Oriana

Hailing from Durham, North Carolina and bringing along intense southern heat, this bombshell dares to be different. Oriana prevails and doesn't hesitate to unveil another side of southern rap that has gone sadly unnoticed--true lyricism. Coming in full force slashing competitors with a witty tongue, swift, combative delivery, and undeniable sex appeal, this baby-faced 23 year-old diva proves to be the South's next shining star.

As if there couldn't be more to add to her list of unique qualities, Oriana, a.k.a. Ms. Tinique, also pens all of her own lyrics. She switches her persona quicker than a chameleon changes colors, going from seductive at times in songs like "Backshots" to hardcore in the street anthem "Blown Away" where she slices contenders with witty lines such as “I eat MCs to the bone marrow/cock my pen back, impact is that of an arrow.” In the club banger "If U..." she uses the catchy sing-song hook "if you drink, toss it up/if you smoke, light it up/all my girlies in the club/shake it up, that's what's up" to urge partygoers to let loose. Severing other females competing for the same reign, Oriana proves not to be just a battle rapper or mere sexual object of affection but rather a classy Southern chica with beauty, brains, and a venomous flow.

Oriana began writing songs at the mere age of 11 and still recalls having half of her sixth grade class surrounding her table during lunchtime for a session of ongoing cyphering. But because her mother, a college professor, made her stay focused on her studies and scolded the young Pisces for always having her head in the clouds dreaming about a future as a successful entertainer, the young 11 year-old slowly began to abandon her own dreams of becoming an artist and focused on attaining a more concrete goal. However, she always found the time to continue to write when her mother was not around.

By high school, she had two big notebooks full of lyrics to both R&B songs and raps. She had become heavily influenced by the musical styles of 2Pac, Nas, Biggie, The Wu-Tang Clan, and The L.o.x. She now divided her time between school work, extra-curriculars, and writing. Finally, classmates began to notice her passion and started requesting that she "spit" for them. It soon got to the point that several of the school's well-known MC's started to invite her on mixtapes that were circulating around the school and basement recording sessions where she started to refer to herself as Chocolate Deluxe. But the name was quite short-lived.

By the time her her senior year rolled around, Oriana was too busy deciding on a college and a major to focus much on her music and became caught up in the world of SATs and FASFA forms. After receiving her acceptance letter from NYU, she laid her old dreams to rest and again focused on the studies ahead, excited to be moving to The Big Apple, the city of big dreams.

In 2003, Oriana met Palah who helped her to put together a demo and by the following summer, Oriana received a couple of offers from independent labels and had several people interested in helping to push her project. Instead of snatching up the first deal she was offered, Oriana decided to wait and see if anything better would come along. And it wasn’t until her very first time on stage in the Bronx and being judged by hip-hop pioneer DJ Kool Herc that she recognized her own gift as a performer. That very same night, it was suggested that Oriana use her middle name, Tinique, as her alter ego because she changed her persona as soon as she jumped onto the stage, going from a laid back girl to a hyperactive MC who captured her audience's attention and wouldn't let it go.

Ms. Tinique is truly an acclaimed total package heading for stardom at full force. So please don't sleep on this petite five-foot phenomenon; she can undoubtedly box with the best.