After several demos, recordings, and singing backup for artists such as Puff Daddy, Truth Hurts and Faith Evans, Cantrell was discovered by Red Zone Entertainment heads Tab and Laney Stewart in early 2000. The producers promptly placed her to Antonio "L.A." Reid who offered the singer a contract with his label Arista Records after a successful audition. Afterwards Cantrell went straight into recording sessions with Dallas Austin and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. In 2001, her debut album, So Blu, was released. The record saw major success when it peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200 chart, eventually selling over 800,000 copies and going platinum in the United States. The album featured the hit single "Hit 'em Up Style (Oops!)", which peaked at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and earned Cantrell a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance as well as an American Music Award nomination for Favorite Soul/R&B New Artist, both in 2002.

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