Teena Marie

Teena Marie Autopsy Fails To Pinpoint Cause Of Death

30 Dec 2010 16:10:44 EST

No signs of trauma were discovered on late singer's body, Los Angeles County assistant chief coroner tells The Associated Press.
By Mawuse Ziegbe

Days after soul singer Teena Marie suddenly died, answers about her death remain in short supply.

According to The Associated Press, investigators said an autopsy turned up no signs of trauma or a discernible cause of death. Los Angeles County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said Marie's cause of death may be determined by toxicology tests, the results of which would be available in around six weeks. No illegal drugs were found in a search of the singer's Pasadena home earlier this week, and the AP reports that police said Marie appeared to have died from natural causes.

Marie was found unresponsive in her home Sunday after she settled in for an afternoon nap. TMZ reported that Marie might have suffered a grand mal seizure while she slept, which may have contributed to her death. The songstress' publicist has also said Marie experienced a grand mal seizure a month ago, from which she was still recovering, and had since reportedly insisted on having someone nearby when she was sleeping.

According to Essence, Marie had suffered an additional seizure en route to the hospital after she sustained an attack last month. She was unable to secure an appointment with a neurologist for another three weeks and was prescribed medication in the interim. However, her publicist, Lynn Jeter, said the medication "made her suicidal," so Marie reduced the dosage.

Marie also opened up to Essence last year about her struggle with an addiction to prescription medication after the sudden 2004 death of her onetime musical mentor and paramour Rick James.

"After his death I became addicted to Vicodin, which I had been taking for my physical pain because I'd had a lot of accidents. Once I realized that those pills not only took away my physical agony by masking my emotional pain, I really became addicted. When I was on the medication I never cried about him, but then I went cold turkey and I cried so much and have been for the last three years," she said. "He was my musical soul mate. We were like an extension of each other. I miss all our talks. We were like family; only family can talk about family, not anyone else."

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Teena Marie May Have Died Due To Seizure

27 Dec 2010 16:15:17 EST

Singer may have suffered a grand mal seizure Sunday while taking an afternoon nap, according to TMZ.
By Mawuse Ziegbe

As the mystery around Teena Marie's sudden death unravels, it appears a seizure may have played a role in the singer's passing.

The late R&B vet was found dead in her home by her daughter the day after Christmas. TMZ reports that Marie might have suffered a grand mal seizure while taking a nap on Sunday afternoon. Marie's daughter reportedly checked in on her at 1 p.m. and she was fine. However, when her daughter checked in on her at 3 p.m., Marie was unresponsive. Marie also suffered a grand mal seizure last month and had reportedly insisted on having someone nearby when she went to sleep.

Illegal drugs appear to have been ruled out as a culprit. According to TMZ, law enforcement officials failed to find any illegal drugs that may have contributed to the songstress' unexpected death. Toxicology tests and an autopsy are slated to be performed later this week.

Marie had also battled an addiction to prescription pain medication in the past. According to The Associated Press, the singer became addicted to Vicodin for a year after the death of former flame and musical mentor Rick James in 2004.

Marie, born Mary Christine Brockert, shot to fame in the late 1970s when she signed to the storied Motown label. A Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist who penned music in addition to boasting some dynamic pipes, Marie built a reputation as one of the strongest voices in R&B and soul music. She was known for hits like "Lovergirl, "Square Biz" and "Ooo La La La" and released 13 albums throughout her 30-year career.

"The enduring influence of Teena's inspirational, trailblazing career could only have been made possible through her brilliant songwriting, showmanship and high-energy passion, which laid the groundwork for the future generations of R&B, hip-hop, and soul," Gene Rumsey, chief label officer of Marie's last label, Concord Music Group, said in a statement.

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Teena Marie Remembered By Lenny Kravitz, Swizz Beatz, Q-Tip

27 Dec 2010 14:18:38 EST

Kravitz dubs Marie a 'treasure' as he recalls her generosity when he was starting out in music.
By Mawuse Ziegbe

Teena Marie's sudden death is hitting many of the late R&B veteran's friends and family hard, including her onetime mentee-turned-rock star Lenny Kravitz.

