Tisha Ricketts
Born in Brooklyn and raised in the Trinidad and Tobago, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Angela Hunte has always been surrounded by music from different cultures and generations.
On Trinidad’s radio stations in the ‘80s and ‘90s she heard American and British pop acts including Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Robert Palmer and Sting; Angela felt a deep connection to Sade and the legendary Shirley Bassey while her grandmother listened to The Andrew Sisters, Elvis Presley and The Beatles.
Hunte got her start as an aspiring singer, but strayed into songwriting as music became more “commercial. I just felt there was no place for me in music at that time,” she says. She started going to the studio and studying production alongside mentor and producer Salaam Remi.
In 2001, she signed a deal brokered by Remi with EMI and went to Europe to write for various artists. Her big break came when she penned the track “Do Somethin‘” for Britney Spears, which appeared in her “Greatest Hits: My Prerogative” compilation, and was released as the second single off the set.
In 2007 she returned to the U.S.and immediately went in the studio with Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Danity Kane group, for which she wrote the first single “Show Stopper.” The track reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In March 2017, Angela shared her story in an interview with Trinidadian TV Station, C News Live
Now her latest album R.A.W, reflects the dept of her music and lyrics. Her opening track opening track “Gettin Ova U” is the story of a woman who can’t move past a previous relationship, something Angela says most people, especially women, can relate to.
Story Curated From Billboard.com
