Remy Ma, who grew up in the Bronx, the second oldest of five children, spent much of her youth writing and performing both rhymes and poetry. In 1999, she caught the attention of rapper Big Pun, who soon became Remy's mentor and invited her into Terror Squad, a group of which he was also a part. After Pun's death in 2000, the young MC signed to Universal Records. She first broke onto the mainstream hip-hop scene with her appearance in M.O.P.'s "Ante Up Remix" in 2003, and followed that up the next year with a role in Terror Squad's hit "Lean Back." In 2006, Remy released her debut solo album, There's Something About Remy: Based on a True Story, which featured an unreleased Big Pun verse in "Thug Luv" and boasted the singles "Whateva" and "Conceited (There's Something About Remy)."