ABSTRACT

Born in the Bronx, New York, dancer-turned-actress-turned-recording star Lopez scored numerous major hits from the late 1990s, thanks to her high-profile star image and sexy dance-video performances. Lopez first attracted attention when she appeared as a dancing “Fly Girl” on the hit comedy series, In Living Color, which premiered in 1990. She made her film debut in Money Train in 1995, and two years later captured serious attention appearing as the slain Tejano singing star, Selena, in a made-for-TV film. Always wanting to be a singer, she released the album On the 6 (named for the Bronx subway line she rode as a child) in 1999 (Epic Work 69351). Aided by major rap and pop producers, including Sean “Puffy” Combs (with whom she would be romantically involved during 2000), and Emilio Estefan, Jr., the album was a major success, spawning hits with its first single,the number one “If You Had My Love” (Sony 79164), and the follow-up, “Waiting for the Night” (Sony 79292). Lopez followed quickly in 2001 with the album, J. Lo (Epic 63786), with the major hit, “Love Don’t Cost A Thing” (Epic 70728). A remix version of the album was released in early 2002 to capitalize on her success, spawning the new single hit, a duet with Ja Rule on “Ain’t It Funny.” Seeking to broaden her appeal, she released This Is Me-Then (Sony 86231), in fall 2002, emphasizing ballads over dance tracks. The lead single, “Jenny from the Block” (Sony 79825), emphasizes her Bronx roots, claiming that, despite her fame and celebrity, she’s still just a simple girl from New York.