Jazzyfatnastees
Jazzyfatnastees is comprised of vocalists Tracey Moore and Mercedes Martinez. The group started as a vocal quartet in 1993, when they landed a deal with Tommy Boy. However, by 1995, the deal had fallen through, the other two members had left and the group found themselves in Philadelphia.
Having opened for the Roots in the past, the girls of Jazzyfatnastees knew them and were able to get signed to Motive Records, The Roots imprint at MCA.
In 1999, the group released their debut album, The Once and Future. The girls wrote and co-produced the album in conjunction with The Roots. Unfortunately, the group were ahead of the time as the neo-soul movement had yet to truly develop and so MCA was lost as to how to treat the group. Helping to feed the movement, the girls started Black Lily, 'A Women in Music Series.' The series acts as a showcase for artists of neo-soul and has featured artists like Alicia Keys, Jill Scott, Bilal and more.
The Tortoise & The Hare, the group's second album, was released in September of 2002 through Coolhunter/Ryko distribution. The group continued to expand their soulful sound. Their third album, The World Is Coming has been released for limited download but has not yet seen wide release.