Norwood is the elder of two siblings born to Willie Norwood, a former gospel singer and choir director, and his wife Sonja Norwood, a former district manager for H&R Block, in Mc Comb, Mississippi. She is the sister of singer, actor and television host Ray J, and a cousin of the late blues music singer Bo Diddley as well as rapper Snoop Dogg.

Through her father's work Norwood started singing at the Los Angeles Forum at the age of six, Brandy began performing at many West Coast functions as part of a youth singing group and then, at eleven, she met manager Chris Stokes who obtained her gigs as a backing vocalist for his R&B boy band Immature. In 1993, while researching record companies, seeking a record deal, Norwood attended a party hosted by the Atlantic Recording Corporation.By the time Norwood was putting the final touches on her debut album with producers Keith Crouch and Darryl Williams, Atlantic Records decided to release "I Wanna Be Down" as the newcomer's first outing. Although the singer was barely satisfied with her label's debut single choice at the time of its release, the song subsequently scored Brandy her first number-one hit on 'Billboard''s Hot R&B Singles chart, where it remained four weeks atop. Its success resulted in a remixed version of the song, containing new vocals by rappers Queen Latifah, Yo-Yo and MC Lyte, and increased the sales of Norwood's second number-one hit "Baby", her first international top-10 entry. Her debut album 'Brandy', a collection of street-oriented rhythm-and-blues, scored number 20 on the U.S. 'Billboard' 200 and number six on the Top R&B Albums chart. It eventually sold over four million copies domestically, and although the album's success was limited elsewhere, it produced another two top 10 hits with "Best Friend" and "Brokenhearted". Latter single, a re-done version with Boyz II Men singer Wanya Morris, was recorded during Brandy's two-month stint as the opening act on the group's national tour.

Critical reaction to 'Brandy' was generally positive, with 'Allmusic' writer Eddie Huffman calling Brandy "a lower-key Janet Jackson or a more stripped-down Mary J. Blige ... with good songs and crisp production". The album eventually earned Norwood two Grammy Award nominations for "Best New Artist" and "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance", four Soul Train Music Awards, two Billboard Awards, and the New York Children's Choice Award. The singer continued to be popular during the next two years, teaming with Lenny Kravitz for the 'Batman Forever' soundtrack and scoring another hit single with her 'Waiting to Exhale' contribution, "Sittin' Up in My Room"(1995). In 1996, Norwood also collaborated with Tamia, Chaka Khan, and Gladys Knight on the single "Missing You", released from the 'Set It Off' soundtrack. While not her greatest success, the single did score number 25 on the popular music chart, and earned Brandy her third Grammy nomination in the "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals" category.

In 1997, Atlantic Records consulted beginning producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins to contribute to Norwood's second album 'Never Say Never', which was released on June 9, 1998. Brandy co-wrote and produced six songs on the album which yielded her first number-one rated song on the U.S. 'Billboard' Hot 100, "The Boy Is Mine", a duet with singer Monica. Exploiting the media's presumption of a rivalry between the two young singers, the song was one of the most successful records of the year, spending record-breaking thirteen weeks on top of the 'Billboard' charts, and eventually garnered the pair a Grammy Award for "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal". The album's success was equally widespread, and after extensive radio play of the single overseas, the label released it globally during the summer. 'Never Say Never' eventually became Brandy's biggest-selling album, selling over fourteen million copies worldwide; and critics rated the album highly, with 'Allmusic''s Stephen Thomas Erlewine praising Brandy and her team for wisely finding "a middle ground between Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige -- it's adult contemporary with a slight streetwise edge". Altogether the album spawned seven airplay and CD singles respectively, including Norwood's second number-one song, Diane Warren-penned " Have You Ever?".

After a lengthy hiatus that saw the end of the 'Moesha' sitcom, and a flurry of tabloid headlines discussing her bout with dehydration, Norwood returned to music in 2001 when she and brother Ray-J were asked to record a cover version of Phil Collins' 1980s hit "Another Day in Paradise" for the tribute album 'Urban Renewal: A Tribute to Phil Collins'. Released as the album first single in Europe and Oceania, the song became an instant international success overseas, scoring top ten entries on the majority of all charts it appeared on.

