| Sarai | |
| Background: | solo_singer |
| Birth Date: | 23 January 1981 |
| Birth Name: | Sarai Marie Howard |
| Alias: | Miss Eighty 6, Miss 86, 86 |
| Origin: | Kingston, New York, United States |
| Genre: | Hip-hop |
| Occupation: | Emcee, songwriter, actress |
| Years Active: | 2001–present |
| Label: | Epic, SME, DeeTown Entertainment |
Sarai Marie Howard (born January 23, 1981) is an American rapper.
Shortly after relocating to Atlanta, Sarai signed a record deal with Epic Records. She thus became the first white female rapper to be represented by a major U.S. label.[1] In 2001, she was prominently featured on the single "Same Ol' Same Ol' (remix)" by label-mate P.Y.T., and appeared in the group's music video,[2] as well as a second remix on their album.[3] "It's Official," a track from her debut The Original, also appeared as a hidden snippet track on their debut album.
In 2002, Sarai's "Pack Ya Bags" was released to radio and as a single. It debuted on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts at #90.[4] Soon after, her record label briefly dubbed her Feminem in an attempt to draw comparisons between her and fellow artist Eminem.
In 2003, "Ladies" was released as a single to radio stations, landing on Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 chart at #28. It peaked at #19, and stayed on the chart for 11 weeks. A video of the song was also released.[5]
Her song The Original was released on July 29, 2003. The album entered the Billboard 200 chart at #187.[6] The album featured production from Ali Dee Theodore, Scott Storch, Beau Dozier, and many others. The album lacked promotion by Epic Records, causing it to go under the radar of many. A rumored follow-up single, "Black & White", was supposed to be released - but was cancelled after Sarai was released from her contract with Epic.
In 2004, Sarai began filming National Lampoon's Pledge This! starring Paris Hilton. Portraying a character named Tonya.[7] The film was pushed back many times before releasing in 2006.
After leaving Epic, Sarai (now under the pseudonym Miss Eighty 6) joined Ali Dee Theodore and his company DeeTown Entertainment and has gone to write and perform music and soundtracks for movies and television, including Gossip Girl, Melrose Place, , Bones, Supernatural, Numb3rs, Chuck, The Nine Lives of Chloe King,[8] MTV's Cribs, Dismissed, Pimp My Ride, My Super Sweet 16, High School Stories and Date My Mom. Box office & straight to video films – Alvin and the Chipmunks, Fantastic Four, Harold and Kumar go to White Castle, In the Mix, Aquamarine, American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile & Beta House, spoof films Meet the Spartans, Disaster Movie, Vampires Suck, Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too?, For Colored Girls and most recently Little Fockers, and What's Your Number?.[9]
Sarai was featured on The Baldwin Brothers Return of the Golden Rhodes on the track, "A Matter Of Time" credited under her name.[10] A video was also shot and released.[11] The song was featured in Double Down, an episode of Numb3rs.
| Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US R&B/Hip-Hop | US Rhyth. | AUS [15] | NZ [16] | |||
| "Pack Ya Bags" | 2002 | 90 | — | — | — | The Original |
| "Ladies" | 2003 | — | 28 | 60 | 33 | |
(*) denotes writing credit/non-performance