Teairra Mari

At the tender age of 17, most would safely assume life hasn’t dealt a cute girl with a sweet voice too many hard knocks. Safe would be incorrect when it comes to Teairra Mari, pretty princess of the Roc, whose first single, “Make Her Feel Good,” proves that the new teen queen won’t be singing about bubble gum and puppy love. The yet-to-be titled debut album features songs true to the style Teairra’s hometown Detroit --- a bit street, a bit loud and undeniably attention grabbing.

“Can’t a girl from the hood find a homey,” asks Teairra in her hit single, “Make Her Feel Good,” which samples Eric B. and Rakim’s classic hit “My Melody.” The infectious song is definitely a club hit and sure to be a favorite for the ladies who want to know, “is there any boys around who know how to make a girl feel good?”

Another track introduces Teairra’s desire to bring a harder edge to R&B. She tells the story of growing up with an absentee father over a rocking track reminiscent of Jay’s “99 problems.” An indignant Teairra says, “I ain’t had no daddy around when I was growing up that’s why I’m wild and I don’t give a (fill your choice of profanity here).” This princess is not exactly going for dainty, but Teairra’s sultry young voice makes the no holds bar lyrics of the song that much more intriguing.

Other songs on the album prove to have the same radio play potential with Teairra’s sexy vocals accompanied by clearly identifiable rockafella-esque club bangin’ beats. Somehow it comes together to give Teairra a pretty unique sound, maybe even picking up a bit where Aaliyah left off.

Teairra Mari makes an impressive debut at seventeen but it may be a bit much for an artist who can barely get in to see R-Rated movies. One fact is undisputable--this girl doesn’t take mess from anybody.