Ms. Toi`s "THaT GiRL"....

Rewritten with an album review added & new links, originally posted 08.18.2009...

Yes~Yes y`all I`m back with a lil` Chi~Town/ Inglewood flava for y`all courtesy of Ms. Toi. Now for those folks out there that don`t know of her I`ll do my best to school y`all....LoL, so here goes...Toikeon Parham (or Ms. Toi to the HiP HoP world) was born in Chicago, but her family decided to move to Inglewood, California when she was 11 years old. According to her parents Ms. Toi has always been an entertainer, at a young age she was singing Chaka Khan songs before she could even speak. Her first taste of the Music Industry came when she played the role of the 'other woman' in R&B group Mokenstef`s "He`s Mine" music video. Shortly after that Ms. Toi became the lead dancer for the girl group Thick & The Girls (Couldn`t find any info` on `em). During this period in time Toi was truly motivated because the lead rapper of Thick & The Girls was slippin`, always forgettin` her lyrics during live performances due to heavy alcohol consumption. Toi felt embarrassed, dancing for someone that couldn`t represent HiP HoP the right way -- so she made sure folks took notice of her dancing skillz. When Ms. Toi looks back now she can laugh because she understands that it was her beginning & everyone has to start somewhere...

Even though she was getting some props for her dance skillz, she really wanted to rip the mic! While she was working on her rappin` techniques she linked up with Brooke Payne, Ronnie DeVoe`s (of Bel Biv DeVoe fame) uncle, who later became Ms. Toi`s first management team. Shortly after that Ms. Toi recorded her first professional song with Ronnie DeVoe titled "Life Styles Of The Rough & Sexy". She then toured with Ronnie DeVoe & ended up linkin` up with another Rap group named the Militia when she returned home to L.A. Now the Militia was a group that producer & former Dr. Dre understudy Emanuel Dean put together along with emcees Lord G, Diz, Deviuz & Mr. Tan. Mr. Tan was also a part of the L.A. group Da Phat Pak along with Ms. Toi ( I couldn`t find any info` out there on this group so if ya know something school me!). Ms. Toi originally linked up with them to be featured on the remix for their single "Burn" (which is the first time I heard her rap), but the chemistry between them all was real natural so the label (Red Ant Records) put `em all in the studio for about a week`s time & they finished up an album. They shot a music video for the "Burn [Rmx]" with all 5 Militia members & even followed things up with a second video for their track titled "Who`s The Next MC To Crumble", but shortly after that Red Ant Records went bankrupt forcing the Militia to branch out on their own individual solo~careers...

Things really started to PoP off for Ms. Toi one night when her homie K-Mack, a member of the Rap group The Comrads, called her up asking her to hit up the studio to help Ice Cube finish up a song that he was recording at the time. Cube was recording "You Can Do It" which also featured Mack 10, he was about to scrap the track altogether but things changed once Ms. Toi hit the studio & blessed it with her vocals. The song became an overnight phenomenon, getting mad radio play & also ended up landing a spot on the soundtrack for Ice Cube`s film "Next Friday". Shortly after that in the year 2000 Ms. Toi joined the legendary "Up In Smoke Tour", things were lookin` real good for her career! Maybe just a lil` too good though since she thought that she was gon` end up gettin` a deal thru Ice Cube, but nothing materialized even after numerous efforts by Toi herself...

Things didn`t work out with Ice Cube the way she thought they would, but soon after her doubts faded out of her mind other labels started pursuing her. Eventually Ms. Toi signed a deal with Universal Records to release her first solo album titled "That Girl" which was released in 2001. Ms. Toi says she did everything in her power (she even co-executive produced the album & also co-produced many of its songs) to make the album a successful one, but the label just didn’t understand her. So with little to no promo for the album, ish was a commercial failure. Maybe it`s because Ms. Toi chose to stray away from the sexually explicit angle that she rocked on "You Can Do It" & instead focused on empowering women & offering a more complete portrait of the female experience in America. Don`t get it twisted though, there`s some good music on the album. It`s definitely worth checkin` out...

