Jakima Rayor is an American singer who first came into the limelight for being part of the 90s girl band ‘Total’. Raynor has been a singer from her childhood who decided to fully delve into music in her youthful days.
Blessed with the talent, it wasn’t difficult for her to make her waves as one of Sean ‘Puff Daddy’ Comb’s signature acts. She and the two other ladies from the group were part of many hit songs at the time. Together, they featured in songs like Mase’s ‘What You Want’, as well as Notorious B.I.G’s ‘Hypnotize’.
Self-described as ‘laid back and sassy, Raynor has been credited for songs such as ‘Kissin You’. She also has to her name the songs; ‘Can’t you see?’, ‘Trippin’, and ‘What About Us?’.
Did You Know These Facts about Jakima Raynor from the 1990s Girl Band ‘Total’?
1. About Jakima Raynor’s Group and its Members
Jakima started her music career in 1994 with her girl band ‘Total’. Although she formerly had a background in art, she only became very involved in entertainment when the band was formed.
‘Total’ which originated from Somerset, Plainfield, and Edison, all in New Jersey, were made up of girls who were 18, 22, and 23. The names of the other members of this group are Keisha Spivey Epps and Pamela Long.
Raynor was born on November 25, 1972, while Keisha was born on May 27, 1971. Pamela who was the youngest of the trio was born on March 24, 1976. As earlier stated, the band was formed in 1994 when the girls were still very young.
The group made their first public appearance singing in ‘Juicy’ by Notorious B.I.G. This song was from the rapper’s 1994 debut album ‘Ready to Die’.
2. She Has Reunited With the Group Twice
Jakima’s girl group was active for a couple of years and like a lot of other groups, eventually folded. The girls went their separate ways in 2001 and individually pursued other paths.
While some stuck with music, there was also the factor of getting married and raising families. However, while they were together, they released two albums and the first went platinum with other singles topping charts.
By 2001 they disbanded but reunited again in 2014. This reunion was between Jakima and Pamela who began to perform as a duo under the same name. Two years after, Spivey Keisha joined the girls and together they went on the Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour.
3. Her Sister Is a Rapper Who Made it to One of Hip-hop’s Prestigious Lists
Music obviously runs in the Raynor household as Jakima isn’t the only entertainer in the house. Raynor has a sister known as Lavita Raynor who is an American rapper and actress. As an actress, Vita is known to play the role of DMX’s side chick in the 1998 released movie ‘Belly’.
However, her achievement and fame come from being a successful rap artist. She has an album titled ‘La Dolce Vita’ although unreleased. Despite this, her contributions to the hip-hop scene earned her a prestigious title.
Vita was named as part of the ‘31 Female Rappers Who Changed Hip-Hop’ in 2014.
4. Jakima Raynor Is Married
51 year old Raynor Jakima is married to Carlos Dyson who is a chef and baker. He is the owner of ‘Dyson Crab Cake’ a food and beverage store. The couple got married on the 27th of September 1997 just about 3 years after Jakima’s music career kicked off. They have, however, remained happily married and together for 25 years.
5. She Took a Break from Music To Raise a Family
As a married woman, Raynor now Dyson, had a home to see to and a family to raise. She and her husband have between them, about 5 kids and it was no easy task to balance with a brewing career.
As a result of this, Carlos’ wife decided to take a break from the entertainment industry. She then focused on raising her kids and building a home. Now, she is not only a happy mother but a proud grandmother as well.
The Dyson kids are; Nieco Joy Dyson born on May 11, Anaisa born on June 12. Jakima and Carlos also have another son, Christian who was born on the 24th of May, there is Tori was born on April 26, and then Jakima Marie Dyson was born on the 2nd of June 2003.
6. The Singer Has a Consulting Firm
Apart from raising a family after her hiatus from music, Jakima Raynor also worked on herself. The young American singer went back to get her education and became a Medical Coder. In addition to this, she also started a consulting firm.
7. Her Mother is Her Greatest Influence
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As earlier stated, the Raynor family is musically inclined. This history dates to Jakima’s mother and her role in bringing up her kids. Mrs. Raynor was a member of the choir back in her church in Detroit Motown.
The mother of Vita and Jakima raised her kids with Gospel music and sang with the likes of Aretha Franklin. She was even in a singing group with her sisters. Unfortunately, she could not pursue a career in music because she got married and began to raise Jakima and her siblings.
Nonetheless, Mrs. Raynor still remains Mrs. Dyson’s greatest music influence followed closely by Aretha Franklin and Shirley Caesar.
READ ALSO: Emanuela De Paula Got Married At 20- Her Husband, Career, Net Worth, 6 Important Facts
8. Jakima Raynor Got Back into the Music Scene
Mother and grandmother, Dyson, got back into the music scene in 2018 and she returned big. Stating the reason for her return, she cited a conversation she had with her daughter. According to Jakima, her daughter stated that she heard she was a big deal in the music industry and wanted to know why she stopped the music. This was a huge turning point for the former ‘Total’ singer who revisited her past.
However, she has returned back, bigger and better but with new hurdles to overcome. Thankfully, her husband is her manager and she has a lot of support from family and old friends.
She has even released some singles one of which is titled ‘Luv Me Back’ and it is already making a lot of waves.
9. She has a Website
‘Totally Kima’ is the name the former girl group member has decided to return with. This is the brand she is building as she needs to separate her solo career from that of the group. As such, Jakima’s website is named ‘Totally Kima’ and you can see all about her musical journey as well as book her for a performance.
Additionally, she goes by the same moniker on her social media platforms.
10. Raynor Loves Horror and Sci-fi Movies
The R&B singer is not just talented at that, she is also a fun-loving person. When she is not out, performing or recording, she is spending time with her husband, kids, and grandkids. However, she also loves to watch movies and is a huge fan of horror and sci-fi movies. Jakima Raynor grew up watching the original versions of ‘The Exorcist’ and ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’. Although she admits the movie genre scares her, she loves them and enjoys watching them.
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