RECORDING ARTIST & SONGWRITER

Blu Cantrell is best known for the worldwide hit song "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)" featured on Cantrell's debut album, 'So Blu' (2001).  It is Cantrell's most successful single in the U.S. to date - it spent two consecutive weeks as no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Outside of the United States, Blu's song "Breathe" from her second album 'Bittersweet' was even more successful. A remixed version featuring Sean Paul was released as a single and became a smash hit in Europe, most notably in the United Kingdom, where it was no. 1 for four weeks. 

Blu was discovered by Red Zone Entertainment heads Tricky, Tab and Laney Stewart in early 2001. She also did collaborations with Babyface, Usher, Dionne Warwick, will.i.am, Fat Joe, Lil' Kim, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and jazz legend Herbie Hancock. The producers promptly placed her with Antonio "L.A." Reid who offered the singer a contract with his label Arista Records after hearing one song she wrote and sang in front of him and his staff. Her first album's hit single "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)" became the number one most added record to radio in the country, breaking Elvis Presley's record for most played on all genres of radio. The song earned Blu two Grammy Award nominations (Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song), as well as an American Music Award nomination for Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist.

During this era, Blu helped write and compose, along with several other writers, the song "It's Killing Me (In My Mind)" for the soundtrack of the 2002 film 'Bad Company.' Blu also featured in a small cameo role in the 2002 film 'Drumline,' where she could be seen singing the American National Anthem. The film starred Nick Cannon and Orlando Jones.

Blu's second album 'Bittersweet' (2003) featuring the smash hit "Breathe" earned Blu a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Album and entered the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at number eight. The album produced two hit singles, the Sean Paul collaboration "Breathe" and "Make Me Wanna Scream". "Breathe" was hugely successful in the United Kingdom, where it broke Madonna's song "Lucky Star" for the most played single on British radio.  It eventually became one of the most successful singles of the year in Europe, Australia, South Africa, and several other countries worldwide.

In 2007, Blu starred alongside LisaRaye and Kenya Moore in the musical stage play Gossip, Lies and Secrets. Tour dates ran from September 27, until November 25, 2007.

In 2008, Blu appeared in NBC's Celebrity Circus. The first episode aired with a ninety-minute kick-off special on June 11, but Blu was eliminated in the second week, June 18, 2008. This made her the first celebrity to be eliminated from the show. However, she returned for the final episode to perform her single "Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)".

In March 2016, Budweizer launched a new commercial campaign featuring 'Hit 'Em Up Style (Oops!)' for their new product line Lime-A-Rita Splash.  

Blu is currently performing live at events and touring around the world while working on new music. 

For professional inquiries about Blu Cantrell, contact Erik Steigen.