The first artist that Clive Davis had signed to his new label, J Records was the foul mouthed new-comer Olivia. After achieving major success with her risque` first single "Bizounce", the record was a huge commercial disappointment, barely selling 122,000 units to date after its release in the summer of 2001. It was a damn shame too, she had an amazing voice and a gorgeous face, and given the right material the girl could have blown up big. Fans weren't feeling the extremely explicit & poorly written lyrics that she had used to give her a more "ghetto" edge. The same thing has happened again with Motown record's newest artist, Sharissa. The girl has mad talent, but her producers, writers and label are handling her carrer all wrong.

Songs like "Thug Love", "All These Years", and the pointless skits are just a bunch of people cussing & arguing together to give the album a parental advisory notice, and give Sharissa the "street image" that she is trying so desperatley to obtain. Its a damn shame too because the album does have good songs like the catchy "No Half Steppin" and the album's hypnotic first single "Any other Night", along with her powerful gospel voice, and a few sweet ballads ("I'm Waiting") which are going to be over looked do to the fact that smart record buyers know not to make the same mistake twice.

Maybe if she came first, then the music that she is recording could have been excepted, but she is serving up this earthquake after Olivia's hurricane, and fans will do anything to avoid the storm. Its a damn shame to see talent wasted, when artists who could have a bright future, can't live up to their potential. Not only is it a shame, but its extremely frustrating to watch it go down, and there being nothing that any of us can do.

C'mon now, you gotta admit that the girl can sing! Her album was great to me! Especially 'Any Other Night', 'I'm Waiting', and 'Over A Man'. Sharissa may be kinda ghetto but she's got soul. And in my book that's what counts. I recommend it.

this was actually a good album. she sings and her alto voice is really sultry and her songs are real.Thats another reason i like this album...she curses and says what she has to say and some people dont liek it because they say shes ghetto and all that but it is a good cd...and she can sing..

BEST SONGS:

*No Half Steppin

**All These Years

**Any Other Night

**Dun Put Up To Long

**I Cant Wait

**Thug Love

**Over A MAn

After all it wasnt a very very very good debut but it was enough to get her some shine even though she should have gotten a little more than she did.This is just the debut and the second album is coming up in due time..maybe this time we can see her a little bit more and she will get osme actual spotlight.....

OVERALL GRADE = 76/100 = C

I think Sharissa is going to be really successful in the future. She has good slow songs. It's an okay freshman CD!

It seems as though every album that I think is at least decent, there are numerous people who think the album is just trash. (I still don't understand why people didn't like Truth Hurts' album.) Sharissa's debut is not that bad at all. The skits do not need to be on here, and there are two or three filler/mediocre songs on here... but the rest is quality. I wish she would put the ghetto queen persona away, though. Record companies should learn by now that when it comes to a female R&B singer, the parental advisory label drives the potential fan base away rather than attracting them. I would recommend buying this, probably used, though.