Notch (musician)

Norman Howell (born May 11, 1973, Hartford, Connecticut), better known as Notch, is an R&B, reggae, dancehall and reggaeton artist. He was the former lead vocalist and one of the creative force behind the hip hop-reggae act, Born Jamericans.

He has been featured on hit albums such as Mas Flow 2, Mas Flow 2.5, Chosen Few II: El Documental, Barrio Fino, and The Cosmic Game. His first solo album, Raised by the People, was released in May 2007.

Biography

Early life

Notch's mother is African American of Native American, Portuguese, and Puerto Rican descent, his father was born in Jamaica and is of Afro-Cuban and French descent. His parents separated while still an infant. He spent his early years with his mother living in Hartford, Connecticut. He grew up in a multicultural neighborhood. Notch learned how to speak Spanish because most of his friends at that time were of Hispanic descent. He went to go live with his father in Washington D.C. when he was nine years old. Notch also spent a short time in Bermuda before moving back to Washington D.C. where he lived until his early twenties.