LaNeah Menzies (born May 27, 1983), known professionally as Starshell, is an American actress, songwriter, social entrepreneur, and recording artist.

Life and career

Menzies was born to African-American and Brazilian parents and was raised in

Lowell, Massachusetts Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, United States. Alongside Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, it is one of two traditional county seat, seats of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,554 in ...

. Menzies began her career as a child actress and model. As a teenager, she pursued her music career and, soon after college, signed to

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...

Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture ...

Matriarch Record company. She co-penned "

Love Lockdown "Love Lockdown" is a song by American rapper Kanye West from his fourth studio album, ''808s & Heartbreak'' (2008). The song was produced by West, while co-produced by Jeff Bhasker. The producers co-wrote it with Esthero, Malik Yusef, and Stars ...

" for rapper

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

, which debuted at number three on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and went on to sell over three million copies. In 2009, she co-penned "I Can See in Color" and "Closer" for

Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and entrepreneur. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Qu ...

. The former was featured in the

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

-nominated film, ''

Precious Precious may refer to: Music * Precious (group), a British female pop group Albums * ''Precious'' (Chanté Moore album), 1992 * ''Precious'' (Conrad Sewell album), 2023 * ''Precious'' (Cubic U album), 1998 * ''Precious'' (Ours album), 200 ...

'', while the latter is featured on Blige's album, ''

Stronger with Each Tear ''Stronger with Each Tear'' is the ninth studio album from American R&B and soul singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. The album was released in the US on December 21, 2009, under Blige's own imprint, Matriarch Records. Internationally it was rele ...

''. Menzies's first single, "Superluva", produced by Fernando Garibay and written by Menzies and Nire Alldai, was released in the summer of 2010. The single was followed by a retro-pop remix version produced by

DJ Cassidy Cassidy Durango Milton Willy Podell (born 1981), known as DJ Cassidy, is an American DJ, record producer and MC. With his trademark boaters, cricket sweaters, bow ties, color-blocked tuxedos, and 24-carat-gold microphone, Cassidy became known fo ...

, entitled "Superluva" (Cass & Dubs Remix). In the summer of 2012, Menzies toured with

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...

and

Enrique Iglesias Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler (; born 8 May 1975) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican label Fonovisa where he released three Spanish albums ''Enrique Iglesias (album), Enrique ...

on their

Dance Again World Tour Dance Again World Tour was the first worldwide concert tour by American entertainer Jennifer Lopez. Throughout the majority of her music career, beginning in 1999, a world tour by Lopez was anticipated, though it never materialized. Following th ...

, as well as on Mary J. Blige and D'Angelo's Liberation Tour with her second single, and pop hit, "Birthday Girl". Birthday Girl debuted via iTunes on February 7, 2012. Menzies's clothing line, Birthday Girl, consisting of a wide range of basics and was launched in 2013 with the help of

Kickstarter Kickstarter, PBC is an American Benefit corporation, public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York City, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative project ...

. She also appeared in '' Law and Order: Special Victims Unit'', Season 14, Episode 16: 'Funny Valentine' in February 2013.

Causes

In June 2013, Menzies partnered with the

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is a voluntary health organization that advocates for research and education around suicide, based in New York City, with a public policy office based in Washington, D.C. The organization's s ...

(AFSP) to raise awareness about suicide and suicide prevention. She was announced as the national spokesperson for the Foundation at AFSP's annual Overnight Walk.

Discography

Singles

Film

References

{{authority control American women singer-songwriters American male singer-songwriters Living people Suicide prevention Mary J. Blige 1988 births 21st-century American singer-songwriters 21st-century American women singers