TAM TAM A.K.A HOT TAMALA WAS BORN AND RAISED IN HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA IN THE EARLY EITHY‘S; A PLACE UNHEARD OF BY THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND PURE TALENT ALWAYS WENT UNDISCOVERED. TAM ALWAYS HAD A PASSION FOR WRITING SHORT STORIES AND POETRY AND WAS ACADEMICALLY INCLINED. SHE TOOK AN INTEREST IN MUSIC AFTER VIEWING A VIDEO ON KRISS KROSS. SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH THE RAP DUO AND ALWAYS WANTED TO MEET THEM, JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER YOUNG GIRL IN AMERICA. HER INSPIRATION CAME FROM ARTISTS LIKE TLC, DA BRAT, SALT-N-PEPPA, MC LYTE AND QUEEN LATIFAH. SHE HAD AN UNDENYING HUNGER FOR THE ART. NOT REALLY KNOWING WHERE TO START, SHE DECIDED TO RECORD A DEMO WITH HER COUSIN BRIDGETTE WHO WAS A YOUNG SINGER. THE TWO FORMED A LOCAL GROUP CALLED NICE-N-NASTEE. MONEY WAS AN ISSUE WITH BOOKING STUDIO TIME; TAM DECIDED TO ASK HER OLDER BROTHER MALCOLM “ZANZIBAR” GOPHER TO HELP FINANCE HER A DEMO. HE PUT HIS LITTLE SISTER IN THE STUDIO AND ALSO WENT ON TO START HIS OWN RECORDING COMPANY CALLED LAVISH RECORDS. ZANZIBAR SIGNED A FEW LOCAL MALE ARTISTS. HE TOOK HIS SISTER TO EVERY RECORDING SESSION AND EXPLAINED THE RAP GAME TO HER AND PUT HER UP ON THE HOTTEST MUSIC IN THE STREETS. HE INTRODUCED HER TO THE WORLD OF EIGHTBALL & MJG AND ALSO TOLD HER THAT JAY-Z WOULD BECOME ONE OF THE GREATEST RAPPERS WHEN REASONABLE DOUBT FIRST DROPPED. HER BROTHER LATER INTRODUCED HER TO C-DOVE, THE OLDER BROTHER OF BRANDY AND RAY J. ZANZIBAR HAD PLANS TO SIGN THE ARTIST KNOWN AS C-DOVE. TAM BEGAN GOING TO SESSIONS AND HANGING OUT WITH C-DOVE AND EVENTUALLY JOINED THE GROUP MELLO DRAMA THAT C-DOVE STARTED. THE GROUP THOUGHT PLACING TAM IN THE RAP GROUP WOULD FORCE HER BROTHER TO PUT UP MAJOR CAPITAL TO FINANCE THEIR FIRST PROJECT. THE GROUP BEGAN TRAVELING AND OPENING UP SHOWS FOR MASTER P, MYSTIKAL, AND TWISTER. AFTER TAM SAW THAT SHE WAS NOT GETTING PLACED ON THAT MANY SONGS, BUT SHE WAS SELLING THE MOST CDS OUT OF THE GROUP, SHE DECIDED TO DEPART WAYS AND DO HER OWN THING BECAUSE SHE HAD THE DRIVE AND THE HUSTLE. SHE WOULD LATER MEET SHAWN WALKER WHO STARTED THE LABEL BIG IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT AND HE FINACED HER FIRST ALBUM CALLED “IMAGENIT”. IT WAS A LOCAL SUCCESS. TAM STARTED CREATING MORE MUSIC AND REALLY SHARPENING HER SKILLS. A SECOND PROJECT WAS RELEASED IN 2002 CALLED “HOT TAMALA”. THE SINGLE FROM THAT ALBUM WAS CALLED “WELCOME HOT TAMALA” AND WAS THE FIRST LOCAL HIT IN HUNTSVILLE, AL ON WEUP. THIS OPENED THE DOORS FOR MANY MORE LOCAL ARTIST. THE STATION FINALLY EMBRACED LOCAL MUSIC. THE ALBUM WAS A REGIONAL SUCCESS. IN 2004 A SECOND SINGLE WAS RELEASED CALLED “C U PEEPIN” FEAT. DIRTY FROM UNIVERSAL RECORDS. THIS SINGLE GAINED MORE RADIO PLAY AND CHARTED BILLBOARD MONITOR AIRPLAY. TAM PERFORMED MANY SHOWS BETWEEN 2004-2006 OFF THE MAJOR BUZZ. HER FAVORITE SHOW WAS OPENING UP FOR LUDACRIS. TAM BEGAN TAKING LAW CLASSES AT SANFORD BROWN BETWEEN 2006-2007 WHILE WORKING ON MORE MUSIC. IN 2008 SHE WAS NOMINATED FOR A BEST PERFORMANCE AWARD FROM THE SEA’S. SHE RECENTLY RELAESED A MIXTAPE CALLED “THINK IT’S GAME” WITH DJ MIST OF BIG OOMP CAMP AND THE SOUTHERN STYLE DJ’S. SHE IS RESPECTED AS ONE OF THE DOPEST ARTISTS TO GRACE THE MIC.