In a video posted on the rocker's YouTube channel, Kravitz, looking sullen in a dark hoodie, reveals that he woke up in Paris to the news of Marie's passing and opens up about her generosity and assistance when he was starting his career as a teen.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Teena. She took me in when I was around 16. I was just a musician on the street. I was living from pillar to post. She took me in, she gave me a bedroom, she fed me, she cooked for me, she took care of me. She gave me instruments to play, she took me to all her recording sessions. She took me to concerts, she nurtured me and helped me to become who I am," Kravitz says. He added that although he hadn't publicly discussed their relationship before now and lost touch in the years before her death, he's still grateful for everything she did for him in those early years.

"I've never really talked much about it in depth, but I would not be here. She changed my life, not only as an artist, but as a person who truly loved me for who I was. We'd been out of contact for the last few years, but I just want to say, Teena, that I will always love and respect you," he says. "Thank you for being my friend. Thank you, Father, for the life of Teena Marie."

The "Again" singer also sent condolences to Marie's loved ones and touted the late songstress' many skills.

"I just want to send all my love and respect out to the family and I just want to say Teena Marie was a treasure, was a genius," he says. "Composer, arranger, singer, musician, unique, underrated by far."

Kravitz is one of many celebs who have paid tribute to the late star, who was found dead in her California home on Sunday. Swizz Beatz recently tweeted, "R.I.P TO ONE OF THE BEST VOICES OF MUSIC TEENA MARIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" before announcing that he would push back his weekly Monster Monday release in honor of Marie.

Missy Elliott tweeted, "My Prayers go out to Teena Marie's family. Teena created music that is Timeless! Songs sung with soul and conviction a True LEGEND!"

Fashion mogul Kimora Lee Simmons wrote, "RIP to the legendary Ms Teena Marie. Luv u always! We'll celebrate + sing in your memory!"

A Tribe Called Quest MC Q-Tip reminisced on Twitter about how Marie's music touched another late star, Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay, who loved the soul great's rendition of "If I Were a Bell." He also urged rising soul stars to pick up Marie's torch, typing, "hopefully a young singer can take this blueprint she left. RIP."

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Teena Marie's Influence Found In Mary J. Blige, Hip-Hop, More

27 Dec 2010 13:35:39 EST

Late soul veteran paved the way for several of today's hitmakers.
By Mawuse Ziegbe

R&B great Teena Marie died over the weekend, but her enduring legacy can be found in the legions of soul stars who followed in her footsteps.

Marie joined the iconic Motown label in the late '70s and spent the next three decades building a reputation as a Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist with a gift for penning lyrics and belting with soulful abandon. Her influence — from her top-flight musicianship to her pioneering image as a white, female R&B artist — can be found in many of today's hitmakers.

Mary J. Blige
The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul has pointed to Marie as an early influence when the budding superstar was coming up in her scrappy Yonkers, New York, neighborhood. "Tina Mari inspired me vocally as a child. Her songs I sang in the mirror with a hair brush. I'm so hurt," she tweeted on Sunday. "I'll love u forever Tina Mari. Portuguese Love, Casanova Brown, Square Biz, I need your lovin, all of your music will live forever through me. In my heart she's Tina, So rest in peace Tina, i love u. Every girl that grew up in the hood , with her blasting through the windows, Cars and radio waves can Feel me."

Faith Evans
Like Marie, former Bad Boy singer Faith Evans boasts a bold voice and had a headline-making relationship with a labelmate and music icon. Marie hooked up with Motown funk architect Rick James early in her career and would go on to spark a romance with the R&B great. James also served as a mentor to Marie, and the two teamed up for memorable collaborations such as James' Street Songs jam "Fire and Desire." In addition to churning out soulful hits with Bad Boy, Evans is known for marrying Brooklyn MC Notorious B.I.G. soon after meeting her charismatic labelmate. Marie even commented on the similarities between the two vocalists in the bio for the soul legend's 2009 album, Congo Square, which featured their collabo "Can't Last a Day."

"I've always loved Faith and her vocal style. She reminds me of me. Her correlation with Biggie — having a career with him and without him — reminds me of me and Rick," she said. "I feel like she's a younger me. Of the younger ladies, she's the one I love most."

