RØZ

Born around 1972 in New York’s Bronx, Roz honed her voice early through school and church ensembles before pursuing formal studies in classical repertoire at Mannes College. Her breakthrough arrived in 1994 when she introduced what she termed “sassy hop.” Earlier exposure within hip-hop came via D-Nice, who recruited her for the track “Get In Touch With Me” on his album To The Rescue. That collaboration led him to contribute rhymes to her first single, “A Yo Ah’lte (Hey Yo Alright).” Producer Carl Bourelly had originally shaped the cut around the earlier recording “So What,” yet the session took a new direction once he asked Roz to layer in chants; the resulting “Aaa-Yo’s” proved so striking that they supplied the song’s eventual title. Roz then built the remaining lyrics around this central refrain. Bourelly had first spotted her performing at a neighborhood club and subsequently introduced her to session work, which included backing vocals for Dannii Minogue, Hi-Five, and Melissa Morgan as well as touring alongside Monie Love before she stepped forward as a solo artist.