As for the album I`ll drop a quick lil` summary for y`all. Guest appearances come from the likes of Toi`s homegirl Cl`Ché, E-40, MC Ren, Squeak Ru, Poppa LQ, Nelly, Ali & Murphy Lee. Production is handled by Dame Grease, Phantom Of The Beats, Don Saunders, Mike City, Jason Epperson, DJ Don, Rhythm D, Doug Rasheed, Mike "Punch" Harper & even Ms. Toi herself. The album opens with the the title track "That Girl" which features her homegirl Cl`Ché over a Dame Grease produced beat, the hook has a slight Reggae vibe to it. It makes for a nice introduction for the listeners as Ms. Toi discusses the rough roads that she`s traveled to get to where she`s at now. "Handclap" is alright, but definitely sounds like an attempt to get some play on the radio with it`s commercialized vibe. The beat`s catchy, it`s hook simplistic, but Toi still manages to spit decent lyrics. "Love Me Or Leave Me" features vocals by Dalya Riley on the hook, while the Don Saunders beat complements the song`s overall message. Here Toi chooses to get a lil` more personal with this one, telling her loved one that he`s either gon` love her for who she is & respect what she`s doin` or he can get to steppin`...

E-40 makes an appearance on "Work A Twist" produced by Mike City. Like the beat the song`s decent, but nothing super spectacular which is a shame because these two artists are definitely capable of delivering much better. I can`t lie though E-40 makes the hook more catchy than it should be just by the funny way he says the song`s title. "Can`t None Of Y`all" features some more vocals from Dalya Riley while the song carries somewhat of a commercialize feel to it. Ms. Toi is basically on brag mode with this joint, lettin` folks know that no one can step to her. "C`Mon" is another joint that isn`t anything special, it`s not wack but you can definitely tell they were attempting to hit the radio with this vibe. Nelly, Ali & Murphy Lee are featured on "Be Like Me" a braggadocio joint that`s backed by a nice Jason Epperson beat....LoL, honestly I don`t know if I have heard anything else that Jason has done, but I like this beat. As for the tune I can`t really get into because I`m not much of a Nelly fan (NEVER was) & his homies don`t make this song any better. It`s not wack, it just has that Nelly-ized vibe to it & I simply can`t stand it....LoL

"Fly Chick" features The Transitions on a joint that`s sort of similar to Foxy Brown`s "Big Bad Mama" vibe but it has a bit of a darker sound to it. To switch things up Ms. Toi decides to keep it hood on the Squeak Ru assisted & street soundin` "My Dogs & My Locs", a DJ Don produced track which also features an Ice Cube sample used for the hook. "Bonnie Ride" carries the street vibe along as Toi lets the listeners know that she`s down to ride & die for her Clyde (man), while Dub Niche helps out on the track. Poppa LQ is featured on "Well Say That" a DoPe back & forth convo` between a hustler & a woman that he`s trying to hook up with carried on over Rhythm D`s backdrop which only enhances things. I`d have to say that this song is my favorite on the entire album, the way it`s done is great because both artists have good chemistry together. Ms. Toi decides to put a woman`s twist on 2Pac`s "Wonder Why They Call You Bitch?" with "Wonder Why..." featuring Dub Niche. It`s basically the female version with Toi speaking about a male 'trick' instead. It`s not a bad song at all, I actually find the hook pretty catchy....LoL

"Bangin`" has an appearance by the 'Villain In Black' MC Ren & is produced by Dame Grease. Unfortunately the song`s a lil` disappointing, to me anyway mainly because I was expecting some spectacular ish.....LoL, it`s not wack but the simplistic hook & the beat itself just don`t cut it for me. "Here To Stay" is probably my least favorite song on the album, the beat just doesn`t seem to complement her flow at all. The "Love Me Or Leave Me [Rmx]" once again features Dalya Riley, it`s not bad but I prefer the original version more. The album`s closing track titled "When I Bust" is another DoPe tune & a great way to bring things to an end. The Mike "Punch" Harper beat really meshes well with Ms. Toi`s braggadocio flows. So there ya have it y`all go `head & peep the album for ya`self...

