Growing up in the 2000s, it was uncommon for a black household to not have BET or UPN on rotation. Having a channel that reflects and prioritizes the taste of the listener is always a bonus. Especially when you have people on television that look, talk, and feel like you. Relatibility has been a massive component for years and plays a role in a brand's success. This concept reign true for African American teen singers. The Ushers, Brandy's , Monica's, Aaliyah's, etc. were seen as cool, stylish, and to an extent popular. That lane been around for years but felt redefined in the late 90s MTV TRL era. However, there is another certain lane that was seen: the mellow, lo key archetype. You definitely seen other artists in the umbrella but this one is probably a sleeper by far and represents everything I recall in the Teen R&B 2000s era.

Oakland born but repping from Hawaii. Yasmine Sullieman grew up singing at a young age. It was through talent shows where she developed a name for herself. At the age of 11, she sanged a cover of Celine Dion's "Love Is On The Way" at a statewide talent competition. This rendition gave her even more local notoriety and resulted in an independent release in 1999. Greater pastures arised the next year, when she signed with Magic Johnson's MCA label, Magic Johnson Music. Her debut album was made for 2 years with a range of collaborators. One of them including Jazze Pha, who produced her only hit single, "Blue Jeans"(2002).

Unfortunately, her 2002 debut album would only release in Japan. This was due to issues with her label in the United States and their decisions to not promote it as well as they could have. This caused her to leave the label and go independent. Surprisingly, her music that she made for that album and in the mid 2000s would be heard on a few UPN sitcoms. Most notably, Half&Half and Girlfriends. She would go on a bunch of other ventures(Broadway and Discovery Kids Hi-Five) b4 eventually signing on with Electronic record label, Strictly Rhythm. Leading to another path of Dance music that allowed her to stay afloat musically, collabing with various DJs.

As mentioned earlier, her music is mellow and warm. Just like her Hawaiian roots, everything is subtle yet effective. She has a soft, sweet like caramel tonality. When listening to her music, especially during the 2002 - 05 era, her lyrical content feels like I'm hearing a musical version of a haiku poem. It's innocent to a fault but there's a lot more than what's on the surface. She has depth whether it's describing her crushes' motif (Blue Jeans), motivation for someone she cares about (B R Alright), or commitment (Rainfalls). Her transition into House/Dance music is a great step for her. It complements her singing style and vibes from top to bottom.

Happy Easter everyone! And this closes Women's History Month. Shoutout to all the Hawaiians from around the world

Recommend to start:
When Will It Be Me(2002)

For those that are smitten by:
Tyra B
Nivea
Sunshine Anderson
Mya
3LW
Sammie
Mario
Lloyd
Christina Millan
Blaque

@Zoobooks @loveu_Boi @offline @DownTheDrainPapi @CutiePieHole @NoGoodNamesLeft @atthepyramids @sentient_sherm_bag @aauraa @Ron_James @Prince @Bushmanate @nightingalexo @SOLARIS

In.

@xxxkiraxxx @Oblivion99 @BIGGWAVE @Sir_Swagalot @Ultimate_Warrior @CliCity @Jbreezyondeck @HavenPB @degenwokemoralist @Brave @knova @2words @Mac_Wit_Da_Cheese @tomonthekeys @Water_Giver @Vox

@AudioConsulting @proper @Prosper @mdmadon @Rockman

@voriox @Slingshot @slime_wrld @t3st1ng @lonny860 @Beautiful_Morning @Impossible @SignedTwice @user_offlineforeve @ShinNohara @LastCall

@cm_junk

@Sk8brdKee

@Throkaaa @Zoobooks @MikesVeryOwn @Cole2

@browser @Mastiff @Valentine @voriox

Naaaaaaaaaah u doin the lords work 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 this is incredible

First song in and this is such a great tone for the holiday, Happy Easter and Happy Women’s Month!

@op the rnb MVP great threads with details and essay style/reviews/descriptions he really putting us on

Op always blessing us with 💎

@op write ups always fire

This is dope

i think i def heard blue jeans before

say my name and rainfalls is super heat @op

did timbaland do poppin up or was it an imitator? i know timb was everywhere even more unknown artists for like a hot year or two and def feels like its trying to do his perc style but it seems a bit off to me

So nostalgia even tho i dont really remember

that synth lead on the first song

It is an imitator. The song was produced by Damon Elliot. The son of Dionne Warrick

On Track 11:
discogs.com/release/6084344-Various-Music-From-The-Motion-Picture-Two-Can-Play-That-Game
discogs.com/artist/773561-Damon-Elliott

l do it for ya'll

Another song I forgot to list. So f***ing good