Melanie B (born 29 May 1975 as Melanie Janine Brown and also known as Melanie Brown, Mel B or Mel G, in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England) is a British r&b singer, songwriter and actress known as one of the members of the girl band, the Spice Girls, where she was known as "Scary Spice", apparently because of her in-your-face attitude and her hairstyle. In 1998 while the Spice Girls were touring and Missy Elliott called her to ask if she was interested in singing a song called "I Want You Back"