Alicia Keys
Marie was also a masterful musician, often manning everything from the keyboards to guitar on her albums and heading behind the boards as a producer. She helped establish a blueprint for female R&B stars who are actively involved in various aspects of the production process, such as pianist and producer Alicia Keys, who tweeted after Marie's death, "God bless Teena Marie & her Family!Sending Blessings &prayers I was jus sayin tht fire & desire is 1 of the most beautifully performd songs!"

Pink
Marie's race was somewhat controversial when she first debuted on Motown as a white woman belting soul-stirring R&B. Her picture was left off the album packaging her first LP, and many fans assumed Lady T was another new black artist making her mark in the R&B scene. However, she was ultimately accepted because of her undeniable talent and conviction in her voice. She has paved the way for many contemporary artists such as Joss Stone and Pink, who initially hit the scene with an R&B-tinged sound. After hearing of Marie's death, Pink re-tweeted a missive from Go-Go's bassist Kathy Valentine that read, "THIS SUCKS-- heard that Teena Marie passed away. RIP. she was an original and one of a kind. sad."

As Marie told Essence in 2009, "I'm a black artist with white skin. At the end of the day you have to sing what's in your own soul."

Hip-Hop
While she made her name as a soul veteran, Marie's music has popped up in hip-hop cuts from many of the game's finest lyricists. Marie's 1981 jam "Square Biz" was revamped for rap supergroup the Firm's (Nas, Foxy Brown, AZ, Nature, Cormega) 1997 single "Firm Biz," and Mase reworked the track's jocular bass line for the Harlem World album cut "Love U So." The chorus for the Fugees' 1996 smash "Fu-Gee-La" features similar crooning to Marie's hit "Ooo La La La" from the 1988 album Naked to the World.

Even hip-hop stars who may not have reimagined Marie's catalog for their own hits, such as Game, Big Boi and ?uestlove, recalled Marie's influence and legacy on Twitter.

Where else do you see Teena Marie's influence? Let us know in the comments.

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Teena Marie Remembered By Diddy, Mary J. Blige

27 Dec 2010 08:10:44 EST

'R.I.P Teena Marie. God Bless. Damn I just saw her the other day,' Diddy tweets.
By Jocelyn Vena

The music world was stunned to find out that legendary R&B singer Teena Marie died over the weekend. The singer was just 54 and left a lasting influence on many of today's contemporary artists, who immediately reacted to the singer's death. Marie's peers also shared their memories of the singer as the rest of the world was still learning of her death.

Diddy tweeted: "R.I.P Teena Marie. God Bless. Damn I just saw her the other day."

Mary J. Blige also took to Twitter to pay her final respects to the influential artist, who was a friend and protégé of Rick James'. "Rest in peace Teena Marie," Blige wrote. "My Love for u is forever."

Common cited their shared astrological sign as a reason he felt so connected to her music. "Teena and I are both Pisces and we believe that we've been here before," he tweeted. "That's why 'De Ja Vu' is my favorite song."

Fellow music "it" girl, Prince protégé Sheila E, also shared how much she will miss the singer on Twitter. "I will miss my girl Teena Marie, Real music by real people. God bless my sistah and her family. U will be missed."

R&B songwriting duo Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff, who wrote hits like "If You Don't Know Me by Now," the "Soul Train" theme song and "Back Stabbers," remembered the singer in a statement: "We're shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden loss of Teena Marie. She was one of the most memorable, soulful and unique R&B vocalists to come out of Motown. We send our condolences to Teena's family, the entire Motown family and of course, our dear friend Berry Gordy."

Eddie Levert, founder of the O'Jays, recalled Marie's personal and professional contributions in a statement to CNN. "There are a lot of black people who swore by her and believed in her, as far as her music was concerned," he said. "She was a good mom, and to me, that is saying a lot.''

Marie was known for hits like "Lovergirl" and "Square Biz." Her daughter found her dead Saturday night, Marie's manager said. No cause of death has been released, but her publicist said Marie suffered a grand mal seizure a month ago, from which she was still recovering.

