Brandy & Ray J Get Down to "Business" on VH1

In the grand tradition of celebrities wanting to revitalize their careers, Brandy has joined her little brother Ray J in the world of reality television. Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business takes us inside the life that is the Norwood family and how they incorporate life at home and at work and still manage to be a family unit in the end. Ray J already has two shows under his belt (For the Love of Ray J Seasons 1 & 2) and Brandy had cameras follow her and then husband Robert during the tail end of her pregnancy to the birth of their baby girl in Diary Presents Brandy: Special Delivery on MTV in 2002. This time around the cameras are going into the Norwood home and get deep down to the "realness" of their lives.

The basis of the show is that their mother, Sonja, has been their manager for 15 years and wants to take a step back and have them handle their own business. She wants them to learn the part of the business that she has handled behind the scenes; she feels it's time for her to take time out for herself. The first episode - like any first episode - sets the tone of the show and we see Momma Sonja at work as a no-holds-barred manager who is not going to be taken advantage of. Their father Willie Sr., who is a vocal coach, wants to recapture what they once had before the job consumed so much of her time. Out of the two children Brandy seems to be the more level headed one while Ray J, a self-proclaimed party king, lives life in the fast lane without remorse unless he's up against the wall.

One such situation involves the family van that is primarily used to transport children from one place to the next. Ray J and his "crew" borrowed the van and it was towed due to it being parked in the wrong spot (it may have been a handicapped space). What makes the matter worse is that his second cousin Reggie was in the driver's seat; something his mom is not too crazy about. Reggie has a history of getting into trouble and Ray J is in the mist of it. To see him with his family and his friends he's like a fast talking hustler. Instead of blood running through his veins it is pure adrenaline. There's nothing at all wrong with enjoying your life but you can do that and still be responsible; he needs to work on that. It seems that he has crossed that line on more than three occasions to the point that it doesn't surprise his family anymore. Even Sonja expressed that she has talked to him about his friends and yet he stills reverts back to his bad boy ways.

With the management office redecorated, Sonja has set up offices for Brandy and Ray J. Her hope is that her children can transition into being business executives who can handle taking care of their own affairs, create business connections and keep their careers on the prosperous track. Time will tell in the course of this show how things will end. As usual, they will be getting into the studio to work on some music and it will be featured on the show available for download. It is going to entertaining because Ray J likes to be the center of anyone's attention.

Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business premiers April 11 and can be seen on Sundays at 9pm on VH1