Tamia Marilyn Washington Hill is a Canadian singer, songwriter, producer, and actress. Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Tamia performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child. In 1994, after signing a development deal with Warner Bros. Records, she was asked by veteran producer Quincy Jones to appear on his album Q's Jook Joint (1995), earning her Grammy Award nominations for their collaboration on "You Put a Move on My Heart" and "Slow Jams". Her self-titled debut album was released in 1998 and followed by a series of successful albums with Elektra Records, including A Nu Day (2000) and More (2004). Several songs from these albums became hit singles on the pop and R&B record charts, including "So Into You", "Stranger in My House" and "Imagination" as well as her collaborations "Into You", "Missing You" and "Spend My Life with You".
Deborah Cox is a Canadian singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Born and raised in Toronto, she began performing on television commercials at age 12, and entered various talent shows in her teenage years before becoming a professional backing vocalist for Celine Dion. In 1994, Cox relocated to the United States and was signed to Arista Records by Clive Davis, releasing her self-titled debut album the following year. Her second studio album, One Wish (1998), was certified platinum in the United States. It was marked by the commercial success of the pop crossover single "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here", which would become her most successful entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number two and remaining there for eight consecutive weeks. Cox signed with J Records for her third studio album The Morning After (2002), which saw moderate commercial success.
Between Friends is the fourth studio album by Canadian R&B singer Tamia. Her first project under her own independent label, Plus One Music Group, founded after her departure from Elektra Records in 2004, it was first released in South Africa on May 12, 2006, followed by a worldwide release in the fourth quarter of 2006. A departure from her third studio album More (2004). which included a diverse roster of collaborators, Tamia reteamed with frequent contributor Shep Crawford to work on most of the album, with its title referring to their working relationship and connection during the recording process.
A Nu Day is the second studio album by Canadian recording artist Tamia. It was released by Elektra Records on October 10, 2000, following her transition from Qwest Records. A less ballad-driven collection of songs and more progressive approach than her debut effort, Tamia worked with a smaller number of songwriters and producers on the album, including Dallas Austin, Shep Crawford, Missy Elliott, Bink!, Errol "Poppi" McCalla, and Jazz Nixon, some of whom would become frequent collaborators on subsequent albums. As with Tamia, a cover version, DeBarge's 1983 single "Love Me in a Special Way", was also recorded for the album.
More is the third studio album by Canadian R&B recording artist Tamia. It was released by Elektra Records on April 6, 2004 in North America. Created over a period of three years, in which the singer gave birth to her first child, the album, initially titled Still, was indefinitely bumped from its original August 2003 schedule after Tamia was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and forced to undergo treatment. With the illness in remission, she resumed work on the album later that year and arranged additional recording sessions with producers Poke & Tone, Spanador and R. Kelly to revamp parts of the album which saw her also reteaming with frequent partners such as Jermaine Dupri, Shep Crawford and Mario Winans.
Canadian singer and songwriter Tamia has released nine albums, and twenty-six singles. She began her career in 1995 as a protégé of musician Quincy Jones, who offered her the chance to appear on his album Q's Jook Joint (1995). Selected as the album's first single, their collaboration "You Put a Move on My Heart" became a top 20 success on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The song, along with their second collaboration "Slow Jams" and "Missing You", a song she recorded with Brandy, Gladys Knight, and Chaka Khan for the soundtrack of the 1996 motion picture Set It Off, was later nominated for a Grammy Award.
"Officially Missing You" is a song by Canadian R&B recording artist Tamia, taken from her third studio album, More (2004). Released as the album's lead single, it was written by Marcus Vest, better known by his stage name Seven Aurelius. The song is marked by its acoustic style featuring acoustic guitar and Tamia's vocals most prominently in the mix. "Officially Missing You" peaked at number one on the US Adult R&B Songs.
"Stranger in My House" is a song recorded by Canadian singer Tamia. It was written by Shae Jones and frequent collaborator Shep Crawford and produced by the latter. Initially helmed for fellow R&B singer Toni Braxton, it was left unused and later recorded by Tamia for her second studio album, A Nu Day (2000). Inspired by the surprise ending of the supernatural thriller film The Sixth Sense (1999), the strings-led, dramatic contemporary R&B ballad is about a woman who is confused with her partners recent change in behavior and goes into denial about it.
"Can't Go for That" is a song by Canadian recording artist Tamia. It was written by Missy Elliott, Brycyn Evans and Roosevelt "Bink" Harrell for her second studio album A Nu Day (2000), featuring main production from the latter with Elliottt and Evans serving as co-producers. Musically, the song includes an interpolation of "I Can't Go For That " as performed by Hall & Oates.
"Almost" is a song by Canadian singer Tamia. It was written and produced by Shep Crawford for the singer's fourth album Between Friends and released as its third and final single in 2007, reaching number 59 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The music video for the song was directed by Margaret Malandruccolo, who also shot the video for Tamia's previous single "Me".
