris Stokes and Marques Houston
.
In September 2010 Thornton returned with allegations that Chris Stokes and Marques Houston sexually assaulted
him through a series of videos where he speaks to former members of B2K and Marques Houston about the alleged abuse.
*In the beginning of 2008, a song titled Body Up was leaked; Raz-B leads this B2K 2008 song. Omarion
is the only former B2K member who did not take part in the groups return.
Boy 2 King: The Mixtape EP
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, most famous for being is a founding member of R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
boy band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
B2K
B2K
B2K was an American R&B music group. The group met in 1998, established in 2001, and managed by music producer Chris Stokes with Lil' Fizz, J-Boog, Raz-B, and Omarion as members. The group disbanded in 2004 due to internal disagreements.-2001-2002: B2K:...
.
Career
Born in Cleveland, OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Raz B was a member of the group B2K as a teen. The release of B2K’s album, Pandemonium!
Pandemonium!
Pandemonium! is the 2002 second and final studio album from the R&B/pop group B2K. The album was released through Epic on December 10, 2002.-Chart performance:...
, and an accompanying tour finished the year for him that concluded with the release of the group’s first feature film, You Got Served
You Got Served
You Got Served is a film written and directed by Chris Stokes, manager of its stars, recording artist Omarion, Marques Houston and the members of boy band B2K. The plot concerns a group of dancers, who take part in a street dancing competition...
.
Raz B is soon to release Heal the World, a compilation record project he hopes will "bring families together." Distributed through his newly created production company, RazBeatz Entertainment, Heal the World will feature collaborations with a host of emerging artists.
Along with the release of the Heal the World project, Raz has a solo venture in the making. Anticipating the release of his solo album, Raz hopes to bridge cultures through entertainment and create music that speaks from the soul with his first solo debut. Leading up to his official unveiling as a soloist, Raz released his first debut single, Fire in May 2007. Fire officially debuted on the Billboard charts (the week of 5/12/07) on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles Sales charts debuting at #2 and also hitting the Billboard Hot Singles Sales charts at #2. At the time there was literally no promotion behind the single as it debuted.
Raz has future plans to release his autobiography. Additionally, projects on the immediate horizon include television, film properties, charity ventures and several international ventures.
March 19, 2010 Raz B released his first mixtape entitled Boy 2 King.
Chris Stokes allegations
On December 24, 2007, videos were released on YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, and various internet media outlets showing Raz-B discussing allegations of rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
and sexual misconduct
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
by his ex-manager and cousin, Chris Stokes, against him and fellow members of his former band, B2K. In the videos, Raz-B also alleged that similar goings-on took place with former members of the band IMx
IMx
IMx , are an American R&B group, managed by record producer Chris Stokes. Its members include Marques "Batman" Houston , Jerome "Romeo" Jones , and Kelton "LDB" Kessee , all natives of Los Angeles, California, where the group was formed...
. Stokes denied all allegations.
On December 26, 2007, a third part of the allegations was released. Thornton made a public apology, stating that the allegations were not true about Chris Stokes and Marques Houston
Marques Houston
Marques Barrett Houston is an American R&B singer, songwriter, rapper, and actor. A member of the R&B singing group Immature/IMx until 2002, he went solo in 2003. He is also the cousin of J-Boog, former member of the R&B/Hip-Hop group B2K....
.
In September 2010 Thornton returned with allegations that Chris Stokes and Marques Houston sexually assaulted
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
him through a series of videos where he speaks to former members of B2K and Marques Houston about the alleged abuse.
