Tanya Stephens

Biography

Vivienne Tanya Stephenson (born 2 July 1973), known by her stage name Tanya Stephens, is a Jamaican reggae singer and deejay who emerged in the late 1990s. She is most known for her hits "Yuh Nuh Ready Fi Dis Yet" — later featured on the Reggae Gold 1997 compilation album — and "It's a Pity", for which Stephens achieved international recognition. She and business partner Andrew Henton have together co-founded Tarantula Records.

Biography

Stephens was born in 1973 and grew up in St. Mary and St. Ann, attending Zion Hill and Ocho Rios primary schools and St Mary High. She has three brothers and three sisters (one sister deceased).
She began recording in the mid-1990s for producers such as Dave Kelly and Philip "Fatis" Burrell. Her 1996 single "Yuh Nuh Ready Fi Dis Yet", produced by Kelly, brought her to the attention of the Jamaican public, and she had further success with singles such as "Draw fi Mi Finger", "Freaky Type×Freaky Type1998 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAFreaky TypeBBaddis (version)", and "Cry and Bawl". Her debut, Big Things a Gwaan, was released in 1994 (featuring Yami Bolo on a cover version of Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner" and Prezident Brown on a remix of the title track), and second album Too Hype×Too Hype25 November 1997 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Yu Nuh Ready fi Dis Yet3:312Too Hype3:053Goggle2:564Mi and Mi God3:445Nuff Man Flop3:306Better Work3:197Big Heavy Gal3:468Friends3:499Hang Ups3:3610Big Tings Ah Gwan3:2911Good Man3:23 followed in 1997.
She moved to Sweden, where she signed a record deal with Warner Music Sweden and recorded the 2001 pop album Sintoxicated×Sintoxicated2001 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Banging in Gray4:202Lying Lips (Words I Should Have Said)4:433No More4:064Tonight5:055I Can See a Storm Coming5:406In the Beginning3:537Kiss the Kids4:538Only Human4:469I Love You a Lot (...So I Lie a Little)4:0010Back to Haunt Me4:0411Home3:18. After returning to Jamaica she released the critically acclaimed Gangsta Blues album in 2004.
Her album Rebelution×Rebelution29 August 2006 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 20 tracks1Welcome to the Rebelution2:382Who Is Tanya3:143Put It on You3:164The Message0:395Still a Go Lose3:456To the Rescue3:537Damn You3:578The Truth3:539Spilt Milk4:4010Saturday Morning2:0411Cherry Brandy3:5212Sunday Morning2:0413You Keep Looking Up3:5214Come a Long Way3:2215Do You Still Care4:5416Warn Dem4:0817To the Limit3:1318These Streets3:5419Home Alone3:4120Don't Play3:22 was released in August 2006, and the first single "These Streets" was a number one hit in the Caribbean staying on Tempo's Chart at number 1 for more than 4 weeks. The album was totally sold out in Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean. The track "Come A Long Way" is a dedication to black leaders.
Infallible, was released in 2010, initially given free with the Jamaican base German magazine Riddim then made available for free download for more than a year.
In 2019, Stephens was honoured by the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) for her contribution to the reggae industry as a songwriter.

Legal issues

In 2006, Tanya sued American rapper Lil' Kim for plagiarism on her song "Durty" from The Naked Truth asking for all rights to the song, past, present & future. Stephens claimed that Kim used the lyrics from her song "Mi and Mi God", stating that "she even used a west Indian accent". She claimed that in 1999 Tanya was flown out to New York by Kim, who claimed to be a huge fan & owned her albums, Kim wanted her to record for an album, but her vocals were never used.

Lyrical content

Her early material was lyrically typical of dancehall and drew comparisons with Lady Saw, along with whom she was proclaimed "the top female artists in Jamaica" in 1998 by the Washington Post, but later developed beyond what she called "the same old four topics" to 'reality' themes and even lyrics critical of homophobia. Social scientist Clinton Hutton said of her: "She is very intuitively intelligent and deftly tackles relevant social issues".
In a talk in 2011 at the University of the West Indies, she urged her fellow artists to be more socially responsible, and spoke out against the objectification of women in dancehall lyrics and the promotion of bigotry and violation of human rights, saying "The music that once spoke to and spread messages of peace and love, now merely judges, condemns and provokes."
Her song "Still Alive" deals with discrimination against people with HIV, and it was used in a television campaign dealing with the issue.

Other work

In 2007, Stephens was awarded a scholarship by Resource Development International to study for a Business Management degree via the internet from the University of Sunderland.
In 2009 she made her acting debut, playing Nurse Tracey in the CVM TV series Royal Palm Estate. She also opened the restaurant 'H2O' the same year in the Coconut Grove Shopping Centre in Ocho Rios.
Tanya also owns Tarantula Records, founded in 2004 with business partner & producer Andrew Henton which has handled all of her music since then.

Personal life

Stephens has a daughter, Kelly, born in 1994.

Compilations

Tanya: Collection of Hits (2009), VP/Warner Bros. Records

Duets and combination singles

"How Many Ways" (1996), Brickwall – Shabba Ranks and Tanya Stephens
"Crazy For Your Loving" (1996), Sampalue – with Chevel Franklyn
"Independent Gal" (1997), Pot of Gold – with Lady Saw
"Cry and a Bawl" (1998), Fat Eyes – Bounty Killer and Tanya Stephens
"Freaky Type×Freaky Type1998 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAFreaky TypeBBaddis (version)" (1998), Hi Profile – Tanya Stephens and Richard Browne
"Buck Them Up" (1999), Insomnia – Lady Saw and Tanya Stephens
"Fire" (1999), Kings of Kings – Tanya Stephens and Spanner Banner
"Come Nuh" (1999), Wallstreet – Dillgin and Tanya Stephens
"Nuh Mek It" (2000), Jamdown – Spragga Benz and Tanya Stephens
"Don't Take My Love for Granted" (2002), Xterminator – with Sizzla
"Skettle 2004" (2004), Golden Kartel – Tanya Stephens and Cecil, B-side of Sasha's "Run Dung Me"
"Enuff 4 U" (2004), Wall of Sound – TCC Prassay featuring Tanya Stephens
"Dance 4 Me" (2006) – Mark Morrison featuring Tanya Stephens, promo only CD-R
"Child of the Universe" (2007) on Chuck Fenda's album The Living Fire (2007)
"Heart of Stone" (2008), Bass Inna Yu Face – Taddy P. featuring Tanya Stephens
"Want Love" (2012), Kirkledove – with Marcia Griffiths