Faith Evans: From Entertainer to Entrepreneur

When there are talks of deceased hip-hop legendary Rapper Notorious B.I.G. his “love at first,” sight widow is not far from your mind. Back-up singer and songwriter, Faith Evans later blossomed into one of the top recording artist of the early 90’s. After releasing three Platinum-certified albums, Faith (1995), Keep the Faith (1998) and Faithfully (2001) she was hotter than ever. She topped Billboard charts and was featured on several popular Hip Hop and R&B singles. In 2005 she released the Gold-certified album The First Lady and in the same year debut her first holiday album A Faithful Christmas. After spending over a decade in the music industry we now deem Faith Evans as a prodigy and entrepreneur.

According to MTV.com, Evans knew music was her calling since the age of two when she began singing in the church while growing up in Newark, New Jersey. She continued her passion in high school where she participated in musical productions and eventually won a full scholarship to Fordham University in New York. Evans was off to a great start, but decided college wasn’t her niche. After one year, she dropped out to pursue jazz and classical music training in the field of Contemporary R&B. Evans was quick to find work as she sung back up and wrote songs for artists Mary J. Blige, Al B Sure, Usher, Tony Thompson and Christopher Williams.

Evans co-wrote and sung back-up for Mary J. Blige’s album, My Life. Due to the success Evans provided for Blige’s 1994 album, she had the pleasure to meet producer Sean “Puffy” Combs who later brought on Evans to his Bad Boy label. Evans’ first four albums made it to the Top Five of Billboard R&B album charts. She was also a five time Grammy nominee and winner for “Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group” in 1998 for “I’ll Be Missing You” which was a tribute to her late husband, rapper Notorious B.I.G.

After releasing her 2005 album, Evans took a five year hiatus to focus on expanding herself for the sake of family. “I have been quite busy in the last five years. I wrote and published my memoir and developed a few television projects. I also transitioned from my last label home to acquiring my own imprint through E1 Music,” she shares on faitheveans.com. “Although I miss the creative process and reconnecting with my fans, at this stage in my life it’s far more important for me to make wise decisions on things that best affect my children’s future.”

Evans received the African American Literary Award for her memoir Keep the Faith. She also released the album Something About Faith in 2010 on her independent label, E1. In 2012 she executive produced the hit TV One reality series R&B Divas. The cast included a group of outstanding vocalist who’ve previously made their marks in the music industry. The show premiered on October 8, 2012 and broke records after having nearly 900,000 viewers tune in for the first episode. The show is based in Atlanta, GA and follows the ladies as they reconstruct, reunite and expand their lives.

Faith Evans along with Nicci Gilbert, Monifah, Syleena Johnson, and KeKe Wyatt brings the world behind the scenes as they work independently on music, personal ventures and connect closely with family and friends. At the end of the show E1 released a 12 track record that supported the Whitney E. Houston Academy of Creative and Performing Arts. The album consisted of features and appearances by R&B Diva cast members. The show’s proceeds also went to the Whitney E. Houston Academy.

Evans is currently touring and promoting her latest single Tears of Joy. She shares how fans are responding to the single, “I’ve received a lot of positive feedback about Tears of Joy and am thankful for all the love and support! I love singing and as long as people like it, that’s what really, means the most,” she tells TV One. Evans now continues to promote the R&B Divas album, reality show and her independent work. She also plans on expanding her brand further as an entrepreneur. She speaks on how her transition from an entertainer to an entrepreneur has affected her life. “Being centered in a place where I have grown from an entertainer to an entrepreneur is truly a blessing. I am excited to share this incredible experience with my fans and the world.”

-LaShawnda Gamble