Brooke Valentine is a singer, model, and actor from the United States. As a former member of the female band “Best Kept Secret,” she is most famous. She also became well-known thanks to her first solo album, Chain Letter. She grew up in Houston, Texas, and in the fifth grade, she unintentionally fell in love with music. She later joined the girl group “Best Kept Secret” after continuing to practice it throughout her high school years. She relocated to Los Angeles in 2004 in order to pursue a career as a solo musician. “Virgin Records” instantly gave her a deal. “Chain Letter,” her debut record, was soon released. Numerous singles from the album reached the top of the music charts, and the album was widely praised by critics. After that, she began working on her second album, “Physical Education,” which was made available as a mixtape in 2009. Brooke, meantime, took a hiatus from her own endeavors and started working with a number of artists. She was scheduled to make an appearance on the popular reality show “Love & Hip Hop” on VH1 in 2014. Her appearance did not, however, reach the final cut. Her participation in the upcoming season of “Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood” was confirmed in 2017.
Early Life & Childhood
On October 5, 1984, Brooke Valentine was born in Houston, Texas, as Kanesha Nichole Brookes. Out of the three children in the household, she was the oldest.
As a child, she was tomboyish. She frequently got into arguments. Her passion for singing was unintentionally discovered in fifth grade. When she was in school, her extroverted demeanor helped her sing in front of her peers.
These encounters gave her an odd sense of self-assurance, and as she grew older, she resolved to pursue a career as a singer. She had a hard time because her family didn’t know anyone in the music business.
As she grew older, her passion for singing grew stronger. She had taken her desire to pursue a career in music seriously by the time she was in high school. Following her high school graduation, she became a member of the female group “Best Kept Secret.” Despite their serious approach to music, the ensemble was not making any progress.
By chance, she met Deja the Great, who happened to be at the same shopping center as Brooke and one of her pals. Déjà came over to inquire about her companion. After they started conversing, Brooke decided to ask Deja for assistance after learning that he was a song producer and the CEO of the label “Subliminal Entertainment.”
At first, she was not taken seriously by Deja. Brooke quickly shown, nevertheless, that she was serious about pursuing a career in music. They began collaborating. Brooke followed Deja as he took a plane to Los Angeles for work. They kept working together, and shortly after, Brooke signed her first record deal.
Career of Brooke Valentine
After receiving a contract offer from “Virgin Records” in 2003, Brooke released her first single, “Girlfight.” The song’s lyrics discussed her early years and the numerous arguments she had with other schoolgirls. Big Boi and Lil Jon were featured on the tune, which was a huge hit. It reached its highest position on the “Billboard Hot 100” list at number 23. Additionally, it made it to the top 50 on a number of charts in Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.
Her debut album, “Chain Letter,” which came out in March 2005, included the track. Lil Jon, Jermaine Dupri, and Bink! were among the many producers and rappers she collaborated with on the album. Hip-hop and crunk influences were included into the album’s soundtrack.
Both listeners and critics enjoyed the record. Its unvarnished quality was likened to the films of Steven Soderbergh. The album had a strong commercial performance as well, peaking at number 16 on the “Billboard 200” chart. It was hailed as one of the year’s most successful debut albums and included 15 hits.
Brooke was asked to compose a song for the 2005 film Roll Bounce. She worked with rappers Yo Yo and Fabolous to produce the song, which is called “Boogie Oogie Oogie.”
Brooke began recording her second album within a year of her first album’s release. In 2006, the album, “Physical Education,” was revealed. She released “D-Girl,” the album’s first single, later that year. The single did not have the same level of success as its predecessors, but it was still fairly successful.
Shortly after, there was another single, “Pimped Out,” but it was another disaster. Brooke was dealt a serious blow when it was revealed that her album would be delayed for some time, while her admirers eagerly anticipated its release.
The purported merger of “Virgin Records” with “Capitol Records” was the cause of the delay. Her longtime friend and CEO of “Subliminal Entertainment,” Deja the Great, stepped in to save her and purchased the album’s rights from “Virgin.” In 2009, the CD was made available as the “Physical Education Mixtape.”
Brooke later stressed, however, that the record was doomed from the start. She disagreed with “Virgin Records'” approach to her job and how they handled the passing of a close relative. A few months after the mixtape’s release, Brooke revealed that she was working on other producers’ albums and that she wanted to take a vacation from her solo endeavors.
She returned with the music video for the song “Insanity” in January 2012. Deja the Great directed the video, which was recorded on a “iPad.” Later that year, she also revealed that her new album would be out.
Shortly after her new album was announced, the singles “Rub It In” and “Forever” were made available. Later that year, though, she revealed that her other existing endeavors will cause the album to be further delayed.
Her “Love Letters” EP, which she published in 2013, helped her achieve both critical and financial success. “Don’t Wanna Be in Love,” one of the album’s singles, was listed on the “Billboard Adult R&B Chart.” It had been six years since she last appeared on the charts.
In 2014, she shifted to television, filming a few sequences for the “Love & Hip Hop” reality series on VH1. She did not, however, appear in the final cut that was broadcast. She revealed her second studio album that same year.
“Grow Up,” “Games,” and “#CRAIG” are the three new singles she released in 2016.
Her participation in the upcoming season of the reality show “Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood” was formally announced in June 2017. She was promoted to regular contestant for the next season.
Individual Life of Brooke Valentine
Rapper Marcus Black and Brooke Valentine have been together for some time. She announced her engagement to him in July 2018. She had previously been romantically involved with Akbar Abdul-Ahad.
London, Brooke’s kid from one of her previous relationships, was born in 2010. He recently made headlines when it was revealed that he has cerebral palsy.
Net worth of Brooke Valentine
The net worth of Brooke Valentine as of 2024 is about $1 million.