| Lumidee Fame came early for Puerto Rican, Spanish Harlem rapper and singer Lumidee, who scored a smash hit at 19 with her debut single "Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)." With its sweet vocals, catchy hook, infectious Diawli dancehall rhythm, and clap-heavy backdrop, "Never Leave You" soared to the top of the charts, reaching the No. 3 slot on Billboard's Hot 100 in 2003, and made it to #1 in Germany and many other European territories, including topping the pan-European charts in the summer of that year. Now signed to TVT Records through Mach 1 Records and preparing for the April, 2007 release of her sophomore album, Unexpected, Lumidee is ready to show US audiences that she does, indeed, have staying power. The title is fitting both because stateside fans will be surprised by the Latina performer's comeback ("the public thinks I've been gone, but I just wasn't in the U.S.; I was performing and recording internationally") and because of the eclectic, fusion-heavy, worldly nature of the new material. "People will be surprised by what I am bringing to this project," says Lumidee. "It incorporates so many flavors - rap, R&B, Caribbean music, all the sounds that influence me." Even the making of the album was full of unexpected turns. Originally, Lumidee planned on releasing Unexpected strictly overseas, but her international label soon discovered that various U.S. labels were interested in releasing the album domestically. After scouting out her options, Lumidee chose TVT Records as her home, confident that they understood and supported her vision. Audiences have been elated to hear from Lumidee once again. The first single, "She's Like the Wind," has already entered the Pop 100 charts. Featuring R&B singer and Terror Squad member Tony Sunshine, the song cleverly remakes the same-named Patrick Swayze cut of Dirty Dancing fame. The idea behind redoing the classic tune came from Lumidee's European label, and she was intrigued by the possibilities. When they asked if she could suggest a male vocalist to collaborate with her, she quickly recommended Tony Sunshine, with whom she's always wanted to work. After hearing Tony's strong vocal presence on the track, Lumidee was inspired to write some flirtatious, uptempo rap lyrics to give the song an even more urban feel. Lumidee was confident about the end product, but never considered the track as a single. To her surprise, not only did it become the album's lead single, but it's quickly sauntering up the charts.
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