Justina Valentine

A brassy, outsized presence on the R&B charts and MTV, singer and television personality Justina Valentine enjoyed stardom both as a self-styled hip-hop artist and as co-host and performer of several MTV comedy and reality series. Born in Passaic County, New Jersey, Valentine was raised in a musical household that encouraged her interest in acting, dance and performance from an early age. She began recording her own material - a mix of pop and trap-style hip-hop - in 2006, but a full six years would pass before the release of her debut mixtape, Route 80, in 2012. An EP, titled Valentine, would peak at No. 38 on the iTunes R&B chart, and it, along with a second mixtape, Red Velvet (2014), which featured New York rapper Maino, would earn Valentine a spot on the Warped Tour and other touring festivals. Two years later, her debut album, Scarlet Letter (2016), was released to modest acclaim, anchored largely around her 2015 single "Candy Land," which featured fellow Passaic County performer Fetty Wap. Valentine earned a stronger response for her television appearances, first as a cast member on MTV's sketch/improv comedy series "Wild 'N Out" (MTV/MTV2/VH1, 2005-) and later, on a revived version of the MTV dating series "Singled Out" (MTV/Quibi, 1995-98, 2018-) for its YouTube channel in 2018, where her streetwise persona was put to good use. A second LP, Favorite Vibe, was issued in 2019.