Posted on 07/17/2008
Mixing jazz influenced vocal inflections with hip-hop swagger and b-girl next door charm, Toronto songstress Ayah delivers an infectious summer mixtape that, if heard by enough ears, should put her on the radar of hip-hop heads and R&B fly girls alike. Serving as a prelude to her upcoming album, The Problem Woman Mixtape successfully introduces listeners to Ayah as an artist and a person, giving us a bounty of breezy, summer gems to heat up our pool side playlists, as well as some intimate insights into where she came from, and where she hopes to go via her music.

The “Ayahludes” interspersed throughout the disc may appear contrived in theory; yet another faux interview staged to showcase a performer’s artistic sincerity. Yet, the segments manage to enhance this project, as they allow Ayah to elaborate on the “Problem Woman” theme in a way that comes across so unassuming and reflective that you can’t help but be intrigued by her personally, which gives the music even greater resonance.

In true mixtape fashion, much of the project features Ayah putting her own spunky spin on tried and true hip-hop standards. Her flirty confidence makes “Passin’ Me By” the perfect female counterpoint to The Pharcyde classic, and the hypnotic chords and crisp snares of Dilla’s “Think Twice” showcase her sultry neo-soul vocals beautifully on the show stopping “I Reminisce”.

More than just an exercise in jackin’ for beats, The Problem Woman is sprinkled with just enough originals to keep appetites sufficiently wet for the album. Though some of the production sounds a touch out of step with the vocal stylings (“I Believe”) or just plain amateurish (“Pusha Man”) when her team gives her the right backdrops, Ayah proves captivating. Between her coy crooning on the jazz trumpet -meets break-beat burner “Play It Cool” and the airy vocal harmonies on the enchanting “Fallen,” Ayah proves that she is a woman poised to cause problems for many an Auto-tune diva, if she follows through on her vision.

- Jeff Harvey