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When she speaks, you listen. When she sings, you feel. When she moves, you watch. Maybe it's the barely contained energy that gives her words buoyancy. Or perhaps it's her passion--and not the wildly appropriate, flaming red mane-- that truly keeps your attention. Whatever it is, ask anyone who has experienced Toy and you'll find another striking description added to the list.

Back in small-town Maple Hill, North Carolina the preacher's daughter sprang from the womb with music in her blood, playing piano tunes by ear at age 3 and hijacking the spotlight with church solos by 4. Her diverse influences began at home with music ranging from 50's & 60's doo-wop classics, to the 70's soul sounds of Al and Marvin, to Top 40 pop, country and rock she heard daily while bused to predominately white schools in the rural south. Any given evening after school was much like a jook joint scene straight out of The Color Purple-- a curious 7-year-old with an ear for a good groove took notes while she watched granddaddy's makeshift band jamming sultry funk & gut-bucket blues at his country store. Sunday mornings back at church were like the same show on a different stage, this time the headliner was another grandfather--a fiery harmonica-blowing preacher with a 'Holy Ghost strut' that The Godfather James Brown himself would envy. It was also around this age that she discovered her muse, Prince, who over the years would inspire an eclectic fusion of styles that currently make Toy a musical standout.

Barely in her teens, she was enticed to the stage by the lyrical lure of hip-hop-- quickly conquering the local music scene as an opening act for rap legends like Public Enemy, MC Lyte, and Big Daddy Kane. Her love for performing soon became a driving obsession when Kane, taken by her skills and professionalism, urged her to pursue her goals wholeheartedly. With the help of an uncle, "MC Toy" hit the studios hard, recorded and pressed two singles, and instantly created a buzz selling them out of her backpack during high school and college. Afterwards, she headed to New York City and got a head-start learning the business as assistant to an entertainment attorney representing heavyweights like Missy & Timbaland, The Neptunes, Kelis and Carl Thomas. A meeting one evening after work with a music publishing exec presented an opportunity to try her hand as a singer/songwriter-- her first song winning the hard-earned respect of Timbaland, the support and encouragement of friend and fellow NC native (a then up-and-coming) Anthony Hamilton and a musical connection with hip hop deejay/producer Clark Kent that would start the ball rolling.

The Kent connection marked the beginning of a broad span of growth, with Toy purchasing music equipment, and quickly learning to write, produce and arrange songs at home. In no time, she seemed to effortlessly gain widespread attention, writing a popular single released in Japan by Virgin Records hip hop/ r & b artist Tsubaki and appearing by request on a track with hip-hop superstar Scarface. She even 'crossed over' to gain a strong multimedia appeal, lending her voice nationally to countless TV & radio promos-- including her current gig as a primary promo announcer for a major network, a two-year stint as the promo voice of (Nickelodeon's) Nick Jr. channel, and recently returning to her hip-hop roots as live show announcer and voice of the "VH1 Hip Hop Honors" for both 2005 and 2006. Shock jock and "King of All Media" Howard Stern, has even described Toy's voice as only he could-- "Fu*king awesome!" [click to hear Toy's voiceovers]

This varied array of experiences and creative freedom has given birth to Toy's distinctive signature sound; an extraordinary blend of raw emotion, clever lyrics, catchy harmony laden hooks, intricate vocal arrangements, and brilliantly-constructed tracks that converge and bend genres into a pretzel. DJ Clark Kent (Jay-Z, B.I.G, Rakim, Mariah Carey), along with fellow hit-makers Fanatic (Michael Jackson, Notorious B.I.G, Beyonce), Darren Lighty (50 Cent, Angie Stone, Jaheim), and KNS (Britney Spears, Destiny's Child, Carl Thomas) all lend their illustrious musical talents to her yet-to-be-titled independent debut; a freshman endeavor destined to create a die-hard fan base.

The gutsy "I'm Fire" emanates a simplistic down-home-brown-liquor soulfulness so intoxicating, esteemed music journalist / author Steven Ivory calls it "Betty Wright meets George Clinton. Bar-b-que. Ridiculous funky, sexy, nasty--a straight up smash." The instantly infectious, high-energy "Ready 4 Me" screams Billboard Top 10...boasting innovative arrangements, flirty live instrumentation, and a sassy surprise cameo by the former MC TOY, proving that her hip hop roots are alive and well. Cuts like the oh-so-gritty "Permanent P.M.S." bring it on home with Southern sauciness and a bluesy twang, and the poignant lyrics of tracks like "Do It Do It" ("We're all livin' on death row/ God flips the switch when its time to go") will leave you wondering whether she is the delightfully eerie reincarnation of a "soul" that has existed before.

The thirst for something real and unique is officially over. Here is the place where Hip-hop meets Rock... marries Soul... impregnates Funk... and gives birth to a wonder child that is uniquely: TOY !!!