1. Overview
Marsha Ambrosius-Billups, born Marsha Angelique Ambrosius on 8 August 1977, is a distinguished English singer and songwriter. She is widely recognized for her significant contributions to R&B music, initially gaining prominence as a member of the acclaimed duo Floetry. Known as "The Songstress" for her powerful vocals and lyrical depth, Ambrosius transitioned from group success to a thriving solo career, marked by the release of several critically praised albums including Late Nights & Early Mornings (2011), Friends & Lovers (2014), Nyla (2018), and Casablanco (2024). Her work has earned her Grammy nominations and widespread recognition within the R&B and hip-hop communities, solidifying her status as an influential artist and songwriter.
2. Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Marsha Ambrosius's journey into the music industry began with her early education and a pivotal meeting that led to the formation of Floetry, laying the foundation for her celebrated career.
2.1. Childhood and Education
Born in Liverpool, England, Marsha Ambrosius developed an early passion for music. She attended the prestigious BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology, an institution known for nurturing musical talent. During her time there, Ambrosius focused her studies on Business and Finance, demonstrating an early interest in the commercial aspects of the music industry alongside her artistic pursuits. Following her studies at the BRIT School, Ambrosius had plans to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, but was unable to do so due to an injury. Despite this setback, her commitment to music remained steadfast.
2.2. Formation of Floetry
The collaboration that would become Floetry began with an unlikely connection between Marsha Ambrosius and Natalie Stewart, stemming from their shared love for basketball. Although Stewart attended Middlesex University in London and later transferred to North London University, the two women maintained their connection. Stewart was already a founding member of the performance poetry group 3 Plus 1, which was gaining recognition across London, Birmingham, and Manchester. In 1999, Ambrosius took a crucial step by writing a song titled "Fantasize" and submitting it to her publishers, Perfect Songs. She then invited Stewart to contribute her poetic talent to the track, a collaboration that proved instrumental in the creation of the R&B duo, Floetry.
3. Career
Marsha Ambrosius has built a significant musical career, initially achieving success as part of Floetry and later establishing herself as a respected solo artist and prolific songwriter.
3.1. Floetry Period
In 2000, Marsha Ambrosius and Natalie Stewart, as Floetry, embarked on a journey to the United States to perform on the poetry circuit. They frequented spoken word and poetry venues in Atlanta, such as Yin Yang Poets' Cafe, where they received positive reviews. This led them to Philadelphia, where they encountered Darren "Limitless" Henson and Keith "Keshon" Pelzer from DJ Jazzy Jeff's Touch Of Jazz studio. Under their guidance, Floetry began recording.
During this period, Ambrosius also collaborated with Michael Jackson, composing and providing background vocals for the song "Butterflies" from his 2001 album, Invincible. A single version of "Butterflies" was later released in 2002. In the same year, Floetry signed with DreamWorks Records and released their debut album, Floetic. This album featured the singles "Floetic," "Say Yes," and "Getting Late." Floetic was also released in the United Kingdom with additional tracks, including one featuring British singer-songwriter and producer Sebastian Rogers. Floetry continued their group success with two more albums: the 2003 live album Floacism and the 2005 studio album Flo'Ology.
3.2. Solo Career and Collaborations
Following her success with Floetry, Marsha Ambrosius embarked on a solo career, expanding her reach as a featured artist and a songwriter for other prominent musicians. She was approached by Dr. Dre's record label, Aftermath Entertainment, with an offer to sign as a solo musician, songwriter, and producer in 2006. In 2007, she independently released a mixtape titled Neo Soul is Dead. Although she eventually parted ways with Aftermath in early 2009, Ambrosius continued to pursue her songwriting and production career, securing placements with various R&B and hip-hop artists.