'Full Moon', Norwood's third studio album, was released in February 2002. It once again comprised a row of R&B and pop-oriented songs with adult contemporary, many of them co-created with Jerkins, Warryn Campbell and Mike City. While its lead single "What About Us?" became a worldwide top ten hit, the album's title track failed to chart or sell noticeably outside the United States and the United Kingdom, where it managed to enter the Top 20 of charts. Media reception was generally lukewarm, with 'Rolling Stone' describing the album as" frantic, faceless, fake-sexy R&B."Within the coming year, Norwood and spouse Robert" Big Bert " Smith began writing and producing for other artists such as Toni Braxton, Kelly Rowland, Tarralyn Ramsey, and Kiley Dean.

Returning from yet another hiatus, Brandy's fourth album 'Afrodisiac' was released on June 29, 2004 in North America, amidst both her weakest promotional campaign ever and the well-publicized termination of her short-lived business relationship with entertainment manager Benny Medina. Norwood ended her contract with his Los Angeles-based Handprint Entertainment after less than a year of representation following controversies surrounding Medina's handling of the lead single "Talk About Our Love", and failed negotiations of a purported co-headlining tour with R&B singer Usher. with some highlighting the "more consistently mature and challenging" effect of Timbaland on Brandy's music, and others calling it "listenable and emotionally resonant," comparing it to" Janet Jackson at her best ". Norwood described the CD as her most mature and versatile effort by then:" I just wanted to sing my heart out and connect with people. I wasn't old enough or mature enough before to get into people's hearts. Now I am."Nevertheless 'Afrodisiac' became a moderate seller: While the album debuted at number three on the 'Billboard' 200, selling 500,000 copies domestically, it generally failed to chart or sell noticeably outside the United States." Talk About Our Love " reached number six in the United Kingdom but later singles failed to score successfully on the popular music charts.

After eleven years with the company Norwood asked for and received a release from Atlantic Records in the end of 2004. As a direct consequence the company released a collection of all of her singles, 'The Best of Brandy' in 2005. "I think it's awesome to have an album that reflects the songs that people have enjoyed over the years," Brandy said in an interview the following year," I'm happy to say that many of the tracks included are my favorites too."

In June 2006, Norwood was cast as one of three talent judges on the first season of 'America's Got Talent', an amateur talent contest on NBC with executive producer Simon Cowell and host Regis Philbin. The broadcast was one of the most-watched programs of the summer, and concluded on August 17, 2006 with the win of 11-year-old singer Bianca Ryan. Brandy was originally scheduled to return for a second season of the 'America's Got Talent' in summer 2007, but decided eventually not to do so, feeling that "she couldn't give the new season the attention and commitment it deserved". She was eventually replaced by reality TV star Sharon Osbourne. Distributed by Koch Records and Sony Music, the album marked Brandy's debut on the Epic Records label, following her split with Atlantic, and her reunion with long-time contributor and mentor Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, who wrote and executive produced most of the album. While leading single "Right Here (Departed)" scored Brandy her biggest chart success since 2002's" What About Us?,"the album failed to impact elsewhere, resulting into lackluster sales in general and the release of just one other single," Long Distance."

In early 2009, Norwood signed a short-living management deal with rapper Jay-Z's Roc Nation that ended amicably half a year later. A couple of months later, it was confirmed that the singer had also left Epic Records. In December 2009, she officially introduced her rapping alter-ego Bran'Nu with two credits on Timbaland's album 'Timbaland Presents Shock Value 2'. After collaborating with Timbaland, it was reported that Norwood would begin work on her sixth studio album which Timbaland revealed was going to embrace her new rap alter-ego, as well as her singing . The album is to be released late 2010. The project is involving heavy production from Timbaland, and from Will.i.am, Danja, new production duo Kadis & Sean, Tyse and Akon, among others. In addition, Norwood is preparing a collaboration album with brother Ray J, tentatively titled 'R&B', also scheduled for a 2010 release.Norwood, stylistically, has evolved since her 1994 start in music, at the age of 15. With her mother as her manager and stylist, Brandy developed a "good girl" image and a "hip-yet-wholesome" appeal. She often cited Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, and Mariah Carey, as her biggest musical inspirations.

