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| by kenn on 7/06/2005 07:48:00 PM |
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Teairra Mari - Royal Introduction
Source: VIBE
Crowned the “Princess of the Roc” by Jay-Z, Teairra Marí is on the verge of making Detroit’s 8 Mile stretch famous for something other than Eminem. Lounging in Atlanta’s swank Silent Sound Studios, the petite starlet knows the weight of the responsibility she carries: to be the first R&B darling to come out under Shawn Carter’s watchful eye. “Right now, my sound has to be different,” she says. “It’s gotta be edgy and a breath of fresh air.”
Inheriting her sultry pipes from her gospel-belting grandmother, Veronica Lake, who, Teairra says, once sang backup for Aretha Franklin, Teairra Maria Thomas sang her first solo in church at the age of 12. That same year, Teairra, who attended Aaliyah’s alma mater, the Detroit School of Arts, cut a demo with local producer Mike Litt called “You Thought,” which nabbed airplay throughout Detroit. Though raised on the good gospel, Teairra, now 17, has since decided on a more secular musical path. “I sang in church my whole life,” she recalls. “But I loved R&B.”
Eventually her demo made its way into the hands of Atlanta producers Daryl Simmons and Anthony “T.A.” Tate. Soon after meeting Teairra, the duo arranged an audition with LA Reid, chairman of the Island Def Jam Music Group. Impressed with her performance, Reid signed her to Def Jam in July 2004. Then Jay-Z, excited by her everyday girl appeal and raw talent, added Teairra to his Roc-A-Fella roster. “I just want to be around hits,” says Jay. “I knew Teairra Marí was a star the minute I met her.”
Anchored by the insanely melodic single “Make Her Feel Good” — where she begs the question: “Is there any boys around that know how to make a girl feel...make her feel good?” — Teairra’s as-yet-untitled debut has enough energy and spirit to put everyone in a good mood. It’s a collection of hip hop/R&B-tinged tunes glazed with a ’90s-era flavor, reminiscent of Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy” days. Veteran record exec Tracey Waples has already dubbed her “the people’s champ” for this generation: “Like Mary J. Blige did, Teairra is gonna be a spokesperson for young females everywhere.”
Before the predictions get out of hand, Teairra just wants to set forth on the road taken by hometown legends Aaliyah and Aretha. “Detroit’s not like any other city,” she says, showing off her exclusive-to-Detroit butterfly nail design. “Our swagger is different, and I have something in store for the world.”
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