Tulisa

Tula Paulinea Contostavlos, known professionally as Tulisa, was born on July 13, 1988, in Camden Town, London. Her early life was shaped by her mother’s mental health challenges, an experience she documented in the 2010 BBC program ‘Tulisa: My Mum and Me’. Her musical journey began in her youth when she joined her cousin Dappy and friend Fazer to form the R&B/hip-hop group, then known as Lickle Rinsers Crew. The group, later renamed N-Dubz, gained initial recognition through releases on pirate radio stations, with tracks like “Bad Man Riddim” and “Life Is Getting Sicker by the Day.” Their first mainstream single, “I Swear,” in 2006 marked a turning point, followed by “Feva Las Vegas” reaching the UK charts in 2007.

N-Dubz’s career progressed significantly with their signing to All Around the World Records in 2008. Their debut album, ‘Uncle B’ (2008), achieved success, leading to their first headlining tour. Subsequent albums, ‘Against All Odds’ (2009) and ‘Love.Live.Life’ (2010), garnered platinum certifications, multiple MOBO awards, and a Brit Award nomination, solidifying their status as a leading R&B/hip-hop act. Individually, Tulisa embarked on a significant television role from 2011 to 2012 as a judge on ‘The X Factor UK’. She mentored the Groups category in 2011, guiding Little Mix to become the first group to win the competition. Her debut solo album, ‘The Female Boss’ (2012), featured the UK number one single “Young,” alongside top twenty hits “Live It Up” and “Sight of You.” Following a legal dispute over songwriting credits for will.i.am and Britney Spears’ “Scream & Shout,” Tulisa won her lawsuit in 2018, securing 10% of the publishing rights.

Beyond music and television, Tulisa has explored acting, appearing in the television series ‘Dubplate Drama’ (2007–09), the film ‘Big Fat Gypsy Gangster’ (2011), and the British slasher film ‘Demons Never Die’ (2011). In 2016, she expressed intentions to pursue a film acting career, and as of 2018, was attached to star in the feature film ‘Diva.’ After a period of solo releases and other ventures, Tulisa reunited with N-Dubz in 2022, releasing their fourth studio album, ‘Timeless’ (2023). In 2024, she participated as a contestant on ‘I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!’, finishing in tenth place. Her memoir, ‘Judgement,’ detailing her experiences, particularly her drugs trial, is set to be released in 2025.