After several years that have seen her in headlines for everything but music, Brandy is finally getting back to her bread and butter.
According to a report at AOL Black Voices, the singer has inked a deal with Epic Records and should release her fifth LP—and first in four years—by the end of 2008.
Brandy is a proven record seller, with her first three discs each earning platinum or multi-platinum RIAA certifications. Her last album, 2004’s Timbaland-produced Afrodisiac, was less successful, though it still earned a gold plaque. Since then, her most notable musical performances have been cameos on Kanye West’sLate Registration album in 2005, and Diddy’sPress Play from 2006.
But in recent years, Brandy’s name has shown up for reasons unrelated to music. She attracted controversy in 2002 when boyfriend and music producer Robert Smith told radio personality Wendy Williams that his marriage with Brandy was fake, claiming that the couple pretended to wed so they could protect Brandy’s wholesome image when she got pregnant. Brandy, whose pregnancy was the subject of the reality show Brandy: Special Delivery, would later admit that she and Smith were never married.
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Last year, the singer was under investigation for her involvement in a December car crash that left a woman dead. While the Los Angeles city attorney didn’t file charges against her, the parents of the woman who died have pursued a wrongful death lawsuit of $50 million. The lawsuit hasn’t had any updates since its initial reports in January 2007.
