Natasha Shanta Reid (born May 31, 1981), better known by her Korean name Yoon Mi-rae (Korean: 윤미래), often stylized as Yoonmirae, is an American-born based South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer, who is also a member of Korean hip hop trio MFBTY.
Biography
Early life and education
Yoon was born on May 31, 1981, in Fort Hood, Texas, to a South Korean mother and an African-American father. Her father had been a radio D.J. while serving with the U.S. military in South Korea in the district of Uijeongbu. Yoon's father cites his record collection as an influence to pursue her music career. After she moved to South Korea as a child, she often faced discrimination because of her mixed heritage. Yoon dropped out of school at age fifteen and later took a high school equivalence examination.
Discovery, Uptown and Tashannie
Yoon was discovered in 1995 when she accompanied a friend to an audition for a new Korean hip hop group. She did not audition herself, but a World Records representative heard her singing outside of the audition room and signed her to join a new group called Uptown. The group debuted in 1997, when Yoon was 16.
In 1999, she also formed hip hop and R&B duo "Tashannie" with rapper Lee Soo-a, who used the stage name "Annie". They released one album, called Parallel Prophecies.
