Portrait of Ray J

Birthday profile

Ray J

American R&B singer and actor

Born
January 17, 1981
Age in 2026
45
Zodiac sign
Capricorn
Birth year
1981

About Ray J

William Ray Norwood Jr. (born January 17, 1981), known professionally as Ray J, is an American R&B singer, rapper, songwriter, television presenter, and actor. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Carson, California, he is the younger brother of singer and actress Brandy. Ray J's 1997 debut single, "Let It Go", was released by EastWest Records for the soundtrack to the F. Gary Gray film Set It Off. Both moderate hits, the song peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 and additionally served as lead single for Ray J's debut studio album, Everything You Want (1997), which entered the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. He then signed with Atlantic Records to release his second album, This Ain't a Game (2002). Led by his second top 40 single, "Wait a Minute" (featuring Lil' Kim), the album became his first to enter the Billboard 200–at number 21. His 2005 single "One Wish" peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and preceded his third album, Raydiation (2005), which commercially trailed the success of both the song and his previous album. The albums were each met with mixed critical reception. In 2007, he co-starred in the controversial adult film Kim Kardashian, Superstar, opposite then-relatively unknown actress Kim Kardashian. This foresaw the release of his fourth album, All I Feel (2008), which was critically panned, but yielded his furthest commercial success and peaked at number seven on the Billboard 200; it also spawned the single "Sexy Can I" (featuring Yung Berg), which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains his highest—charting song. Released independently, his 2013 single "I Hit It First" (featuring Bobby Brackins) peaked at number 51 on the chart, providing a brief period of resurgence as it talked about his previous affair with Kardashian. In January 2017, he competed in the nineteenth season of the British reality television series Celebrity Big Brother. In his entrepreneurial career, he launched the technology company Raytroniks in 2016, as well as the Raycon line of direct-to-consumer earbuds in 2017.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Career and life highlights

Ray J timeline

  1. Ray J's 1997 debut single, "Let It Go", was released by EastWest Records for the soundtrack to the F.
  2. Released independently, his 2013 single, "I Hit It First" (featuring Bobby Brackins), peaked at number 51 on the chart, providing a brief period of resurgence as it talked about his previous affair with Kardashian.

The world when Ray J was born

Ray J was born in 1981. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1981

  • #1 song"Bette Davis Eyes" – Kim Carnes
  • Top movieChariots of Fire
  • Top TV showDallas
  • Best-selling bookThe Hotel New Hampshire – John Irving

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports momentSugar Ray Leonard defeats Thomas Hearns
  • Top headlineMTV launches
  • Technology milestoneIBM launches the PC
  • Defining fadPac-Man fever
  • Notable inventionIBM PC (personal computer)
  • World population4.53 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderRonald Reagan
  • Sports championLos Angeles Dodgers (World Series)
  • Also wonBoston Celtics (NBA)
  • U.S. population229.5M

1981 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Ray J's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19812026
Gas$1.31$3.45/gal
Average home$68,900$435,000
Average income$22,388$67,500
Minimum wage$3.35$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$2.78$11.95
Postage stamp$0.18$0.73
Population229.5M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, IMDb. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.