"Me" is a song by Canadian recording artist Tamia. It was written and produced by Shep Crawford for the singer's second album A Nu Day (2000), but it did not make into the final track list. However it was later included on her fourth studio album Between Friends (2006) and released as its second single in 2007, reaching number 29 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Beautiful Surprise is the fifth studio album by Canadian recording artist Tamia. It was released by her own label, Plus One Music Group on August 28, 2012 in the United States, with distribution handled by EMI and Capitol Records. Her first release since 2006's Between Friends following a longer hiatus during which she gave birth and raised her second daughter with husband Grant Hill, much of Beautiful Surprise was produced in the eight months leading up to the release of the album. A breakaway from her previous effort, Tamia consulted a wider range of musicians to work with her, including Claude Kelly, The Runners, duo Carvin & Ivan, Salaam Remi, and frequent collaborator Shep Crawford.
"I'd Rather" is a song by American singer Luther Vandross. It written and produced by Shep Crawford and recorded by Vandross for his eponymous album (2001). The song was released as the album's third and final single. "I'd Rather" became a top twenty hit on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart and reached the top forty on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. It also topped the US Adult R&B Songs chart, the second single from Luther Vandross to do so.
Love Life is the sixth studio album by Canadian recording artist Tamia, released on June 9, 2015 by Plus One Music Group and Def Jam Recordings. Her first major label release since More (2004), it saw Tamia consulting a diverse roster of collaborators including songwriting credits from Rachel Assil, Claude Kelly, and Dillon Pace. With much of the album completed in ten days only, she used two studios to record material for Love Life simultaneously. Production comes courtesy of the likes of Pop & Oak, The-Dream, Tricky Stewart and Polow da Don, as well as frequent collaborators The Stereotypes and Shep Crawford, amongst others.
"Stuck with Me" is a song by Canadian recording artist Tamia. It was written by Rachel Assil, Kesia Hollins and Jamal Jones for her sixth studio album Love Life (2015), while production was helmed by Jones under his production moniker Polow da Don. "Stuck with Me" is a silky, romantic R&B slow jam in which the singer professes her undying love for her significant other. Musically, the light and airy groove is built upon a liquid, pulsing bass line over which Tamia sings with smoky vocals, also making use of her falsetto range.
"Love Falls Over Me" is a song by Canadian recording artist Tamia. It was written by Tamia along with Warren Felder, Alicia Renee Williams, and Andrew Wansel for her sixth studio album Love Life (2015), while production was helmed by Felder and Wansel under their production moniker Pop & Oak. A sensual electro R&B song that has the singer gushing over the man who fills in her blanks, it was released as the album's third single on November 4, 2015. Pushed by several commissioned dance remixes that were produced by DJs Bobby Blanco, Desperados, and Stonebridge, it reached number 21 on the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.
Shep Crawford is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B and gospel musician, songwriter, and record producer best known for Whitney Houston's "Same Script, Different Cast", Deborah Cox's "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here", Tamia's "Stranger in My House", Sisqó's "Incomplete", and Kelly Price's "As We Lay". He is the founder and pastor of The Experience Christian Ministries in Los Angeles, California.
Passion Like Fire is the seventh studio album by Canadian singer Tamia. It was released on September 7, 2018 through Plus One Music Group and 21 Entertainment. Her first project to be distributed by eOne Music, its release marked twenty years since the release of her solo debut single "Imagination" and its eponymous parent album. A breakaway from her previous album Love Life (2015), the singer worked with a smaller team of collaborators on the album, involving longtime contributors Shep Crawford and Salaam Remi as well as songwriters Lundon Knighten and Jonas Myrin and chief producer Lil' Ronnie and his team.
"Leave It Smokin'" is a song by Canadian singer Tamia. Inspired by New York summertime music, Tamia wrote the song alongside frequent collaborators Alicia Renee Williams and Salaam Remi for her seventh studio album Passion Like Fire (2018); its production was handled by Remi. A throw-back to 1990s music, the uptempo R&B song exhibits elements of 1990s funk, soul, and dance music. Built on a stoic, snare-heavy retro break beat and a smooth, rhythmic groove, the song's instrumentation includes moody synthesizers, keyboard tones, and drums. Lyrically, "Leave It Smokin'" finds the singer looking for passions in her lover to fuel her needs.
"It's Yours" is a song by Canadian recording artist Tamia. It was written by Tamia along with Jeremiah Bethea, Ronnie Jackson, Philip Lynah Jr., Benjamin "King BNJMN" Singh-Reynolds, and Omar "Major Seven" Walker, and produced by Lil' Ronnie, Major Seven, and King BNJMN for her seventh studio album Passion Like Fire (2018). A sultry mid-tempo groove, "It's Yours" is a R&B slow-jam that features an instrumentation consisting of piano, synthesizers, thumping bass and hi-hat. Lyrically, it has the singer talking about being ready for an erotic encounter.
