Quick Facts
Biography
Tonya Michelle Johnston (born July 17, 1973), better known by her stage name Solé, is an American rapper from Kansas City, Missouri.
Biography
Solé was born in 1973 in Kansas City, Missouri to Phyllis Frazier and James Johnston, .Her siblings are Sean and Charlie (Chuck) Johnston, Sierra and Tamika Gamble.
Solé has family in General Acha, Argentina. She held various jobs, including working for AT&T and as a spa coordinator for a salon.She also attended cosmetology school; and attempted college where she studied Political Science and Psychology.
Personal life
Solé has daughters De'jan Nicole Lee (born March 7, 1992) and Cypress Soleil Lee (born January 9, 1995) from a previous relationship. Solé met Ginuwine in June 1999 and began dating in October 1999. The two became engaged in August 2000. Solè married Ginuwine on September 8, 2003 in Grand Cayman. They resided in Brandywine, Maryland.They have two daughters together: Story Asaundra (born March 29, 2001) and Dream Sarae Lumpkin (born November 1, 2002).
In November 2014 Ginuwine announced he and Solé had separated. Their divorce was finalized July 22, 2015.
On August 27, 2017, Solé married Public Enemy band member and rapper, Professor Griff, referring to each other as "Aja and Kavon Shah".
Musical career
Solé started her career as a hardcore female rap/hip-hop artist by attracting attention in the summer of 1999 with her appearance on J.T. Money's hit single "Who Dat". "Who Dat" reached #1 on the US Rap chart, #2 on the US R&B chart, and #5 on the US Hot 100.In September 1999 she released her debut album Skin Deep which was an overall success in the United States. On October 25, 2010, she confirmed that she will start work on her second album. In February 2012 she featured on a song called "A New Look" by Focus.
In September 2019, Solé released her second album Encoded.
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Hip-Hop | ||
| 1999 | Skin Deep | 127 | 27 |
| 2019 | Encoded | — | — |
Singles
Solo
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | Hot Rap Singles | Rhythmic Top 40 | |||
| 1999 | "4, 5, 6" | 21 | 9 | 1 | 24 | Skin Deep |
| 2000 | "It Wasn't Me" | — | 44 | — | 19 | |
| 2019 | "Encoded" | — | — | — | — | Encoded |
| 2019 | "Pranayama" | — | — | — | — | Encoded |
| 2019 | "Under the Veil" | — | — | — | — | Encoded |
| 2019 | "The Formula" | — | — | — | — | Encoded |
As featured performer
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | Hot Rap Singles | |||
| 1999 | "Baby" | — | 48 | — | Daydreamin' |
| "Who Dat" | 5 | 2 | 1 | Pimpin' on Wax | |
| "—" indicates singles that did not chart. | |||||
Guest appearances
| Year | Song | Artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | "Straight Thuggin'" | Kane & Abel | Rise to Power |
| "Clueless" | Tech N9ne | The Calm Before the Storm | |
| "Let Him Go" | Tamar Braxton | Tamar: Just Cuz | |
| "Better Than Me" | Terry Dexter | Better Than Me (single) | |
| 2001 | "Get Up On It" | Tyrese | 2000 Watts |
| "Contagious (Mercenary Mix)" | The Isley Brothers | Contagious (Remix) | |
| 2002 | "Costa Nostra" | Don Juan | Mizery Won't Stop |
| 2003 | "Sex" | Ginuwine | The Senior |
| 2011 | "Naal Nuchuna" | Jassi Sidhu | Singing Between the Lines |