Albums with B2K
| Year | Album | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B | UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | B2K (Gold) | 2 | 1 | - |
| 2002 | B2K: The Remixes - Volume 1 (EP) | 129 | 47 | - |
| 2002 | Pandemonium! (Platinum) | 10 | 3 | 35 |
| 2002 | Santa Hooked Me Up (EP) | 132 | 35 | - |
| 2003 | The Remixes - Volume 2 (EP) | 192 | 38 | - |
| 2004 | B2K Greatest Hits | - | 76 | - |
Singles with B2K
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US R&B | US Rhythmic Top 40 Rhythmic Contemporary Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may... |
UK singles UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|||
| 2002 | Uh Huh | 37 | 20 | 14 | 35 | B2K B2K (album) B2K is the eponymous debut album from B2K. It was released on March 12, 2002. The album debuted #2 at on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart selling 109,000 copies in the first week.- Track listing :# Gots Ta Be – 5:21... |
| 2002 | Gots Ta Be | 34 | 13 | 14 | - | B2K |
| 2002 | Why I Love You | 73 | 19 | - | - | B2K and Pandemonium! |
| 2002 | Bump, Bump, Bump Bump, Bump, Bump "Bump, Bump, Bump" is a 2003 hit single by B2K featuring P. Diddy, taken from their album Pandemonium!. It was written by R. Kelly and Varick Smith and produced by R. Kelly. It became B2K's first top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and reached number one for one week starting on... (with P. Diddy) |
1 | 2 | 1 | 24 | Pandemonium! Pandemonium! Pandemonium! is the 2002 second and final studio album from the R&B/pop group B2K. The album was released through Epic on December 10, 2002.-Chart performance:... |
| 2003 | Girlfriend Girlfriend (B2K song) Girlfriend is the second single by boy band B2K from their second studio album Pandemonium!. The song debuted at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 19 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.-Music video:... |
30 | 19 | 15 | 10 | Pandemonium! |
| 2003 | Feelin' Freaky (Nick Cannon Nick Cannon Nicholas Scott "Nick" Cannon is an American actor, comedian, rapper, entrepreneur, record producer, radio, and television personality. On television, Cannon began as a teenage sketch comedian on All That before going on to host The Nick Cannon Show, Wild 'N Out, and America's Got Talent... featuring B2K) |
92 | 46 | - | - | Nick Cannon |
| 2003 | What A Girl Wants | - | 47 | - | - | Pandemonium! |
| 2003 | Uh Huh 2003 | - | - | - | 31 | The Remixes - Volume 2 The Remixes - Volume 2 -Track listing:# Girlfriend -2:57# Girlfriend - 3:17# Girlfriend - 3:48# Bump That - 3:15# Bump, Bump, Bump - 4:51# What a Girl Wants - 4:41... |
| 2004 | Badaboom (feat. Fabolous Fabolous John David Jackson , better known by his stage name Fabolous, is an American rapper of African American and Dominican descent. He grew up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Part of his early popularity arose from his hit single "Can't Deny It" in 2001, from his debut... ) |
59 | 29 | 22 | 26 | You Got Served You Got Served You Got Served is a film written and directed by Chris Stokes, manager of its stars, recording artist Omarion, Marques Houston and the members of boy band B2K. The plot concerns a group of dancers, who take part in a street dancing competition... Soundtrack |
| 2008 | Body Up (without Omarion Omarion Omari Ishmael Grandberry better known as Omarion, is an American R&B singer, actor, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and former lead singer of the R&B group, B2K. Omarion was spotted at a young age by a manager, Christopher B. Stokes, who took a liking to his vocal abilities... ) |
|||||
*In the beginning of 2008, a song titled Body Up was leaked; Raz-B leads this B2K 2008 song. Omarion
Omarion
Omari Ishmael Grandberry better known as Omarion, is an American R&B singer, actor, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and former lead singer of the R&B group, B2K. Omarion was spotted at a young age by a manager, Christopher B. Stokes, who took a liking to his vocal abilities...
is the only former B2K member who did not take part in the groups return.
Discography as solo artist
Boy 2 King
|
Boy 2 King: The Mixtape EP
- Released: March 19, 2010 (digital download)
Cameo appearances
- Lil' FizzLil' FizzDreux Pierre Frédéric , better known as Lil' Fizz, is an American rapper and actor. He was best known for being the youngest member of the R&B group, B2K....
- Beds - Angie StoneAngie StoneAngie Stone is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress. She has been nominated for three Grammy Award. She is more successful on the charts R&B charts, with four Top 10 albums, forms including a number one album and 10 singles on the R&B chart,...
- Baby - Kelz - Ye' Ain't About That
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2004 | You Got Served You Got Served You Got Served is a film written and directed by Chris Stokes, manager of its stars, recording artist Omarion, Marques Houston and the members of boy band B2K. The plot concerns a group of dancers, who take part in a street dancing competition... |
Vick | Credited as DeMario Thornton |
| 2005 | Pieces of a Dream | Vic | |
| 2009 | Love Sick Diaries | Vic | |
| Caged Innocence | |||
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2006 | Noah's Arc Noah's Arc (TV series) Noah's Arc is an American cable television dramedy. The series, which predominantly features gay black and Latino characters, focused on many socially relevant issues, including same sex dating, same-sex marriage, same-sex parenthood, HIV and AIDS awareness, infidelity, promiscuity, homophobia, gay... |
Tashi | 1 episode |