What Is Syleena Johnson's Net Worth?
Syleena Johnson is an American singer-songwriter and actress who has a net worth of $2 million. Syleena Johnson grew up loving music and is the daughter of accomplished R&B singer Syl Johnson. She began singing while in school and performed in various vocal ensembles throughout high school. After having nodules removed from her vocal cords and undergoing two years of speech therapy, she began college at Drake University. Syleena intended to focus on psychology, but her love of music proved too strong. She changed her major to music, and then changed schools, eventually graduating from Illinois State University.
After passing a demo tape to a Jive Records executive at a charity basketball game, she was invited to sign with the label. She has since released six albums and has received multiple music award nominations, including Grammy, Billboard, and MTV Video Music Award nominations. She also appeared on the popular TV One series, "R&B Divas."
Early Life
Syleena Johnson was born Syleena Thompson on September 2, 1976, in Harvey, Illinois. She is the daughter of Syl Johnson and Brenda Thompson. Her father worked as a singer for R&B Hi Records throughout the 1960s. His most successful records include "Different Strokes," "Is It Because I'm Black," and "Take Me to the River." Her mother was the first female police commissioner of Harvey, Illinois.
She grew up with her two older sisters – Syleecia and Sylette. It has also been reported that retired NFL player Chad Johnson is her brother.
Syleena attended Drake University, where she was a member of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority, though she did not graduate.
(Photo by Derek White/Getty Images)
Career
In 1998, Johnson released her first album, "Love Hangover." In 2001, she released her second studio album, "Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness." At that time, she had already been signed to Jive Records and had worked with Bob Power on the majority of the album. When it was released, the album peaked at #101 on the U.S. "Billboard" 200 and entered the top 20 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
In 2002, she released her third album, "Chapter 2: The Voice." That album included collaborations with artists like Hi-Tek, Dwayne Bastiany, Mike Dunn, and Scorpio. The album peaked at #104 on the U.S. "Billboard" 200 and also made the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Additionally, the album's lead single, "Tonight I'm Gonna Let Go," was Johnson's first international top forty hit.
In 2004, Syleena was featured as a vocalist on Kanye West's single "All Falls Down" from his debut album "The College Debut." The following year, Johnson released her fourth album "Chapter 3: The Flesh." The album featured the singles "Hypnotic" and "Another Relationship." A number of critics gave the album top marks and referred to Syleena as one of the most underrated contemporary R&B artists of the time.
Johnson took a four-year break before releasing her next album, "Chapter 4: Labor Pains," in 2009. The album featured the single "It Is True" and climbed to the #42 spot on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The same year, Syleena also appeared on a single with KRS-One, Twista, and Crucial Conflict called "Self-Destruction."
Two years later, Johnson released her next album, "Chapter 5: Underrated." This was her first album released by Shanachie Records. It peaked at #49 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and featured the lead single "A Boss."
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From 2012 to 2014, Johnson starred in the TV One reality series "R&B Divas: Atlanta." The show lasted three seasons and featured other female R&B singers like Monifah Carter, Faith Evans, Nicci Gilbert, and KeKe Wyatt. The show chronicled the women's friendships, personal and professional pursuits, and interpersonal drama.
While on the show, Johnson released a duet album with Musiq Soulchild called "9ine." The following year, she released her seventh solo studio album, "Chapter 6: Couples Therapy," in 2014. The album received generally positive critical reviews, and Syleena continued developing her reputation as one of the most underrated female R&B artists. It made it to spot #29 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
In 2017, Johnson released her next album, "Rebirth of Soul." It was produced by her father, Syl Johnson, who chose the songs for the album and also assembled a group of musicians to accompany Syleena. It features covers of classic R&B songs like "Make Me Yours," "Chain of Fools," "Lonely Teardrops," "These Arms of Mine," and "The Monkey Time," among others.
In 2020, Johnson released her ninth solo studio album, "Woman." The following year, she was featured in "Donda Chant," the opening track of Kanye West's tenth album, "Donda," which was released in August 2021.
Personal Life
In August 2000, Johnson married former Illinois State University college basketball player Marcus Betts. Betts became Johnson's manager for her two first albums. However, the couple later divorced. In July 2007, Johnson married Kiwane Garris. Garris also was a basketball player, having played for various NBA and EuroLeague teams. In August 2007, after 48 hours of labor, Johnson gave birth to their son, Kiwane Garris Jr. In February 2011, Syleena gave birth to their second son, Kingston. She returned to school later in her life, enrolling at Drake University. There, she received a bachelor's degree in nutrition science in June 2015 and graduated summa cum laude. She was inducted into the Alpha Beta Kappa honors society for her academic achievements.
