Tasha Starr

In this testosterone-driven world of rap music, there have only been a select few female rappers to adequately hold their own in an industry dominated by men. Only a small number of women rappers over the years like Queen Latifah, Mia X and Lil Kim have been able to balance unbridled beauty, street-smart savvy and hardcore killer flows while simultaneously gaining the respect of their peers and fans alike.

Up next to add her name to the short list of lady lyricists who set the rap world on fire is Nashville’s newest celebrity in the making Tasha Starr. Already a household name down South with three highly acclaimed mixtapes, she is once again taking southern streets by storm with two simmering singles “Get Sexy With It” and “Bow” from her as-yet-untitled forthcoming Felonious Records debut album.

“Being the only female on a label and one of only a handful of female rappers, you stand out. There is a lot of pressure on you,” Tasha admits. “It has always been hard because making music is a challenge. But it’s also fun. People say they love me and expect me to do great things.”

Born Latasha Lenice Lavender on Cashville’s west side, young Tasha has had a fondness for poetry and literature for as long as she learned to read and write. She has been tirelessly working on her first book since 2002. But it wasn’t until 2003 that her boyfriend at the time suggested that she try her hand at writing rap lyrics. Recording under the moniker “T-Baby,” her first song, “East Side, West Side,” caught on like wildfire in the clubs and on mixtapes.

After the single’s success, a local independent record label scooped up the young emcee and signed her to deal as a part of female trio Sister Soldier. As the group began gaining notoriety across the region and T-Baby was slowly becoming a household name, the label became stagnant. Knowing that she needed more promotions and industry expertise to take her to the next level, T-Baby left the label and signed with another up-and-coming independent label, Yes Sir Property in 2004.

Now a solo artist, T-Baby proved her verbal dexterity on debut mixtape Do What I Do Vol. 1 in 2004 and further solidified herself as a musical mainstay on the celebrated independent mixtape compilation DJ Ron C Presents Yes Sir Property’s Back Poppin Vol. 1 in 2005. Then, she shook up the world once again with sophomore solo mixtape Do What I Do Vol. 2 in 2007.

She made so much noise with Vol. 2 that she won Best Solo Artist Award from Nashville Independent Music Artists that year. And the lead single from Vol. 2, “Problems” featuring rapper Deuce Delaney stirred up so much local admiration that the song even appeared on famed DJ Drama’s Gangsta Grillz special edition mixtape with Deuce Delaney.

Although she was well on her way to making her mark, she severed ties with Yes Sir Property due to creative differences. So she dropped the DJ C-Dub-hosted mixtape Do What I Do Vol. 3 on her own last year and officially changed her name to a more mature moniker Tasha Starr. Moving units out of her trunk and in stores, she showed any would-be naysayers her true power as a performer, entrepreneur and all-around go-getter.

“A lot of people didn’t think I was going to do it because everything else I did was under a label,” she admits. “But music is my calling. It’s what I want to do, what I like to do and as far as I’ve come, I can’t stop.”

The standout track from Vol. 3, “Weave” featuring fellow Nashville artists and now label mates D-Tay, Thorobread and Neth, garnered so much regional attention that Tasha caught the interests of Felonious Records CEO Maurice Ferguson.

She signed with the powerhouse independent label and has been in the studio diligently working in on the label’s forthcoming compilation F Gang featuring Starr as well as fellow label mates D-Tay, Glass Joe, Kool Daddy Fresh, Thorobread, Zilla Da Felon and Big Booom.

“Fans love me so much because I keep it real. I cater to females because I talk about things that they go through, especially what I go through. So they can relate,” she says. “And the guys love the sexy songs so they’re going to feed into it too. You’ll never catch me doing songs that aren’t me.”

That’s most evident on the heart-tugging testament “Take the Pain Away.” Exposing all of her vulnerabilities, she rhymes about the difficulties of dealing with her children’s father and the terrors of surviving a rape attack at age 11. On her as-yet-untitled Felonious Records album, she is set to pour all of her emotions, pains, accomplishments, strengths and weaknesses into her music. And offering a small sample of what is yet to come, she has been beating the blocks with lead singles “Get Sexy With It” and “Bow.”

“Living the life I’ve lived, I’ve been beaten, raped and didn’t really have too much growing up. Seeing how I lived back then and where I am now, I’m blessed,” she confesses. “I like for people to listen to what I’m saying other than just nodding their heads to the beat.”

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