Norwood's initial sound was contemporary R&B, heavily rooted in gospel and soul music. Her lyrics described various types of love, from casual and friendly love, to romantic and spiritual affairs. Influenced by Houston and Carey, she incorporated a ballad-heavy style and an adult contemporary feel into her urban-pop sound, for her second studio album, 'Never Say Never'. Her third studio album, 'Full Moon', saw Norwood abandon her teenage appeal for a more adult and sensual edginess. Along with her image, her voice had gone through a major change, losing the "girly-rasp" that she once had, for a now deeper and warmer voice, that had acquired a scratchy, evocative edge. The music also reflected the change, as songs like "When You Touch Me" and "Like This" explored more adult, sexual topics, and a sound that blended her previous urban-pop sound with heavy influences of UK garage, dubstep, and progressively futuristic tones. In 2004, her recent motherhood, life experiences, and growing affinity toward English rock band Coldplay, caused her to shift toward a more matured outlook and raw nature with her fourth studio album 'Afrodisiac', a venture into the organic sounds of soul blues and the nostalgic street-wise sound of 90's hip-hop. A four year hiatus, and a few life-changing occurences caused Brandy to return to the music scene, in late 2008, with 'Human', her fifth studio album, which lyrically discussed topics of spiritual love, genuine heartache, and universal honesty, and musically explored combining her urban pop sound with elements of country and inspirational pop. Early conversations with Norwood and her collaborators on future releases have revealed that her next project will take a more edgy, alternative sound, as she intends to experiment with different kinds of hip-hop on her next release.

Norwood has the vocal range of a contralto, which spans three octaves. Often referred to as '"B-Rocka"', Norwood had been commended for her smoky, slightly worn tone and the caliber of her voice. Josh Love of 'Stylus Magazine' calls her voice "gorgeous" and "un-histronic", while Nicolas Paul Godkin of 'Designer Magazine' comments, saying "...her husky, dulcet tones impresses the most." Andy Kallman of AMG (All Music Guide) mentions that her voice is a treat to her, and she wears a slightly worn scratchy-ness surprisingly well. David Browne of 'Entertainment Weekly' calls her voice "down-pillow soft", and Keya Modessa of 'The Situation' describes her voice as "deep, sultry, and different". ." While having been noted for her skilled vocal melismas and gospel-tinged ad-libs, Norwood is most known and praised for her heavy use of multitrack recording toward her own voice, to create highly elaborate and harmonically complex backing vocals, a technique that has become her signature. Terry Sawyer of Pop Matters Online comments, saying "While it's been said that Brandy's voice isn't exactly a barn burner, it's not mentioned enough that she does more than enough with what she's got. She never leaves her voice hanging in spotlit scarcity, folding it variegated terracing, whispering out the lead track, shouting in the back-up, and piling each song with enough interlocking sounds to create the tightly packed illusion of vocal massiveness." Many of Norwood's peers count her as a vocal influence including Kanye West, Chris Brown, John Legend, Tyrese, Ciara, India.Arie, and Kelly Rowland among others. Singer/Actress Beyonce mentioned that Norwood was a "great singer" and that she "loves her vocal arrangements." Bajan singer and model Rihanna revealed in an interview with 'Entertainment Weekly' that her 2007 multi-platinum album, 'Good Girl Gone Bad', was primarily influenced by Brandy. In the interview she stated, "Brandy really helped inspire that album, I listened to Afrodisiac everyday while in the studio. Rock musician John Frusciante, former guitarist of legendary rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers praises Brandy, calling her voice "multi-dimensional" and "inspiring". In describing her voice and signature sound he said, "You can't hear the elaborate harmonies with your conscious: you have to hear her voice with your subconscious." He also mentioned that Norwood was the "main inspiration" behind the guitar work on the Red Hot Chili Pepper's 2006 Grammy winning album, 'Stadium Arcadium'.

