Brooke Valentine

A native of Houston, Texas, Brooke Valentine ups the ante for creative expression with her Subliminal Entertainment/Virgin Records debut disc Chain Letter. A melodic pilgrimage through the perils and joys of a young female life, Chain Letter is refreshingly skimpy on gimmicks and ample on innovation. Valentine's diverse musical tastes create the album's universal pulse by serving a delectable stir-fry of R&B, pop, alternative and rock – offering something for all music lovers. Only 19 years of age, she explores the kaleidoscope of human emotions – the good, bad and sometimes downright ugly.

Unlike many new artists, Valentine co-wrote her entire album in just four months with her executive producer Deja, CEO of Subliminal Entertainment, an independent label and production company. Because of their around-the-clock work ethic, they were very selective when recruiting their dream team of producers. "It was important that this album was an accurate reflection of me,” she explains. “We worked with producers who didn't try to change that." Deja reached out to the industry's producing elite and before he knew it the collaborations developed with the speed of a real chain letter, with several producers and artists wanting to be involved with the project. Chain Letter's production henchmen include Soul Diggas (Destiny's Child, Missy Elliott), Heatmakers (Lil' Flip), BloodShy (Britney Spears, Christina Milian), Bink (Jay-Z) and Tricky (Britney, TLC).

Brooke Valentine's career has been groomed by Déjà, a producer who placed the vocalist in a short-lived late-'90s group called Best Kept Secret. After the group fell through, the two relocated from Houston to Los Angeles with the intent to land a solo record deal. Within a couple years, Valentine secured a contract with Virgin, and her debut album -- Chain Letter, featuring production help from Lil Jon, Bloodshy, Heatmakerz, and the Soul Diggas -- was released in February of 2005. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide