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Tanna Leone

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Tanna Leone
Birth nameAvante Ramone Brown
Also known as
  • Baby Santana
  • Noviiimber
Born (1998-03-24) March 24, 1998 (age 26)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
Years active2017–present
Labels

Avante Ramone Santana (né Brown; born March 24, 1998),[1] known professionally as Tanna Leone, is an American rapper. Born in Los Angeles, he began to gain recognition in the underground hip hop scenes of Atlanta under the stage names Noviiimber and Baby Santana. In March 2022, Leone signed a recording contract with PGLang, under the aegis of Def Jam Recordings.[2] His debut studio album, Sleepy Soldier, was released the following month.[3] Leone earned his first Grammy Award nomination for his work on Kendrick Lamar's fifth studio album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (2022).[4][5]

Early life

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Avante Ramone Brown was born on March 24, 1998, in Los Angeles, California. His mother is a spoken word artist, and he "might share some relatives" with rapper Baby Keem.[6] Brown moved around a lot growing up and experienced many different environments, which he believes has made him very adaptive and socially well-rounded.[6]

Following in his mother's footsteps, Brown made his first song at age 11. He would continue to write songs for fun, and often performed them for friends at school. He would later join a poetry club that held cyphers, where he was able to refine his lyrical skills. His first performance in front of a crowd surprisingly felt "extremely natural," which opened him up to the idea of pursuing a professional career as an artist.[6]

Career

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After finishing school, Brown relocated to Atlanta, where he became serious about pursuing a rap career. He adopted the stage name Noviiimber and began releasing music through 680079 Records, as a member of the hip hop collective Safe House Music Group.[7][8] His first project, an extended play titled Do or Die, was released on March 29, 2019.[9] Later in the year, he changed his stage name to Baby Santana and joined the group Dog Eat World, alongside local rappers Nino Shyne and Lone London.[10]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown moved back to Los Angeles and changed his stage name a third time to Tanna Leone. He then contacted filmmaker Dave Free to show him Die or Die and a video he directed.[6] It sparked a conversation between the two and secured Leone a joint recording contract with PGLang, which Free founded with rapper Kendrick Lamar, and Def Jam Recordings on March 9, 2022.[11][12] Following the announcement, he joined Baby Keem's the Melodic Blue Tour as an opening act and released two singles, "Lucky" and "With the Villains"; the latter song was accompanied by a music video.[13][14] He shared another single, "Picasso", on April 14, before releasing his debut studio album, Sleepy Soldier, on April 27, to generally positive reviews from music critics.[15][16]

On May 4, 2022, Leone starred in PGLang's advertising campaign for lifestyle brand Converse.[17] He was featured on Lamar's fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, on the track "Mr. Morale", which earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Album of the Year.[18][19] From July to December, Leone accompanied Lamar on his Big Steppers Tour; marking his first experience on a worldwide tour.[20] He appeared in the tour's accompanying concert film.[21]

Artistry

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Leone has described his sound as having the strength of a rap song, and the melodies of a R&B or rock song. He explained that his music strays from "following any type of rule book or guideline. It's just something you could feel."[6] Leone lists Tupac Shakur, DMX, New Edition, and Lamar as some of his main influences, while also naming Frank Ocean, André 3000, Missy Elliott, and Billie Eilish as some of his favorite artists.[6]

Discography

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Albums

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Title Album details
Sleepy Soldier

Extended plays

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Title Album details
Do or Die (as Noviiimber)
  • Released: March 29, 2019
  • Label: 680079 Records
  • Format: Digital download, streaming

Guest appearances

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List of notable guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name
Title Year Artist(s) Album
"Mr. Morale" 2022 Kendrick Lamar Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers

Tours

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Supporting

Awards and nominations

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Grammy Awards

Year Recipient Award Result Ref.
2023 Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers (as featured artist and songwriter) Album of the Year Nominated [22]

References

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  1. ^ "IN THE MATTER OF: AVANTE RAMONE BROWN". UniCourt. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  2. ^ Qureshi, Arusa (March 13, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar's pgLang signs new artist Tanna Leone". NME. Archived from the original on March 17, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  3. ^ Barlas, Jon (May 2, 2022). "Tanna Leone's 'Sleepy Soldier' is not one to be slept on – Our Generation Music". Our Generation Music. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  4. ^ Sisario, Ben (November 15, 2022). "Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar and Adele Lead 2023 Grammy Nominations". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  5. ^ "BMI Congratulates its 2023 GRAMMY Nominees". BMI. November 22, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d e f McKinney, Jessica (April 28, 2022). "Meet Tanna Leone, the New Signee on Kendrick Lamar's pgLang". Complex. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
  7. ^ "Noviiimber - Awesome (Official Video)". YouTube. May 27, 2017. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  8. ^ "Noviiimber - " Saint Like " (Official Music Video) [SHOT + EDITED BY MALIPUTYOUON]". YouTube. July 28, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  9. ^ "Do or Die - Stream TANNA LEONE". SoundCloud. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  10. ^ Santana, Baby (January 21, 2021). "Gunz & Rosez ft Lone London (visualizer)". YouTube. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  11. ^ Aswad, Jem (March 10, 2022). "Music Industry Moves: Recording Academy Names Ryan Butler VP of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Def Jam Teams With Kendrick Lamar, Dave Free to Sign Tanna Leone". Variety. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  12. ^ Walker, Joe (March 10, 2022). "Kendrick Lamar's pgLang Signs L.A. Rapper Tanna Leone In Partnership With Def Jam". HipHopDX. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  13. ^ Schube, Will (March 10, 2022). "Tanna Leone Signs With Def Jam And pgLang, Releases 'With The Villains' And 'Lucky'". uDiscover Music. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  14. ^ Cho, Regina. "Baby Keem announces European leg of "The Melodic Blue Tour"". REVOLT. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  15. ^ Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie. "pgLang's Tanna Leone Drops New Single "Picasso"". Complex. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  16. ^ Williams, Aaron (April 28, 2022). "PgLang Rapper Tanna Leone Drops His Debut Album 'Sleepy Soldier'". UPROXX. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  17. ^ Inman, DeMicia (May 4, 2022). "A Closer Look At The "pgLang For Converse" Collaboration". VIBE.com. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  18. ^ "Kendrick Lamar & Tanna Leone Team Up For Pharrell-Produced Track, "Mr. Morale"". HotNewHipHop. May 15, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  19. ^ "Grammy Awards 2023: The Full List of Nominees". The New York Times. November 15, 2022. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  20. ^ Cowen, Trace William. "Kendrick Lamar Announces The Big Steppers Tour f/ Baby Keem and Tanna Leone, Reveals Full Schedule". Complex. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  21. ^ Cowen, Trace William. "Watch Kendrick Lamar's Big Steppers Tour Show From Paris on 10th Anniversary of 'Good Kid, m.A.A.d City'". Complex. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  22. ^ Moreau, Jordan (February 5, 2023). "Grammy Winners 2023: Full List". Variety. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
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