Sharissa - No Half Steppin' (2002) Lossless

Behind Sharissa's preternatural platinum wig lurks a natural woman. This Bronx bombshell has that rare combination of talent and naked emotion that no amount of peroxide can neutralize--the same blend of street-corner soul that has made Mary J. Blige so compelling, regardless of hairstyle. On No Half Steppin' Sharissa struts all over traditional R&B territory with both sass and class; on the title track, her manifesto, she makes it clear that she doesn't take no mess, especially from spineless suitors. The CD continues with more declarations of independent womanhood and indictments of trifling men, intoned in Sharissa's warm alto over spare, snare-based beats. While she's certainly had her share of hard times, right now this woman's on top. --Cristina Restrepo