Amerie

The R&B singer-songwriter Amerie was one of the most in-demand vocalists among her peers during the ’00s. • Amerie is the daughter of a South Korean mother and an African American father who worked in the US military. The family lived in countries around the world, including South Korea and Germany. • While studying English and fine arts at Georgetown University, Amerie befriended a D.C. club promoter who connected her with the producer Rich Harrison. From there, she started recording vocals for artists like Nas and Royce Da 5’9”. • Amerie’s 2002 debut album, All I Have, peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified gold. • She won the Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist in 2003. • Her 2005 sophomore album, Touch, features the breakout hit “1 Thing”, which went Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. • After signing a new label and production deal with Island Def Jam, Amerie established her own label, Feenix Rising. She released the 2009 album In Love & War and the EPs Drive (2016), 4AM Mulholland (2018) and After 4AM (2018) through this endeavor.