However, on many occasions, Norwood has been thought of as merely a talented muse, that music producers and songwriters have used to exercise their own artistic and creative energies. This theory has been most notably linked with Norwood's most frequent collaborator, producer Rodney Jerkins, and his own Darkchild imprint, on which many of their collaborations do not include songwriting or production from Norwood herself. Her work with Timbaland and other producer/songwriters outside of her usual circle has also seen Brandy only responsible for vocal arrangements and delivery, rather than actual writing or producing. However, throughout her musical career, Norwood has received a numerous amount of awards and accolades, and remains one of the most influential artists of her time.In 1993, while recording her debut album, Brandy was given the role of Danesha Turrell in the ABC sitcom 'Thea', playing the 12-year-old daughter of protagonist Thea Turrell ( Thea Vidale). The series was ended eight months after its release but earned her a Young Artist Award nomination for " Outstanding Youth Ensemble in a Television Series."

Her brief engagement earned Brandy her first starring role in the UPN sitcom 'Moesha'. Appearing alongside Sheryl Lee Ralph and Countess Vaughn, she played Moesha Mitchell, a typical 14-year-old girl from Los Angeles growing into adulthood. The program was first broadcasted during January 1996 on UPN, and soon became the most watched show broadcasted on the television network. Norwood who had not considered herself an actress before, gained confidence finally: " I think Moesha is so much like me that I feel real comfortable." In 2001, the network canceled the show after six seasons on the air, leaving it ending with a cliffhanger for a scrapped seventh season.

In 1997, Norwood was hand-picked by executive producer Whitney Houston to play the title character in Rodgers and Hammerstein's television version of 'Cinderella' featuring a multi-cultural cast that also included Jason Alexander, Whoopi Goldberg, Bernadette Peters and Houston. The two-hour 'Wonderful World of Disney' special garnered an estimated 60 million viewers, giving the network its highest ratings in the time period in 16 years, and won an Emmy Award. About filming Brandy later told 'Jet': "It was the best experience I could ever have." Norwood, however, earned positive reviews for her" bouncy "performance, which garnered her both Blockbuster Entertainment Award and MTV Movie Award nominations for" Best Actress "and" Best Breakthrough Female Performance " respectively. In 1999, she co-starred with Diana Ross in the telefilm drama 'Double Platinum'.

Since the early 2000s, Norwood's focus on acting has decreased to occasional guest appearances on several television shows such as 'Reba' (2002), 'Sabrina, the Teenage Witch' (2002), 'American Dreams' (2004), 'House' (2005) and 'One on One' (2006). While plans for a Touchstone Television-produced sitcom for The CW network, scripted by Mara Brock Akil for the 2004-2005 season, failed to materialize, a 2009 pilot episode for the ABC series 'This Little Piggy', also starring Jeff Davis, Rebecca Cheskoff and Kevin Rahm, was recast.

Norwood's foray in reality television started in 2002's with the MTV series "Diary Presents Brandy: Special Delivery", the show documented the final months of Norwood's pregnancy with her daughter Sy'rai.

In 2010, Norwood and her brother Ray-J will appear in the VH1 reality program "Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business," along with their parents, entertainment manager and mother Sonja and musical father Willie Norwood. The one-hour, 11-episode series will give viewers a first-hand glimpse into the lives of the Norwood family and their family business, Rn'B Productions. Run by Sonja, Rn'B Productions features a roster of musical artists including Brandy, Ray J, and their father Willie, who also serves as the company's vocal coach. But with Sonja ready to take a step down, Brandy and Ray J will have to fill her shoes quickly all the while taking the family business to the next level. The show documents Brandy as she records her next album with Timbaland, while raising her seven-year-old daughter Sy'rai. Her younger brother Ray J digs beyond his notorious bad boy image and collaborates on his own musical project with Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and other producers. The show will premiere on April 11, 2010, at 9 p.m.