Sasha

Sasha was born in Kingston, Jamaica. She relocated to New York with her family at the age of five. At that time, music played a major role in Sasha’s life as it was an active pursuit of her mother and all her four brothers.
Growing up, she sang in the church choir, and gained valuable experience when she did a solo stint at a precocious age eight in a Jamaican gospel festival. She wrote her first rap at 11, and as a student at August Martin High School, the young teen first performed professionally at Brooklyn’s Biltmore Ballroom, modeling herself after such childhood idols as rap’s pioneer female act, SaltNPepa, as well as Jamaican female toaster Shelly Thunder.
Then, suddenly, it happened, fame beckoned and Sasha did not spurn the call. At a stage show featuring dancehall mega star Shabba Ranks, Sasha’s hardcore mic skills raised the eyebrows of Shabba’s management team who immediately invited her to make some demo recordings.
Two weeks later, Steely & Clevie, computer dancehall’s whiz team, heard her demos and sought her out in New York. They flew her to Jamaica to write and cut her first record, the provocatively titled hardcore rap ‘Kill the Bitch.’ She transitioned from shy teenage student and popular chick in class to a money earning professional on the strength of her big hit. In 1998, she followed up that impressive debut with "Dat Sexy Body", composed on a variation of the "Bookshelf" rhythm which was later remixed with famous reggaeton artist Ivy Queen.
The single was released by Island on the Bogle compilation alongside tracks by established stars Buju Banton and Papa San. Sasha’s track was picked as a standout by stateside DJs, and it has played for literally years in the hiphop underground. Sasha began to tour the world at the tender age of 16 performing in locations from New York to Africa to the European continent. She has been featured in many albums and dance mixes including Reggae Gold 2002 and Eddie Deejay Arroyo Presents Reggaeton party hits.
She scored her third international hit when she returned her to the studio with Steely & Clevie in a duet with Sean Paul snappy updated combination treatment of Alton Ellis’ Studio One classic, ‘I’m Still in Love,’ which shot to number one spot in the reggae clubs of Jamaica, London, Miami and New York. The single appeared on Sean Paul’s doubleplatinum album Dutty Rock, and a video, directed by Little X, was filmed and enjoyed heavy rotation on MTV, BET, and all other video stations across the world.
She returned to Jamaica to reside three years ago and scored a number of hits with fellow Rastafarian singer, Turbulance. The hits, ‘Natty on Mi Frontline’ and ‘We Got the Love’ were favourites in the public.
Since that time, she has been recording steadily, scoring radio hits with ‘Depths of My Heart’ on the Bass rhythm and the controversial ‘Daddy’ single, both for Down Sound Records. She splits her time between recording in Kingston, building her own studio in Ocho Rios and taking care of her children. She has now inked a two year management deal with Down Sound Records.
Sashas intuition and sensitivity about her audience is reinforced by her innate cultural connection to both the Jamaican and American audiences. In dancehall, the crossover market appreciates you, and dances to the beat, but they dont always know what youre saying. Even though Im writing dancehall, my schooling was in New York, and the way I write and flow my words, all of people can understand the lyrical content of what Im saying.
As a vocalist, she has an assurance and versatility. The broad youth audience is just about to discover Sashas warm and welcoming personal style, both onstage and in one-to-one conversation. With all three of her hits still receiving heavy play in clubs, and two of them on the verge of a mainstream breakout, SASHA is undoubtedly this years rising star.