R&B songbird Brandy traded in her singing career–and name–for a turn as a rapper named Bran’Nu–her very own Sasha Fierce alter ego.

She told MTV, “I was rapping as a hobby, just something I did for my friends, just played around on videos and stuff like that.” After Timbaland saw one of her videos, he asked her to join him in the studio. “He really just allowed me to be as free as I wanted to be,” she said. “I wrote my own verses, just anything I did I wrote myself. And it was a great experience…It feels like this is what I’m supposed to do.”

Timbaland featured her rapping on his album, and even gave her the alias Bran’Nu. He wants Brandy’s next album to be half rap, half singing.

So what do you guys think? She’s not so bad. And how did I miss this!?

And what’s up with Timbaland’s weight gain/hot dogs on the back of his head.

Via MTV