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Bre-Z
Calesha "Bre-Z" Murray (born July 22, 1987)[1][2][3] is an American actress and rapper, best known for her roles as Tamia "Coop" Cooper in the American drama series All American and as Freda Gatz in Empire.[4][5] Early lifeBre-Z was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was raised in Wilmington, Delaware.[6][7][8] Her grandmother gave her the nickname "Bre-Z" at birth when she would not stop crying until a window was shut, so they called her "breezy".[8][7][9][10] She found out it wasn't her real name when she began elementary school.[8][7][9] As a child, she had short hair and people would often mistake her for a boy.[5] In sixth grade, she decided that she wanted to pursue music.[9] Her mother worked in the entertainment industry, and once woke up to Wu-Tang Clan in her living room, so she knew that she would become involved in the entertainment industry from a young age.[4] Bre-Z graduated high school in 2005.[5] She attended Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.[8] In 2008, she moved to Atlanta when her mom found a job there.[7][4][2] Bre-Z began cutting hair at the age of 10,[9] and comes from a family of barbers, with her grandfather, father, and mother all working as barbers.[8][4][2] While working as a barber, she cut hair for Akon, Ludacris and Rob Dougie .[7][11][12] In 2014, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dream of becoming a musician with only one dollar in her bank account.[8][4] CareerBre-Z began her music career at age 14 with impromptu performances around Philadelphia.[6] Her brother used to rap, and she would perform his songs until she began writing her own.[4] When she was 15, she met Freeway of Roc-A-Fella Records rap group State Property.[7] Freeway put her in a studio and recorded her first song with her.[7] Bre-Z began writing songs with Dr. Dre, Jennifer Lopez, and The Game.[10] She moved to Los Angeles when she was 24 to pursue her music.[9][11] In 2015, after landing an audition through a barbershop connection, Bre-Z was cast in the role of Freda Gatz.[6][4][13] It was her first audition and first time acting.[10] She appeared on the soundtrack several times throughout her time on the show, sometimes performing her own raps.[7][11][14][2] In November 2018, she was the grand marshal of the Xavier University homecoming parade.[2] In 2018, Bre-Z was cast as Tamia "Coop" Cooper in the drama All American.[9] She once stated that "Coop is literally Bre-Z in high school," emphasizing the similarities between her and her character.[5][2] Her role has been praised as breaking barriers for the LGBTQ community.[6] She released an EP, The Grl in 2015 on her independent label.[4][13] Her most recent album is titled Full Circle.[6] Personal lifeIn regard to her sexuality, Bre-Z has stated that she wants to keep her romantic interests private.[5] In one interview, Bre-Z said, "I love everybody. But when it gets down to whatever is underneath my clothes, whatever is inside of my home, or in my bedroom... I feel like at some point, being in the public eye, you have to keep something for yourself. And that's just what I choose to keep for me."[1][4] Bre-Z is very spiritual.[11] She lives in Los Angeles, California.[4] Her favorite movie is Juice. On March 16, 2021, Bre-Z proposed to girlfriend Chris Amore in front of friends and family.[3] Filmography
Discography
References
External links
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