| Sisqó | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Mark Althavan Andrews |
| Born | November 9 1978 |
| Origin | Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Genre(s) | R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, and record producer |
| Instrument(s) | Singing piano guitar |
| Years active | 1995 - present |
| Label(s) | Def Soul (1999-2005) Dragon Music Group (1999-present) |
| Associated acts |
Dru Hill LovHer Mýa |
Mark Althavan Andrews (born November 9, 1978 in Baltimore, Maryland) better known by his stage name Sisqó, is an American R&B singer and actor. He is best known for being the lead singer of R&B group Dru Hill, and also for "Thong Song," a song from his first solo LP, Unleash the Dragon, that became an international hit and fueled a craze for thong underwear.
Contents |
Biography
Early years
Mark Andrews was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. The name "Sisqó" was Andrews' nickname from his old neighborhood in Baltimore. Sisqó met future Dru Hill bandmate James "Woody" Green while in middle school. The two of them would later be recruited by Tamir "Nokio" Ruffin to form Dru Hill, named after Druid Hill Park in Baltimore. Larry "Jazz" Anthony was also soon added to the lineup. Releasing two platinum LPs and a number of successful singles, Dru Hill was a major R&B success during the late 1990s, in no small part because of Sisqó's flamboyant stage personality. Sisqó's vocal style has a lot in common with that of K-Ci from Jodeci. As such, several people, K-Ci included, have criticized Sisqó as having co-opted K-Ci's singing style wholesale, while Sisqó himself has gone on record many times naming K-Ci as his primary influence. In between Dru Hill albums, Sisqó co-wrote the first two hit singles for labelmate Mýa. He appeared as a guest artist on the first single, "It's All About Me".
Solo career, acting, and Dru Hill reuinion
After Woody left Dru Hill in 1999 to pursue a solo career, it was decided that the other three members would do the same. Sisqó's solo debut, Unleash the Dragon, was released on Def Soul Records in November 1999. Unleash the Dragon sold moderately at first, until the February 2000 release of its second single, a novelty "Thong Song". A runaway hit, "Thong Song" and its follow-up, "Incomplete," were major hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, with "Thong Song" making it to number-three, and "Incomplete" going to number-one. The success later got Sisqó a Doll made of himself by Play Along Toys in 2001. Conflicts within the group prevented Dru Hill from reuniting as planned in late 2000, and Sisqó set about recording a second solo LP. During this period, Sisqó branched out into hosting the dance competition program Sisqó's Shakedown on MTV, and film, taking on supporting roles in the films Get Over It (2001) with Kirsten Dunst and Snow Dogs with Cuba Gooding, Jr.. Although his second LP, Return of Dragon, released in June 2001, eventually went platinum, its singles "Can I Live" and "Dance With Me" performed far below expectations, and by 2002, Sisqó was back with Dru Hill, who released their third LP in late 2002. The LP underperformed, and the group was eventually released from their record contract. Sisqó's visual trademarks are his eclectic hair styles, and his flamboyant stage costumes, which were regularly flashier than those of his groupmates. Over his career as a recording artist, both with and without Dru Hill, Sisqó's hairstyles have included a bleached blonde Caesar, a platinum-colored Caesar (colored with silver spray-paint), blonde cornrows, a neon–red dyed Caesar, and a bleached blonde mohawk.
Current work
Now working as an independent recording artist, Sisqó has finished his third solo album, titled Last Dragon (to complete the trilogy), for release in December 2007. The first single, "Who's Ur Daddy", has been released online, and a music video especially formatted for iPods, cell phones, and other digital devices has been released on YouTube[1]. Sisqó is also scheduled to appear on a new reality TV show on Country Music Television called Gone Country. The show is in post-production and is scheduled to air in January 2008.
Personal
Sisqó has one daughter, Shaione, born in 1995. He dated Irish singer Samantha Mumba until 2004. He has also been linked to singer/model/actress Mýa, model/singer/actress Tera Thomas, Singer Beyonce and actress Lisa Raye.
Solo discography
Albums
- 1999: Unleash the Dragon [Certified: 5x Platinum]
- U.S. Sales : 5,000,000
- W.W. Sales : 6,000,000
- 2001: Return of Dragon [Certified: Platinum]
- U.S. Sales : 1,000,000+
- W.W. Sales : 3,000,000
- 2007: Last Dragon (2008)
- U.S. Sales : N/A
- W.W. Sales : N/A
DVDs
- 2000: Sisqó: The Thong Song Uncensored
- 2001: Sisqó: 24 Hours with Sisqó
- 2005: Dru Hill Hits: The Videos (includes videos for "Thong Song" and "Incomplete")
Singles
- 1998: "It's All About Me" (Mýa featuring Sisqó of Dru Hill) (US #6)
- 1999: "Got to Get It" (featuring Make It Hot) (US #39) (GER #48)
- 2000: "Thong Song" (a remix, "Thong Song Uncensored", features Foxy Brown and is included on the soundtrack LP for Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps) (US #3) (UK #3) (GER #15) (FR #15)
- 2000: "Unleash the Dragon" (featuring Beanie Sigel) (UK #6) (FR #41)
- 2000: "What These Bitches Want" (edited version titled "What They Want") (DMX featuring Sisqó) (US #49)
- 2000: "Incomplete" (US #1) (UK #13) (GER #51)
- 2000: "How Many Licks" (Lil' Kim featuring Sisqó) (US #75) (GER #58)
- 2001: "Can I Live" (featuring the Dragon Family) (GER #87)
- 2001: "Dance For Me" (UK #6) (GER #55) (FR #91)
- 2007: "Who's Ur Daddy"
Filmography
Film appearances
- 2001: Get Over It!
- 2002: Snow Dogs
- 2003: Pieces of April
- 2006: Surf School
Television appearances
- 2000: Sisqó's Shakedown (MTV)
- 2001: Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (episode "Really Big Season Opener", October 5, 2001)
- 2007: Gone Country (CMT)
See also
Awards/nominations
- American Music Awards
- 2001, Favorite Male R&B/Soul Artist: (Nominated)
- 2001, Favorite R&B/Soul Album: Unleash the Dragon (Nominated)
- Grammy Awards
- 2001, Best New Artist (Nominated)
- 2001, Best R&B Male Vocal Performance: "Thong Song" (Nominated)
- 2001, Best R&B Song: "Thong Song" (Nominated)
- 2001, Best R&B Album: Unleash the Dragon (Nominated)
- MOBO Awards
- 2001, Best R&B Act: (Nominated)
- 2000, Best Video: "Thong Song" (Nominated)
- 2000, Best R&B Act: (Nominated)
- MTV Video Music Awards
- 2000, Best Hip-Hop Video: "Thong Song" (Winner)
- 2000, Best New Artist: "Thong Song" (Nominated)
- 2000, Best Dance Video: "Thong Song" (Nominated)
- 2000, Best Video from a Film: "Thong Song (remix)" w/ Foxy Brown (Nominated)
- 2000, Viewer's Choice: "Thong Song" (Nominated)
- Soul Train Music Awards
- 2001, Favorite Male R&B/Soul Album: Unleash the Dragon (Nominated)
References
- Birchmeier, Jason (2002). "Sisqó". All Music Guide. Retrieved from http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:zr5h8qmmbt04~T10 on August 17, 2005.
- Furman, Leah (2001). Sisqó: The Man Behind the Thong. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 031-228199-4.
