Claudette Ortiz

Claudette Ortiz (born July 21, 1981) is an American singer and model, most famous as the female in the R&B group City High. Ortiz also was a castmate in TV One's reality series R&B Divas: Los Angeles.

Early life and career beginnings

Claudette Ortiz is of Puerto Rican descent,she was born in Willingboro, New Jersey on July 21, 1981.

2001-2003: City High

The group began with Pardlo signing on as a solo artist. However, soon Pardlo's high school friend Toby and the producers decided that it should be a two-man group featured on the album. Soon after the two-man group began to work on the album, The Product G&B became successful. In order to stand out, the producers decided to add a female member. They chose Ortiz, another group member from their high school. During production, all three members did writing on the songs. The trio focused on trying to make lyrics that told a story, Toby noting that he got some inspiration for writing songs that tell stories from country music. A large amount of the songs are based on real-life experiences the trio has experienced, such as "What Would You Do?". The group recorded "What Would You Do?" two years prior to the release of album, as it was featured in the Eddie Murphy film Life. It was not formally released, however, until 2001. The group disbanded in 2003, failing to release another album despite their debut's success.

In November 2002, Ortiz appeared on the episode "Jr's Dating Dilemma" on ABC's My Wife and Kids.

2004-Present: Solo career & Reality TV

In 2006, Ortiz released her first solo single "Can't Get Enough" featuring Mase. She was also featured on Wyclef Jean's track "Dance Like This" on the Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights soundtrack. Other artists she has worked with include Nas, Ja Rule and Mase.

For her debut album, currently slated for 2014, Claudette is currently working with producers will.i.am, Pharrell, So Klassik, Noize Trip, & Jerry Wonda.

"I've been working in between my kids. I was on Interscope but they didn't like the material; after I had Bella they released me. I'd just been waiting for her to get a little bigger & stronger. She'll be 2 in April. So I'm back working... Anton Marchand is managing me and I'm in talks with an independent label... I'm about to go hard and I'm excited! I feel good, I'm happy, I'm single... I've been in a relationship most of my adult life... I'm not dating. I'm just enjoying delving into myself. Learning more about me and focusing on my kids.

As of July 10 2013, Ortiz is a castmate in TV One's reality show R&B Divas: Los Angeles, also featuring Chante Moore, Michel'le, Lil' Mo, Dawn Robinson, and Kelly Price.

She has released her new song "Reciprocation" on her website www.myclaudette.com

As of March 27, 2015, Ortiz will be starring in Tyler Perry's new stage play Madea on the Run.

She has also landed a recurring role as Claudia on Tyler Perry's If Loving You Is Wrong.

She previously dated City High-member Robbie Pardlo for a few years, up until the group released their debut album. Ortiz later revealed on R&B Divas LA, that this was an abusive relationship. She later married and divorced City High-member Ryan Toby. They have two sons, Maurice Toby and Joel Toby.

Ortiz said: "We are very close friends. We had both of our sons before we got married… we had a good relationship for a long time. Around 2007 it started fading out, we were changing… we’d gotten together pretty young and so we separated. I started seeing someone else and had my daughter at that time and I don’t know who Malicious Jynx is, that is not my daughter’s father. My daughter’s father is just a normal hard working business man. He’s not even in the industry."

In an interview Ortiz spoke about her daughter and how she did not know the guy reported by the media as her daughter's father. "So hold on… you don’t know that guy that is being reported as your daughter’s father?" Claudette Ortiz: "No I don’t know who that is. I saw a rumor on Wikipedia a while back saying I was dating him and had a child by him… I was in the studio with Brian Michael Cox and we were laughing about it… I wasn’t even pregnant with my daughter yet… I don’t know that guy and never met him. My daughter's father is just a normal hard working business man. He's not even in the industry."

In 2013, Ortiz was contemplating joining the U.S Air Force Reserves, when she was contacted by TV One's producer Phil Thornton to do R&B Divas: LA. She relocated her family from New Jersey to partake in the series.

As featured performer