Cantrell was born into a family of jazz enthusiasts from Providence, Rhode Island. She and her five siblings were born to an Italian American mother who is a jazz singer and an African American father who was an NBA basketball player. She was raised by her mother, in Atlanta, Georgia.
After several demo recordings Cantrell was discovered by Red Zone Entertainment heads Tab and Laney Stewart in early 2000. The producers promptly placed her to Antonio "L.A." Reid who offered the singer a contract with his label Arista Records after a successful audition. Afterwards Cantrell went straight into recording sessions with Dallas Austin, Ji ...More
