Da Brat Discusses Writing Her Book, Famous Jail Visitors

Posted Jul 21st 2011 1:10PM by Kelly Mahan
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Stephen Lovekin, WireImage

In 1994, Da Brat was riding high. Her album 'Funkdafied' made history, earning her the title of first female rapper ever to release a platinum-selling LP, but an attack on a cheerleader in 2007 brought her career to a screeching halt.

In 2008, the rhymer was sentenced to three years in jail for striking an Atlanta Falcons cheerleader with a bottle leaving permanent facial scarring. Da Brat, born Shawtae Harris, opened up with CNN to discuss her three-year stint in jail, a new book and a celebrity visit in the slammer that left her stunned.

"I actually didn't do any writing of music while I was locked up. I wrote a book, but I didn't do any music," Da Brat told CNN. "The book is pretty much about myself as a child, growing up in church and the different things I encountered like being in a gang and trying to sell drugs," she added.

In addition to her new book, Harris is shopping around a reality show, following in the footsteps of her sister LisaRaye, who stars in 'LisaRaye: The Real McCoy' on TV One. "The sad thing about it is most of these networks want the fighting, they want the drunkenness, they want the confrontational and that's not me anymore," the 'Funkdafied' lyricist revealed. "I've outgrown that and I don't want that to be the main focus. Been there, done that and been through hell because of that."

Her relationships with family and friends remained strong during her incarceration but it was a visit from Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon that left a lasting impression. "She found a private airport that I didn't even know existed, flew her G5 in and came to see her BFF. I was really touched by that," the former Jermaine Dupri protégée said.

Be sure to check out Da Brat's latest mixtape titled 'Life After Death,' which can be found on Jermain Dupri's Global14.com here.

Watch Da Brat's 'Give It 2 You'

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