Jazmine Sullivan

Jazmine Sullivan is a native of in and was raised within Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her mother Pam was a back-up singer with Philadelphia International Records. Her father gave her a position as curator of the Historic Strawberry Mansion. She and her family then moved into the historical landmark. As a 2005 Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts graduate She is an instructor in vocal music. Sullivan played the contralto for the choir for children and later in the years later she joined in the adult choir. Sullivan was not exposed secular music until he was a teenager. "I started singing solos in church, and somebody was urging me to sign up to record a gospel song when I was 11. However, I was not ready for that," she says. "Then when McDonald's was hosting a contest for kids in major cities, I got a chance to sing 'Accept Whatever God Gives' on Showtime at the Apollo and the audience loved it". She sang along with Stevie Wonder at his grandson's birthday in the year thirteen. Sullivan signed her first contract to Jive Records when she was 15. As a teenager the label signed her to Jive Records. The label recorded an entire album in Jive Records and then it wasn't made available for release. Sullivan was eventually removed at the hands of the company. There was a close relationship with Missy Elliott, who produced some of the songs in her debut album which included the hit single "Backstabbers" which was produced by Timbaland and composed by Elliott.