Although she was exposed to a variety of music throughout her childhood, both listening to her parents' vast record collection and studying classical piano, it wasn't until adulthood that Gray embarked on a singing career. As a screenwriting student at USC, Gray started singing jazz standards with a group of friends. Her interest piqued, she ventured out on her own, fusing hip-hop, sould, reggae, and funk. She signed with Epic in 1998 and released On How Life Is in 1999. She was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1999 in the Best New Artist category. She won a Grammy for “I Try” in 2000.