Her notable collaborations include providing background vocals for Justin Timberlake's hit single "Cry Me a River," specifically singing the distinctive ad-lib "Cry me, cry meeee" at the song's conclusion. She also contributed to songs by Styles P ("I'm Black"), The Game ("Start from Scratch," "Why You Hate The Game," "Hustlers"), Busta Rhymes ("Get You Some," "Cocaina"), Nas ("Hustlers"), Hi-Tek ("Music for Life"), Jamie Foxx ("Freak'in Me"), and Wale ("Diary"). Ambrosius also collaborated with Slum Village on "Cloud 9" and with Earth, Wind & Fire on the track "Elevated" from their album Illumination. Her songwriting and production credits include work for artists such as Alicia Keys, Raven-Symoné, Mario, and Fabolous.
3.3. Solo Albums
Marsha Ambrosius has released several significant solo studio albums, each marking a new chapter in her evolving musical journey.
3.3.1. Late Nights & Early Mornings (2011)
In the summer of 2009, Marsha Ambrosius garnered attention from numerous record labels following a highly anticipated, sold-out performance at NYC's SOB's, where she was accompanied by The Roots and DJ Aktive. By December 2009, Ambrosius signed with J Records, and her debut solo album, Late Nights & Early Mornings, was officially released on 1 March 2011.
The album's first single, "Hope She Cheats On You (With A Basketball Player)," produced by Canei Finch, was released on 13 August 2010. This song achieved commercial success, charting on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and peaking at number 22. "Far Away" followed as the album's second single, released on 7 December 2010. Late Nights & Early Mornings debuted at number one on the US Billboard R&B Albums chart and number two on the overall US Billboard 200, placing behind Adele and ahead of Mumford & Sons. This marked a significant milestone, being the first time in over 20 years that British acts had simultaneously topped the US charts. The album earned Ambrosius the Centric Award at the BET Awards of 2011, and she was subsequently nominated for Best Female R&B Artist at the BET Awards 2012. Additionally, she won the Record of The Year (Ashford & Simpson Songwriters Award) at the 2011 Soul Train Awards for "Far Away." In December 2011, she received two Grammy Award nominations for "Far Away," specifically for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance.
3.3.2. Friends & Lovers (2014)
In August 2011, RCA Music Group announced the disbandment of J Records, along with Arista Records and Jive Records. As a result, Marsha Ambrosius, along with other artists previously signed to these labels, transitioned to releasing her future material under the RCA Records brand.
Her second studio album, titled Friends & Lovers, was released in July 2014. The album debuted successfully on the charts, reaching number 12 on the Billboard 200 and number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Friends & Lovers earned Ambrosius two MOBO Award nominations. In 2015, she received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Traditional R&B Performance for her collaboration with Anthony Hamilton on the song "As," featured in the film The Best Man Holiday.
3.3.3. Nyla (2018)
In March 2017, Marsha Ambrosius premiered a new song, "Don't Wake the Baby," produced by Dem Jointz, which she dedicated as "a song for Beyoncé." Concurrently, she announced a summer tour with Eric Benét titled The M.E. Tour. In May, she released "Luh Ya," the first single from her then-untitled upcoming album, signifying her transition to an independent label.
In June 2018, Ambrosius released the album's second single, "Old Times," along with its accompanying music video. In September of the same year, she confirmed that her third studio album would be titled Nyla and scheduled for release on September 28. The album's third single, "Flood," was also released. The album's title, Nyla, is a dedication to her daughter.
3.3.4. Casablanco (2024)
The collaborative project between Marsha Ambrosius and Dr. Dre, titled Casablanco, was confirmed by Dr. Dre in December 2021. Both artists described the completed album as some of their "best work" to date. The Section Quartet's founder and violinist, Eric Gorfain, also confirmed his involvement in the album's production. In February 2023, Ambrosius and Dre held a private listening session for the project in Los Angeles, building anticipation for its release. In December 2023, Ambrosius released the first single from the album, "The Greatest," under the Aftermath and Interscope Records labels. The song was a collaborative production effort by Ambrosius, Dr. Dre, and his production team, The ICU. Casablanco was officially released on 27 June 2024 via Aftermath and Interscope Records, marking a significant return to her association with Dr. Dre's imprint.
4. Awards and Nominations
Marsha Ambrosius has received several accolades and nominations throughout her career, recognizing her contributions to R&B music.
