SETTING THE STAGE FOR ‘SWEET LETTERS': SHAYA THREAT

By Tanisha Williams

Setting the stage for her Grammy win, Brooklynite Shaya Threat is readying the release of her sophomore album Sweet Letters .   Produced by David Linz, “Ignite My Soul,” "Loving You” and “Every Day” are just a few of the sensual tracks that embody her hypnotic sound.   Threat describes her style as a little bit of blues, jazz and R&B. “No one in the world can sound like me,” she announces proudly.

“ Sweet Letters is about different things happening in your life,” she confides. And Threat is no stranger to happenings. Losing her mother at eight years old and her grandmother seven years later, Threat knows about instability and uncertainty firsthand. “The reason I'm doing music is because of my mom,” Threat explains. “I used to sing to her all the time. She would tell me, ‘you're supposed to sing, remember that.   That's what keeps me going.”

Shuffled through various schools and family members, Threat was labeled the ‘different kid' and endured attacks against her creative personality.   One of the high schools she attended was a program for nursing.   “One day my teacher pulled me aside and told me, ‘I don't know why you're here',” recalls Threat.   “I told her, I'm going to be a nurse and she looked at me and said ‘really, a singing nurse?' “

Threat has struggled with her identity and her place in the world. During her teens, she was rebellious and not quite sure on how to channel her true feelings.   Determined to keep her creativity strong and not be stifled, she joined a girl group called Eminent and participated in local talent shows.   Soon after, Threat found herself in yet another high school in Plainfield, NJ, where several faculty members would embrace her and become her catalyst for growth.   In particular was guidance counselor Doris Grey. “She (Doris) talked the music teacher into letting me sing.   This was a music class where you could write your own material and the music teacher said, ‘I want to hear what you got.' When I was done singing “God Bless a Child,” people stood up and that changed my life.   I was like, what are they standing for?”

In another happening, Threat found herself living with her uncle in California where she began landing gigs in theatre and even worked at a small jingle company.   In 2000, Threat signed to indie West Coast label Mob Momma Records, birthing her first album called Kinship .   Her single, “No Window,” received rave reviews and was heavily rotated in 29 states, but, would suffer an early demise when the record label had to close its doors.  

A chance happening, meeting producer Max Di Carlo, gave her a second chance.   “Max and I wrote songs together and then I also started working with producer David Linz,” she elaborates, saying the collaborations with them brought her attention that enabled her to move forward. Threat has launched a production company named after her late mother called Annie Girls, and the LP cut, “Ignite My Soul,” is being considered for BrightStar Productions film release “Dark Party.”   The full-length album will be released later this year on the indie record label affectionately named Second Chance. For a preview of this ‘happening' talent, go to http://www.myspace.com/shayasvoice