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In addition to being sexy, intelligent, and down-to-earth, Oobie is one of the most gifted R&B vocalists/songwriters to hit the music industry. This Chicago-native has already proven her ability to make a substantial impact on the music industry as a regular collaborator for artists like Too Short and BME-labelmate Lil Jon & Eastside Boyz. Image File history File links Oobie. ...

Now, ready, willing and more than able to ascend the music charts and make an impact on the industry in her own right, Oobie unveils OOBAYBI, her debut BME/TVT Records album, with the sexy, club-ready lead single “Dirty Dancing,” which features Lil Jon. OOBAYBI offers a surfeit of potential Oobie hits, each fueled by polished production and Oobie's distinctively melodic voice. Her unique vocal styling and flawless phrasing, matched with her clever songwriting and hip-hop influence, makes for a hybrid that is her unmistakable signature. Just like the ‘women’s anthem’ “Nothins Free,” which features Trina. “In writing this song, I thought, what is it that women want to say. I wanted the song to be daring and I wanted it to be something women felt, but really wouldn’t say. Now they can say it through me,” laughs Oobie.

Oobie shows that she is a “Grown Ass Woman,” with other tracks like “Come Get Your Clothes,” “Yo Man,” and “Watch That Ass” continuing the theme of adult-natured, mature music. “I wanted songs that were really, really street! Every female in the world at some point has either been the girl that I am talking to, or the girl that I am,” offers Oobie.

Long before she landed her TVT record deal, Oobie, -- born and raised in Chicago, Illinois -- reveals that music has always been a part of her life. Influenced by music veterans such as Patti Labelle, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston and Mikki Howard, resplendently Oobie remembers making her first public performance at the unbelievable age of three years old. “I sang “God Is Truly Amazing” by Deniece Williams at the Prospect Baptist Church,” she fondly reflects. But it was when Oobie turned six years old that her family knew they had a star in the making. “My mother told me that I came her one night after watching Star Search and I had tears in my eyes,” she remembers. “I said to her, ‘Mommy, I want to be a famous singer!”

It wasn’t until Oobie turned 18-years-old that she would decide to pursue music professionally. She joined a short-lived girl group called Bgoti, which actually landed a deal at Motown, but were dropped before anything could materialize. The group disband, only to regroup and sign with Suge Knight’s Death Row Records. “Once we signed with Death Row, everything went crazy with Tupac and Suge Knight,” says Oobie. “Once that happened, my life changed. It was like my life actually flashed in front of me. I had no idea as to what I was going to do or what route to take to begin start working on something else.”

In a last ditch effort to make it in the business, Oobie re-formed the group one last time and they all decided to move to Los Angeles, after taking a brief trip to Atlanta. They never made it to Los Angeles because while in Atlanta, Oobie and the girls ended up singing for a guy who worked at a rim shop. Surprisingly, the guy knew Too Short and called the X-rated rapper up to the store to hear the girls. They sang for Too Short and he immediately put them up in a hotel and they began working on music. The struggles of being a starving artist took its toll on everyone but Oobie, who was the last member remaining in the end. That’s when she knew going solo was her destiny. “I spent a lot of time being in different groups and none of it worked. I realized that the group thing wasn’t for me,” says Oobie.

While attempting to launch her solo endeavor, Oobie also honed her songwriting skills. “Throughout everything I have always written songs. That’s what gave me the motivation to keep going,” she explains. “Even during the hard times, I would make myself believe that I was this rich and famous girl who was just having a hard time then.” The hard times got better once Oobie met Lil Jon through Too Short, and the rest, as they say, is history.

While Oobie was always confident in her singing ability and songwriting skills, one issue she did struggle with was being full-figured in an industry notorious for being superficial. “My weight used to be a real touchy subject for me. I really had to pray about it and through prayer I got unbelievable confidence. I had to realize that even if I was 500 pounds, my voice would not change and my writing skills would not change. I am glad that there have been other women like Angie Stone and Kelly Price that have opened the door for people like me,” emotes Oobie. “Then I realized -- I am sexy! What was I thinking? I snapped out of the self-doubt mode quickly!”

With OOBAYBI on the brink of making her one of 2003’s biggest, brightest and best new stars, Oobie raises the bar for hip-hop/soul. Like Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, and other trailblazers in the fusion of R&B and hip-hop, longevity for Oobie seems certain. For now, however, Oobie is more concerned with people understanding the message she’s trying to convey. “I just want women to be strong and to not be scared to say what they want to say. They should be able to relate to OOBAYBI because I’ve tried to cover the life of a woman from A to Z.”