- 2011 BET Awards: Won the Centric Award.
- 2011 Soul Train Awards: Won the Record of The Year (Ashford & Simpson Songwriters Award) for her song "Far Away."
- 2011 Grammy Awards: Nominated for Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance for "Far Away."
- 2012 BET Awards: Nominated for Best Female R&B Artist.
- 2014 MOBO Awards: Received two nominations for her album Friends & Lovers.
- 2015 Grammy Awards: Nominated for Best Traditional R&B Performance for "As," a collaboration with Anthony Hamilton.
5. Personal Life
Marsha Ambrosius's personal life has seen significant milestones, including her marriage and the birth of her daughter. In November 2016, she announced her engagement to Dez Billups. They were married in 2017. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Nyla, in December 2016, and the album Nyla is named in her honor. Ambrosius is a devoted fan of Liverpool F.C., a football club based in her hometown. She is also an honorary member of the sorority Sigma Gamma Rho.
6. Discography
This section provides a comprehensive overview of Marsha Ambrosius's musical releases, including her solo studio albums, singles, guest appearances on other artists' tracks, and her songwriting credits for various musicians.
6.1. Studio Albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B/Hip-Hop | US Indie | ||||||||||||
| Late Nights & Early Mornings |
>style="text-align:center;"|2 | 1 | - |
>- | Friends & Lovers |
>style="text-align:center;"|12 | 2 | - |
>- | Nyla |
>style="text-align:center;"|- | - | 18 | |
| Casablanco |
>style="text-align:center;"|- | - | - | |||||||||||
6.2. Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B/Hip-Hop | US Adult R&B | |||
| "Hope She Cheats on You (With a Basketball Player)" | 2010 | 88 | 22 | 15 | Late Nights & Early Mornings |
| "Far Away" (featuring Busta Rhymes) | 74 | 3 | 1 | ||
| "Late Nights & Early Mornings" | 2011 | - | 30 | 12 | |
| "Cold War" | 2012 | - | 45 | 18 | Non-album single |
| "Without You" (with Ne-Yo) | 2013 | - | - | 21 | |
| "Run" | 2014 | - | 44 | 13 | Friends & Lovers |
| "Stronger" (featuring Dr. Dre) | - | - | - | ||
| "Don't Wake the Baby" | 2017 | - | - | - | Non-album single |
| "Luh Ya" | - | - | 20 | Nyla | |
| "Old Times" | 2018 | - | - | 17 | |
| "Flood" | - | - | - | ||
| "Bye" (with REI AMI) | 2020 | - | - | - | Non-album single |
| "The Greatest" | 2023 | - | - | - | Casablanco |
| "One Night Stand" | 2024 | - | - | - | |
| "Greedy" | - | - | - | ||
6.3. Guest Appearances
Marsha Ambrosius has made numerous guest appearances on songs by other artists, lending her distinctive vocals to a wide range of tracks across various genres.