Ms. Toi - That Girl
Label: Universal Records
Released: 2001



1. That Girl {ft. Cl`Ché} [Prod. by Dame Grease]
2. Handclap [Prod. by Phantom Of The Beats]
3. Love Me Or Leave Me {ft. Dalya Riley} [Prod. by Don Saunders]
4. Work A Twist {ft. E-40 & Stef} [Prod. by Mike City]
5. Can`t None Y`all {ft. Dalya Riley} [Prod. by Don Saunders]
6. C`Mon [Prod. by Phantom Of The Beats]
7. Be Like Me {ft. Ali, Murphy Lee & Nelly} [Prod. by Jason Epperson]
8. Fly Chick {ft. The Transitions} [Prod. by DJ Don]
9. My Dogs & My Locs {ft. Squeak Ru} [Prod. by DJ Don]
10. Bonnie Ride {ft. Dub Niche} [Prod. by Mike City]
11. Well Say That {ft. Poppa LQ} [Prod. by Rhythm D]
12. Wonder Why... {ft. Dub Niche} [Prod. by Doug Rasheed]
13. Bangin` {ft. MC Ren} [Prod. by Dame Grease]
14. Here To Stay [Prod. by Mike "Punch" Harper]
15. Love Me Or Leave Me [Rmx] {ft. Dalya Riley} [Prod. by Don Saunders]
16. When I Bust [Prod. by Mike "Punch" Harper]

Some newer music...

N`JoY...

CL`CHe`s "CLaSyFyD LaDy"...

Today I`ve got some good ol` Texas flava for y`all...Houston, Texas to be exact. What I`m hittin` y`all with is  Cl`Che`'s debut album titled "Clasyfyd Lady", it dropped back in 1998 on After Life Records. Up here in the O~DouBLe T it`s a pretty rare album to find in the stores, but I was fortunate enough to find it in a pawn shop for $5. The only downside is that it didn`t included the album`s cover art, oh well at least I have the CD:) Now this isn`t the first post that I`ve dropped on Cl`Che`, you can peep the collabo` mixtape "Hustle hard Pt. 2" that she did with Ms. Toi right here. Cl`Che` even stopped by posted a comment & schooled me on who she was, so now for y`all folks out there that don`t really know of her I`ll give ya a lil` run down on who Cl`Che` is & what she`s about before I get into her album...

First off Cl`Che` isn`t a one trick pony, when it comes to the music not only does she hold it down on the mic when she`s spittin` her raps, but she also sings -- so ya get a dual bonus for ya` ears. She first introduced herself to the HiP HoP world in 1998 with her debut album "Clasyfyd Lady", since then she`s dropped a good 10 albums (mostly on the independent tip). Some of the albums titles that I know of are "U Don`t Hear Me Doe", "Off Da Chain" & "May 17th Drop Date". She`s also the mind behind the "Hustle Hard" mixtape series, the 4th part in this series is going to be an R&B/ HiP HoP/ Inspirational joint titled "Still Hood, But Saved: Hustle Hard Part 4"...

Here`s a trailer for the "Hustle Hard Part 3" DVD/ CD set...




As you can see Cl`Che` has a very strong work ethic, she stays busy no question. Even though she`s mostly on the independent grind she has worked with some mainstream artists thru~out her career; Lil` KeKe, Lil` Flip, 8Ball & MJG, Z-Ro, Sole`, Ms. Toi & Doggy`s Angels to name a few. She`s also an affiliate of the late & legendary DJ Screw`s Screwed Up Click, her freestyles & tracks received much love on Screw`s CLaSSiC mixtapes. Cl`Che` is also doing a lot of positive things for women worldwide thru her women`s movement S.H.E., which stands for "Sister Hood Everlasting" -- they do fundraisers & motivational events to help feed the needy. I think it`s great when artists give back to their communities so I can only BiG~uP Cl`Che` & her efforts...