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Teena Marie Dies At Age 54

27 Dec 2010 01:59:26 EST

Soul singer was found in her California home on Sunday.
By Mawuse Ziegbe

Soul singer Teena Marie, known for hits like "Lovergirl" and "Square Biz," passed away on Saturday night, according to CNN. She was 54. Her daughter found her after she had died in sleep, her manager said.

No cause of death has been released, but her publicist did mention that Marie suffered a grand mal seizure a month ago which she was still recovering from.

Marie carved out a space for herself among the pantheon of predominately black artists in the R&B scene with her spunky, soulful voice. She debuted in 1979 on the storied Motown label with Wild and Peaceful, which featured a duet with fellow funkster Rick James, with whom she would go on to have a passionate yet turbulent professional and personal relationship. The album artwork didn't feature a picture of Marie, so many radio programmers assumed the singer with the high-powered pipes was black.

However, Marie's talents soon made her race irrelevant to fans, and she went on to knock out records such as Lady T and Irons in the Fire. However, by the time she cranked out her final album for the label, It Must Be Magic, her relationship with Motown had soured, and she launched a landmark legal battle with the company which resulted in the "Teena Marie Law," which mandates that a label cannot keep an artist under contract with releasing his or her music.

She switched to Epic records in 1983 and put out a slew of albums, including Robbery, Emerald City, Naked to the World and Starchild, which included her biggest chart-topper, "Lovergirl."

Marie left Epic in the early '90s and released an album on her own label before joining Cash Money Records. She released La Dona in 2004 and Sapphire in 2006 before heading to iconic soul label, Stax, for 2009's Congo Square.

Marie's influence is felt among many of today's R&B hitmakers, including Mary J. Blige who tweeted after her death that Marie, "inspired me vocally as a child. Her songs I sang in the mirror with a hair brush. I'm so hurt. Rest in peace Teena Mari. My Love love for u is forever."

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New Releases: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nick Lachey, Korn, Snow Patrol, Gnarls Barkley, Isley Brothers, Grandaddy & More

09 May 2006 06:00:00 EDT

Also due Tuesday: Teena Marie, Jagged Edge, Matmos, Plain White T's.
By Kurt Orzeck

Hungry?: The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been piquing fans' appetites with their "Dani California" single, but that song has 27 brethren on the two-disc Stadium Arcadium. The guys wrote 38 songs, but the number they whittled the list down to still exceeds the number of tracks on their Greatest Hits and Best Of records combined. The two CDs — nicknamed "Jupiter" and "Mars" — are boosted by a DVD in the limited-edition black-box version of the set, which has a chunky booklet, artwork by the band, an hour-long interview, the "Dani" video and more. Tracks on both versions include "Especially in Michigan," featuring a guitar solo by Mars Volta guitarist Omar Rodriguez; "Warlocks," with legend Billy Preston on clavinet; and "She's Only 18."

Lonely: Nick Lachey makes his second solo splash as the aftershocks of his break with Jessica Simpson are still rippling through the tabloids. The writing's on the, er, CD, as they say, on tracks like "I Can't Hate You Anymore," "On Your Own," "You're Not Alone" and — well, on just about all 12 songs. Lachey shares writing credits on most tracks, finding company in British singer/pianist Jamie Cullum on "Ghosts" and Backstreet Boys' Brian Littrell collaborator Dan Muckala on three tunes, including "Outside Looking In." Hang in there, bub.

Korny: There's a reason you haven't heard about Korn's Live & Rare: It's being dished out by the band's former label, Epic, undoubtedly trying to piggyback on Korn's current album and tour promotions. Dubbed a companion piece to 2004's Greatest Hits, Vol.1, the single disc culls seven tracks from the group's gig at New York's CBGB in 2003, two from its 1999 Woodstock performance, plus covers of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall (Parts 1-3)," Metallica's "One" and Cheech & Chong's "Earache My Eye."

Gnarly: Wherever St. Elsewhere is, expect to find astronauts, purple panthers, pink palm trees, gas masks and other scattered military equipment — if the cover of Gnarls Barkley's debut is at all accurate. All songs were written primarily by Brian Burton, a.k.a. Danger Mouse — save a surprising cover of Violent Femmes' "Gone Daddy Gone" — while Thomas DeCarlo Callaway, a.k.a. Cee-Lo, mans the mic. Both partners are Grammy nominees, so expect this one to have some extra bounce with the critics.

