Janet Jackson

Janet Damita Jo Jackson born May 16 1966 is an American singer songwriter dancer and actress Known for a series of sonically innovative socially conscious and sexually provocative records as well as elaborate stage shows television and film roles she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 30 years The youngest child of the Jackson family she began her career with the variety television series The Jacksons in 1976 and went on to appear in other television shows throughout the 1970s and early 1980s including Good Times and Fame After signing a recording contract with AM Records in 1982 she became a pop icon following the release of her third studio album Control 1986 Her collaborations with record producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis incorporated elements of rhythm and blues funk disco rap and industrial beats which led to crossover success in popular music In addition to receiving recognition for the innovation in her records choreography music videos and prominence on radio airplay and MTV she was acknowledged as a role model for her socially conscious lyrics In 1991 she signed the first of two recordbreaking multimilliondollar contracts with Virgin Records establishing her as one of the highest paid artists in the industry Her debut album under the label Janet 1993 saw her develop a public image as a sex symbol as she began to explore sexuality in her work That same year she appeared in her first starring film role in Poetic Justice since then she has continued to act in feature films By the end of the 1990s she was named the second most successful recording artist of the decade The release of her seventh studio album All for You 2001 coincided with a celebration of her impact on popular music as the inaugural MTV Icon After parting ways with Virgin she released her tenth studio album Discipline 2008 her first and only album with Island Records In 2015 she partnered with BMG Rights Management to launch her own record label Rhythm Nation Having sold over 160 million records she is ranked as one of the bestselling artists in the history of contemporary music The Recording Industry Association of America RIAA lists her as the eleventh bestselling female artist in the United States with 26 million certified albums She has amassed an extensive catalog with singles such as Nasty Rhythm Nation Thats the Way Love Goes Together Again and All for You among her signature songs she holds the record for the most consecutive top 10 hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart by a female artist with 18 In 2008 Billboard magazine released its list of the Hot 100 AllTime Top Artists placing her at number seven while in 2010 ranking her fifth among the Top 50 RBHipHop Artists of the Past 25 Years One of the worlds most awarded artists her longevity records and achievements reflect her influence in shaping and redefining the scope of popular music She has been cited as an inspiration among numerous performers