Tanya Stephens

Tanya Stephens came into the world as Vivienne Stephenson on July 2, 1973, and quickly established herself among the standout female reggae voices of the late 1990s. Her breakthrough arrived in 1996 through the ladies anthem “Yuh Nuh Ready fi Dis Yet,” which generated widespread attention and later appeared on the Reggae Gold 1997 compilation; around the same time she began collaborating with the respected producers Barry O’Hare, Bobby “Digital” Dixon, Harvel “Gadaffi” Hart, and Dave and Tony Kelly. Additional singles such as “Draw fi Mi Finger,” “Freaky Type,” and “Cry and Bawl” soon followed, alongside the albums Too Hype in 1997 and Ruff Rider the next year, while she also supplied backing vocals for Garnett Silk’s 1998 album Journey. Stephens subsequently relocated to Sweden, where she cut a series of alternative-rock recordings, yet dissatisfaction with that path prompted her return to reggae in 2004 via Gangsta Blues and its major single “Boom Wuk.” Two years later the focused Rebelution arrived, placing female empowerment at its center.