Agelessly: Gotta love it when soul heroes the Isley Brothers advertise a fresh number as a "new vintage classic." That would be "Gotta Be With You," one of 11 new cuts by the bros that also include "Blast Off," which features and was written, produced and arranged by R. Kelly; the Jermaine Dupri-produced "Gotta Be With You," co-written by Bryan Michael Cox (Mariah Carey, Usher); "Heaven Hooked Us Up," with guitars by Ernest Isley; and the laudably titled "Forever Mackin'," which has the priceless lyric "I rock the grooves and make moves on all the mommies."

She's not as old as the Isleys, but veteran Motown and current Cash Money heavyweight Teena Marie follows up 2004's La Doña with Sapphire. The death of her close companion Rick James is at the root of her 13th record, for which her 14-year-old daughter, Alia Rose, pays more than a couple of visits. Also chiming in are Kurupt and his wife, Gail Gotti; Teena Marie's sister, Queen; plus Smokey Robinson, Gerald Albright and the late James (on "You Blow Me Away").

Fiery: For their fourth studio venture, Eyes Open, Snow Patrol sought some help from singer Martha Wainwright for the scorching duet "Set the Fire to the Third Bar." Oh, and if you've got an all-regions DVD player and some extra motivation, try to hunt down the limited-edition import copy of the record. The accompanying video disc has making-of material plus the video for "You're All I Have."

All in the Family: This week would make Jack and Meg White proud. The Chicago husband-and-wife duo the Like Young step up with their third record, Last Secrets; Mercury Prize-nominated brothers the Electric Soft Parade deliver The Human Body EP — with a bonus track that didn't appear on the U.K. edition; and John Carter Cash contributes liner notes to a re-release of his father's The Johnny Cash Children's Album, which has four previously unissued tracks.

Pony Up is a project that pairs drummer Linsay Wills with her younger sister/ ad-hoc keyboardist Laura Elizabeth. The Montreal group cowboy up with their debut, Make Love to the Judges With Your Eyes, which the band tracked with Arcade Fire collaborator Howard Ian Bilerman and engineer Brian Paulson of Beck and Wilco note.

Grandaddy's Just Like the Fambly Cat is in the thick of the incestuous pack, even if the record is more of a signature on their set of divorce papers, while New York bluesman Popa Chubby reveals the art behind Stealing the Devil's Guitar. Accident Experiment is another family matter, so to speak, as the band's United We Fear opus adopts members of P.O.D., Sprung Monkey and Grammatrain.

And the third release by Danielson Famile spinoff Danielson brings together siblings Chris, Greg, John and Satomi and also features Sufjan Stevens and Serena Maneesh. As luck would have it, Pitchfork darlings Serena Maneesh drop their own self-titled record this week, a record the Norwegian group calls an exercise in serenity. Let's hope they don't have any in-laws!

Song Title of the Week:

"Tire Bracelets for Coffin Life" from Zach Hill and Mick Barr's Shred Earthship

Other Notables:

Matmos' The Rose Has Teeth in the Mouth of a Beast: The San Francisco duo's seventh record is really an event in and of itself. With help from Björk, the Kronos Quartet and Antony, Matmos pay homage to 10 notorious deviants, including Germs singer Darby Crash, Valerie Solanas — the woman who shot Andy Warhol — and William S. Burroughs. And it gets even more far-out when they acknowledge Bavarian ruler King Ludwig II and a '60s gay-porn director. Capping the milestone, Matmos enlisted an array of artists — including Ghost World and Art School Confidential mastermind Daniel Clowes — to craft a visual accompaniment for each piece.

Plain White T's' Hey There Delilah: Chicago's latest great "white" hope have already won big with this EP's title track, which has been downloaded more than 40,000 times on iTunes. A live version of the song plus four new numbers recorded with Sean O'Keefe (Fall Out Boy, Hawthorne Heights) and four additional videos give this EP even more bang for the buck.

