Sharaya Howell, better known by her stage name Sharaya J, is a Hawaiian-born American female rapper and choreographer.
She is best known for her latest singles,BANJIand Smash Up the Place, as well as being the latest artist signed to Missy Elliott's label The Goldmind Inc. Prior to her work as a musician, she worked as a hip-hop choreographer and urban screenplay writer.
Born on January 17 in the 1980s to one-fifth member of hip-hop group Double XX Posse, Sharaya began her career as a hip-hop choreographer. She was featured as a dancer in French singer Mylène Farmer's 2006 tour, Avant que l'ombre à Bercy. Her work caught the attention of high-profiled musicians, Diddy, Ciara, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, The-Dream, Rihanna, and earned her cameo spots on each artists' music videos (Alicia Keys' Teenage Love Affair, The-Dream's Shawty Is a 10). Sharaya later went on to work with other top choreographers, Laurieann Gibson, Tanisha Scott, Fatima Robinson, Hi-Hat, and Jamaica Craft (formerly one-third of The Goldmind's act So Def)