Natasja Saad was born on 31 October 1974 in
Copenhagen to a Danish mother, Kirstine Saad, who is a photographer, and a
Sudanese father, Ahmed Saad, who was a big supporter of her career. Her father moved to Denmark to study. He learned the Danish language quickly and became a Danish citizen. Saad's parents soon divorced, and her father moved back to Sudan. She also had three half-siblings: Sarah, Nadir and Saad. She and her siblings grew up in
Islands Brygge, a district area in Copenhagen. As a child, she had a love for nature and for horses, which led her to become a professional
jockey as a young adult. At age seven, she went to Sudan with her father to get in touch with her family on her father's side. At age 13, Saad first started her music career in Copenhagen, where she performed live with her long-time friend, Danish singer Karen Mukupa and McEmzee under the name No Name Requested. The band broke up in 1996. Saad was also inspired by Jamaican culture and music. During that period, she performed along with
Queen Latifah and gained popularity in Jamaica. In 1998 at age 24, while in training to become a professional jockey, she fell off her horse, slowing her career. Saad later became the first female jockey to win a horse race in Sudan. In 2006, she won the reggae/Irie FM Big Break Contest in Jamaica, which gave her a fresh start and a big boost in her music career. The four LP box set
Legacy (1974–2007) was posthumously released 29 June 2018 on
Playground Music to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Saad's death. In addition to her previously released albums
Release,
I Danmark Er Jeg Født and
Shooting Star,
Legacy (1974–2007) includes a new compilation album featuring songs from Saad's entire career. == Death ==