| Title | Year | Other artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Start from Scratch" | 2005 | The Game | The Documentary |
| "Get You Some" | 2006 | Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip | The Big Bang |
| "Cocaina" | Busta Rhymes | ||
| "Music for Life" | Hi-Tek, Nas, J Dilla, Busta Rhymes, Common | Hi-Teknology²: The Chip | |
| "Why You Hate the Game" | The Game, Nas | Doctor's Advocate | |
| "Hustlers" | Nas, The Game | Hip Hop Is Dead | |
| "I'm Black" | Styles P | Time Is Money | |
| "This Can't Be Real" | 2007 | Freeway | Free at Last |
| "Reunion" | Ya Boy | Optimus Rime | |
| "Wanna Go Back" | 2008 | Solange, Q-Tip | Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams |
| "The Light '08 (It's Love)" | Common | - | |
| "Freak'in Me" | Jamie Foxx | Intuition | |
| "If I Ruled the World '09" | 2009 | Nas | - |
| "Yacht Music" | DJ Drama, Nas, Willie the Kid, Scarface | Gangsta Grillz: The Album (Vol. 2) | |
| "Stay" | Fabolous | Loso's Way | |
| "Take Me Away (With You)" | Queen Latifah | Persona | |
| "Diary" | Wale | Attention Deficit | |
| "A's & E's" | Masta Ace, Ed O.G. | Arts & Entertainment | |
| "Welcome Back" | 2010 | Stat Quo | Statlanta |
| "All I Got to Give" | John Regan | Sorry I'm Late | |
| "It's Alright" | 2011 | Saigon | The Greatest Story Never Told |
| "Streets Gone Love Me" | 2012 | Saint Nick | - |
| "Light Dreams" | Tyga | Careless World: Rise of the Last King | |
| "Take You There" | Currensy | The Stoned Immaculate | |
| "The One" | Kanye West, Big Sean, 2 Chainz | Cruel Summer | |
| "The Game Changer" | Saigon | The Greatest Story Never Told Chapter 2: Bread and Circuses | |
| "Right Back" | Freeway | Diamond In the Ruff | |
| "It Only Gets Better" | 2013 | Talib Kweli | Prisoner of Conscious |
| "Material Things" | Lee Mazin | In My Own Lane | |
| "Trust" | Robert Glasper Experiment | Black Radio 2 | |
| "Alone Together" | 2014 | Daley | Days & Nights |
| "Wonder What You're Doing for the Rest of Your Life" | Train | Bulletproof Picasso | |
| "War" | 2015 | King Los | God, Money, War |
| "Genocide" | Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Candice Pillay | Compton | |
| "All in a Day's Work" | Dr. Dre, Anderson Paak | ||
| "Darkside / Gone" | Dr. Dre, King Mez, Kendrick Lamar | ||
| "Satisfiction" | Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, King Mez | ||
| "Make it Through the Night" | Joe Budden, Jadakiss | All Love Lost | |
| "Dope" | 2016 | T.I. | Dime Trap |
| "Sins of Our Fathers" | The Game | The Birth of a Nation: The Inspired By Album | |
| "Love Star" | Common, PJ | Black America Again | |
| "See I Miss Pt. 2" | GoldLink | - | |
| "Melatonin" | A Tribe Called Quest, Abbey Smith | We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service | |
| "Anywhere" | Tech N9ne | The Storm | |
| "No Chill" | 2017 | Davion Farris | Trenier |
| "Real Big" | 2018 | Nipsey Hussle | Victory Lap |
| "Grateful" | Dave East | Paranoia 2 | |
| "Outside" | 2018 | Royce da 5'9", Robert Glasper | Book of Ryan |
| "Forgiven" | 2019 | 2 Chainz | Rap or Go to the League |
| "I Didn't Wanna Write This Song" | The Game | Born 2 Rap | |
| "Moonlight" | 2023 | 2 Chainz, Lil Wayne | Welcome 2 Collegrove |
6.4. Writing Credits
Marsha Ambrosius is also a celebrated songwriter, having penned tracks for a variety of notable artists across different genres.
- 2001: "Butterflies" - Michael Jackson (Invincible)
- 2002: "Simple Things", "Beautiful Eyes", "Lonely", "This Love", "Take You High" - Glenn Lewis (World Outside My Window)
- 2004: "My Man" - Angie Stone (Stone Love)
- 2006: "Circus" - Kelis (Kelis Was Here)
- 2007: "Go Ahead" - Alicia Keys (As I Am)
- 2008: "Wanna Go Back" - Solange featuring Marsha Ambrosius and Q-Tip (SoL-AngeL and the Hadley St. Dreams)
- 2008: "Love Me or Leave Me" - Raven-Symoné (Raven-Symoné)
- 2008: "Do About It", "Mirror" - Girlicious (Girlicious)
- 2008: "Music (All I Need)" - Jazmine Sullivan
- 2009: "Matter" - Letoya (Lady Love)
- 2009: "25 to Life" - JoJo
- 2015: "Picture Perfect", "When We Make Love" - Tyrese (Black Rose)
- 2018: "Knock You Out" - Mya
- 2018: "My Song" - H.E.R.