Now let`s get to "Clasyfyd Lady" shall we? It`s definitely a good listen, what makes this joint so enjoyable is that Cl`Che` covers a wide range of topics -- from relationships, dealing with the pressures of Life, Southside pride, sisterhood guidance & stackin` paper just to name a few. The beats are pretty solid thru~out the album & compliment both Cl`Che`s raps & her singin` (especially on the hooks). Standout tracks for me are; "2 Much Pressure", "Bi-Boogie [Rmx]" (which samples "Sexual Healing"), "Sista To Sista" & "Get Yours". So definitely give this a listen you will be glad you did...

Cl`Che` - Clasyfyd Lady

Released: November 24, 1998

Label: After Life Records

1. The Amusement Park [Intro]

2. Bi-Boogie {ft. Lil` Scrap}

3. 2 Much Pressure

4. Clasyfyd Lady

5. Ridin` 2-D-Top

6. Interlude Pt. 1

7. Can`t Nobody {ft. Hawk}

8. Teenage Love

9. Bi-Boogie [Rmx]

10. Sista To Sista

11. It`s On You

12. The Store [Skit]

13. Arouse Me

14. Don`t Leave

15. Hit `Em Spree

16. Interlude Pt. 2

17. Here After

18. Teenage Love [House Rmx]

19. No Other Love

20. Get Yours

CONTACT INFO:   

CLASYFYD ENT. 832-292-8498

BOOKINGCLCHE@HOTMAIL.COM

  WWW.MYSPACE.COM/CLCHE

N`JoY...

CL`CHe` & Ms. Toi`S "HuSTLe HaRD Pt. 2"...

Y`all know about Ms. Toi because I gave ya a lil` run down about her a few posts back. Now as for Cl`Che` other than the fact that she`s from Houston, Texas & she`s one of Ms. Toi`s homegirls I know nothing about her, so someone out there needs to school me! This mixtape/ album BaNGs hard, if you`ve listened to the Ms. Toi album you`ll be familiar with a few of the tracks. So go `head & check it out...

Cl`Che` Presents: Cl`Che` & Ms. Toi - Hustle Hard Pt. 2
Label: Hustle Hard Entertainment
Released: 2008




1. Cl`Che` Intro
2. Make `Em Clap 2 Dis
3. Pimps, Playas, Hustlas {ft. J-Doe}
4. But U Can`t
5. Cl`Che` Interlude
6. Be Like Me {Ms. Toi & Nelly}
7. Hot Music
8. You Don`t Know Me
9. Molew of S.P.C. & Cl`Che` Interlude
10. Ching Chong {ft. Molew of S.P.C.}
11. Everythang (Cl`Che`}
12. Where Eva U Go {ft. Charlie Berry}
13. Leanin` It {Cl`Che` ft. Chyna White & Mz. Trinity}
14. Get It Crunk {ft. 8Ball}
15. Work A Twist {Ms. Toi & E-40}
16. Ms. Toi Interlude
17. All Night Long (Cl`Che`}
18. She`s Gangsta {Cl`Che` ft. 13}
19. Soufside {Cl`Che` & Lil` Kano}
20. How Hard I Try {Cl`Che`}
21. I`ma Hustla (Cl`Che`}
22. Got It On Your Mind {Cl`Che` & Oxx Montana}
23. Get Up Off Me {Ms. Toi}
24. Shotgun
25. Sumthin` I Can Go Home With {Ms. Toi & Nate Dogg}
26. Like Dem Boyz {Ms. Toi}
27. Rock Wit` A Diva {Ms. Toi}











N`JoY...