When she first moved to the New York City area, Tanya Diona’s goal was not to record her own album independently. It was to steal her band back from Rick James. True story.

She had worked very hard to earn the privilege of having such incredible musicians in her band. They had just crafted a concert-style live show, and were starting to introduce original material. Her sound was defined by a unique, heavy thumping, Buffalo-Funk style. When several band members, and ultimately her vocal arranger and writing partner, went back out on the road with Rick, she set out on a mission to show that “Rick James” a thing or two. In all fairness, those musicians had worked with him long before Tanya had ever known them, but this set her on the path to New York City. There, she harnessed all her frustration and used it to propel herself towards success, eventually singing for an impressive list of notable artists, producers, and TV shows including Showtime at the Apollo, American Idol, Barack Obama’s televised inaugural ball, the Grammy Awards, and the Oscars.