Kimya Dawson's Remember That I ♥ You: The Moldy Peach just got married and is expecting a baby this summer, but apparently that's not enough — she found time to birth her fifth solo LP as well. She fumes about the response to the 2004 tsunami in "12/26," declaring, "We'd have 12/26 tattooed across our foreheads if something this atrocious happened on our coast instead." But she saves some vitriol for the White House on "Loose Lips" — after all, what would a new-releases week be these days without some Bush bashing?

New Releases:

Accident Experiment - United We Fear (Rock Ridge)
The Aggrolites - The Aggrolites (digipak; Hellcat)
Astral Doors - Astralism (Locomotive)
ATB - The DJ in the Mix 3 (digipak; Water)
Backyard Babies - People Like People Like People Like Us (Abacus)
Susana Baca - Travesías (Luaka Bop)
The Black Heart Procession - The Spell (digipak; Touch & Go)
Buy Now: The Spell (Touch & Go)
Black Hollies - Crimson Reflections (Ernest Jenning Record Co.)
Ane Brun - A Temporary Dive (V2)
Burden of a Day - Pilots & Paper Planes (Blood & Ink)
Clear Static - Clear Static (Maverick)
Harry Connick Jr. - Harry on Broadway, Act 1 (two CDs; Columbia)
Cx Kidtronik - Krak Attack (Sound-Ink)
Danielson - Ships (Secretly Canadian)
Kimya Dawson - Remember That I ♥ You (K)
Casey Driessen - 3D (Sugar Hill)
The Electric Soft Parade - The Human Body (EP; Better Looking)
The Everyothers - Pink Sticky Lies (EP; Kill Rock Stars)
Flying - Just-One-Second-Ago-Broken Eggshell (Millpond)
Forgive Durden - Wonderland (Fueled by Ramen)
The Isley Brothers - Baby Makin' Music (Island)
Girl Talk - Night Ripper (Illegal Art)
Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere (Downtown)
Buy Now: St. Elsewhere (Downtown)
Grandaddy - Just Like the Fambly Cat (V2)
Read: "Grandaddy Can't Wait To Leave Home — But They Have To Finish Telling It Off First"
Buy Now: Just Like the Fambly Cat (V2)
Grave Digger - 25 to Live (two CDs; L

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Mo' Cash Money: Lil' Wayne And Teena Marie LPs, Juvenile Video

23 Feb 2004 21:59:00 EST

Meanwhile, Baby and Mannie Fresh shoot clip for 'No Love.'
By Shaheem Reid

With the re-emergence of Juvenile and all the hype surrounding Baby's Best of Both Worlds collaboration with R. Kelly, it slipped under the radar that Lil' Wayne never dropped The Carter last year.

Now the Cash Money camp says he may drop The Carter altogether. According to a rep for the camp, Wayne went back in the lab and recorded a whole new album's worth of material and plans to have something in stores by April. It's not clear whether Wayne's new disc will still be called The Carter.

Meanwhile, Juvenile is continuing his efforts to garner a platinum plaque for his comeback Juve the Great. The grown man with the adolescent name recently finished shooting a video for "Bounce Back" with another adult who has a kiddie moniker: Baby. That clip should air within the next couple of weeks.

Baby's been in front of the cameras a lot lately. He and Mannie Fresh just shot a clip for the Big Tymers' "No Love" with hip-hop video guest star extraordinaire Jazze Pha. And if Baby really wants to accomplish his goal of having Best of Both Worlds: Ghetto Thrillers out by April, chances are you'll see him and the Pied Piper on a video set sometime soon.

While Mannie Fresh's Big Tymers cohort is on the verge of pursuing other ventures, Cash Money's main producer has finally decided to record his first solo album, which is tentatively titled Mannie Fresh Presents. Fresh has already completed some tracks and should have his project ready later this year.

Another long-talked-about Cash Money record is coming down the pike soon, but don't look for too much rapping on it. Legendary soul singer Teena Marie has La Dona on tap. "La Dona is like the female don," Marie explained. "The female Mr. Biggs."

Mannie fresh produced her first single, "Still in Love," which features Baby, while elsewhere on the disc Marie re-teams with her "Fire and Desire" co-star, Rick James.

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27 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

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