Before she topped the charts and became one of R&B’s leading ladies, Brandy was an insecure 8-year-old singing in the church with her family. The superstar singer reflects on her journey to stardom on MTV’s “This Is How I Made It.” She reminisces on her childhood, signing her first record deal, and looking up to her idol Whitney Houston.

“What she did to my soul when I first heard her sing, I didn’t believe that she was real. I didn’t believe that someone could actually sing like that,” said Brandy of the late legend. “I just wanted to be exactly like her.”

In school, she was picked on and had trouble fitting in. But she knew she was destined to be a star after dancing in the talent show and earning a standing ovation.

While she never had plans to be an actress, she took every opportunity that came her way. She eventually landed a role on “Thea” and signed a deal with Atlantic Records at the age of 14. After the success of her self-titled debut, she was tapped to lead the cast of the ’90s sitcom “Moesha.”

Despite all her success, she started to doubt herself later in her career. “I have a fear of not being great,” revealed Brandy. “I started to believe that I was really a has-been, that it’s over for me. But I learned everything about myself through tough times and struggles.” [RapUp]