Naturi Cora Maria Naughton-Lewis (born May 20, 1984)[1] is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Naughton is best known as one-third of the R&B group 3LW and for her acting roles in the films Fame and Notorious, playing rapper Lil' Kim in the latter film. Naughton was a series regular on the NBC series The Playboy Club as Bunny Brenda, starred in the first season of the Lifetime drama series The Client List as Kendra and starred in the Starz drama Power as Tasha St. Patrick, a role she reprised in the spin-off series Power Book II: Ghost. In 2022, she starred as Jill “Da Thrill” in the ABC series Queens.
Early life and education
Naughton was born and raised in East Orange, New Jersey,[1] the daughter of Brenda, a part-time paralegal, and Ezra Naughton, a retired accountant. [2] Her father is originally from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands and her mother is from Raleigh, North Carolina.[3] Her musical talent emerged at the age of five years old, when she joined the choir at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey (the same church where Whitney Houston had performed in her youth). Naughton continued her musical studies at the Newark School of the Arts. She attended St. Joseph's Catholic school and Immaculate Conception High School in Montclair, New Jersey. Naughton has sung the national anthem at various events in New Jersey and attended Seton Hall University.[4]
In 1999, at age 15, Naughton joined Adrienne Bailon and Kiely Williams to form the group 3LW. Their first single, "No More (Baby I'ma Do Right)", was released in the fall of 2000. "No More" was a success and was followed by the second single, "Playas Gon' Play" in early 2001. The group's debut album, 3LW, was released on December 5, 2000. The album went platinum, selling 1.3 million copies in the U.S. In the summer of 2001, the group went on MTV's TRL tour along with Destiny's Child, Dream, Nelly, Eve, and Jessica Simpson.
3LW spent the first half of 2002 in the studio, recording an album tentatively titled Same Game, Different Rules. The album and its intended lead single "Uh Oh" were presented to the label, who felt it did not have enough urban radio appeal. The tracks from Same Game, Different Rules were leaked to the Internet in MP3 format, and Epic considered dropping the band. A fan support campaign for 3LW named 'Never Let Go of 3LW' followed, and the act was retained. Recording a new set of tracks, 3LW returned in the summer of 2002 with the P. Diddy-produced single "I Do (Wanna Get Close To You)", featuring Loon.
In August 2002, the group was set to release its newest LP, A Girl Can Mack, when Naughton announced that she was no longer a member of the trio. Naughton insisted that the other two girls and their management had forced her out.[5] The problems reached a breaking point after a heated argument with Williams, Bailon, and their manager, which allegedly involved Williams throwing a hot plate of KFC food at Naughton.[6] Epic Records then ended their relationship with both 3LW and Naughton. Following Naughton's departure, Bailon and Williams resumed as a duo for a short time, before Jessica Benson became Naughton's replacement.[7] The group has since disbanded. In May 2017, Naughton reunited with Bailon on the daytime talk show The Real,[8] while promoting the season premiere of Power.
Solo work
Naughton at H-E-B Holiday Parade 2009
Naughton recorded five tracks for the Fame soundtrack, released on August 25, 2009.[9] The following month, Naughton scored her first solo chart entry ever with her cover of Fame peaking at No. 33 on the UK Singles Chart. The single also reached the Top 20 in Finland, Portugal and Norway.[10] In 2010, an extended play was released, titled Fame Presents Naturi Naughton as Denise: Didn't I Tell You?. The EP included both previously released and unreleased tracks.[11][12]
During her February 2010 appearance on The Mo'Nique Show, Naughton expressed interest in recording a solo-debut album. She was believed to be working with music producer Full Force at the time. Naughton has since revealed that she is now focusing on her acting career, but has not ruled out an album. An ensemble of demos, including a duet with Lil' Kim, have been leaked to the internet in recent years. However, it is unknown whether or not they will be released on Naughton's debut album.
Acting
In March 2008, Naughton was cast to portray Grammy Award-winning rap artist Lil' Kim in Notorious, a biopic film about The Notorious B.I.G.[13] The film was released in January 2009 to mixed reviews[14] and went on to make over $43 million worldwide.[15] Lil' Kim has stated that she "hated everything about that movie" and would not have chosen Naughton to play her because they "have nothing in common".[16][17]
Naughton was later cast as Denise, an aspiring singer, in the Lionsgate remake of the 1980 film of the same name Fame.[18] Filming took place in New York City and Los Angeles in November and December 2008. The film was released in September 2009 and opened No. 3 at the U.S. box office in its opening weekend despite negative reviews from critics.[19] It went on to make $77 million worldwide.
In August 2010, Naughton was announced to appear in an episode of the AMC drama television series Mad Men.[20] The episode, "Hands and Knees", which aired on September 26, 2010, saw Naughton portray the role of Toni Charles, a Playboy Bunny mistress to the character Lane Pryce. That same month, Naughton appeared in the Warner Bros. Pictures comedy film Lottery Ticket.
In March 2011, Naughton appeared in the drama television series pilot The Playboy Club, which centers around the lives of the employees of the original Playboy Club operating in Chicago.[21] The series was picked up by NBC in May 2011.[22] Naughton portrayed Brenda, a Playboy Bunny who dreams of being the first African-American Playboy centerfold.[23] The role marked the second time Naughton portrayed a fictional Playboy Bunny. The series premiered on September 19, 2011 and was cancelled after three episodes due to low ratings.[24] In October 2011, Naughton appeared as a 1970s jazz club singer named Shadynasty in an episode of the sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.[25] In December 2011, it was announced Naughton had been cast in the Lifetime drama television series The Client List opposite Jennifer Love Hewitt.[26] The series is a re-imagining of the 2010 film of the same name.[27] Naughton plays the role of Kendra, a hard-working masseuse at a parlor. The series premiered on April 8, 2012 to 2.79 million viewers[28] and mixed reviews from critics. In May 2012, Lifetime renewed the series for a 15-episode second season.[29]
2012–present: Power and Queens
In September 2012, Naughton starred in the BET original film Let The Church Say Amen, which is an adaptation of author ReShonda Tate Billingsley's 2005 best-selling novel of the same name. The film marked the directorial debut of actress Regina King.
On March 8, 2021, it was announced that Naughton had joined the cast of American Broadcasting Company's music series Queens, alongside Brandy and Eve.[30][31][32][33] In May 2021, it was announced the show was being picked up for a full series,[34][35][36][37] followed by the first official trailer, released on May 18.[38] On October 1, 2021, the first promo single from Queens (“Nasty Girl"), featuring Naughton alongside the cast: Brandy, Eve and Velazquez, was released.[39] A music video, directed by Tim Story, premiered on the same day.[40] This was followed on October 18, 2021, by another rap song from the Queens soundtrack, “The Introduction”, which was co-written by Nas.[41]Queens debuted on October 19; although the series was cancelled after one season, reviews were largely positive. Caroline Framke for Variety praised the quartet’s musical offering, calling their raps “sharp and distinct […] making clear their talent as both individuals and a swaggering collective”.[42] Angie Han for The Hollywood Reporter called the show “Impressive […] lavish […] magic”.[43]
Personal life
In March 2017, Naughton announced that she was expecting her first child.[44] She welcomed a daughter with her then-partner Ben on July 19, 2017.[45] In April 2022, Naughton married talent manager and entrepreneur Xavier "Two" Lewis in a lavish wedding ceremony in Atlanta.[46] She welcomed her second child, a son, on May 27, 2023.[47]
Discography
Fame Presents Naturi Naughton as Denise: Didn't I Tell You (2010)
