Toya's hot first single "I Do" has given fans a taste of what's to come on her debut album. Toya's youthful yet vibrant personality is expressed throughout her album, and as you venture into the world of this St. Louis native, you'll notice how she embraces the worlds of Pop, Hip Hop, and R&B, to make this piece of art complete.

 

As this young songstress makes her mark far beyond the Gateway Arch, she has teamed with the likes of such producers as Dallas Austin (TLC and Monica), Soul Shock and Karlin (Toni Braxton and Whitney Houston), David Frank (Christina Aguilera's and Dream) and phenomenal new found producers straight out of the STL, Bam and Ryan, who set their wheels in motion, producing six of the banging tracks on Toya's upcoming album.

 

Toya has added to her credit as a singer, she also offered production credits to the album to show that this 18 year old is more than the pretty face and powerful voice. The lead single from the Self titled album, "I Do," was #2 in single sales for three weeks upon it's release. The song has been in heavy rotation on the radio, across the country, along with the accompanying video, which can be seen, on BET and MTV. With her strong management team behind her and talents that have caught the world off guard, Toya is about to introduce the world to the softer side of "Da Lu".

 

Toya's sound is soft yet demanding; the tracks are unlimited in where they keep you entertained. She goes from the soft ballot to the quick Pop song, and also has Hip Hop blazing through the album, with duets with rappers Loon (Harlem World), Murphy Lee (St. Lunatics) and Penelope a female rapper with her own unique flow, out of St. Louis. Toya has set the table and now all you have to do is eat.  The world will love the relationships Toya is building with her fans.

 

 "My songs are very personal," proclaims Toya. "I've been writing with different producers, writers.  I tell them about my situations and we just sit down and write." It's surprising just how strong this freshman project is, but please stay tuned for more to come!

 

Toya was born in St. Louis (Webster Groves) two interracial parents (an African American mother and Puerto Rican father). She grew up singing in church and at the age of four, would often lead the choir. "I have two sisters, and I'm the one who was always less shy and wanted to be onstage. So I always enjoyed those times. Whether I was singing in church or at talent shows, a stage was a stage and I would get energized by being on one." Now the world has become the stage for Toya.

Toya met entrepreneurs Tony Davis and Courtney Benson, who happen to be the managers of Hip Hop phenomenon Nelly. Toya was asked to sing on the spot, and they immediately fell in love with her voice.  "I sang a gospel song, 'I Won't Complain,'" she says enthusiastically. "It was a Friday and Courtney called me back and said, 'We want two songs before Sunday.' So my manager Harold and I called BAM, who Harold met at a music convention, and we stayed up all night working on the songs. Mind you, we had two songs to do in two days, which wouldn't have been that tough but I had a job I also had to go to as well as business classes to attend at St. Louis University."  But as the saying goes nothing ventured, nothing gained.

L.A. Reid was sent a copy of what Toya put together. "After hearing the song, L.A. flew me out for a meeting, and a day later after the meeting I was on my way back home. I was extremely nervous because Arista was where I wanted to belong. I had received offers from other labels, but with the people at Arista I felt right at home. I felt like I belonged there," she smiles. A phone call came through upon her plane landing in St. Louis. "It was Arista offering me a deal. For that moment, my heart stopped and my body just kept on walking."

Toya is drawing her own floor plan with the precision of an architect and the accuracy of a Kurt Warner super pass on how to blow up.  "Arista has been giving us complete creative control because everything we've been bringing them, they've