Theresa Beth (born January 18, 1965), known professionally as Tairrie B, is an American singer and rapper.

Career

She started her music career as part of the female dance group Bardeux. After the release of their debut single, "Three-Time Lover", in 1987, she left the group. Under the tutelage of

Eazy-E Eric Lynn Wright (September 7, 1964 – March 26, 1995), known professionally as Eazy-E, was an American rapper who propelled West Coast rap and gangsta rap by leading the group N.W.A and its label, Ruthless Records. He is often referred ...

, she was later signed to his label

Ruthless Records Ruthless Records was an American record label founded by Eric "Eazy-E" Wright and Jerry Heller in Compton, California in 1986, where all of the Ruthless trademarks have been owned by Comptown Records, Inc. since 1997. Several artists on the la ...

(under a new imprint called Comptown Records) and released her first album, '' Power of a Woman'', which, unlike usual Ruthless fare, was distributed by

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group. Pre-history MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 w ...

. Tairrie B alleges she was assaulted by

Dr. Dre Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and w ...

at the 1990

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

for not collaborating with him on her first album: "Everyone with NWA – like Above the Law and The D.O.C. – whenever they do an album, all of the guys appear on the last track. So they were going to do that with me at one point and Ice Cube was gonna write lyrics to a track called 'I Ain't Your Bitch'." She refused, and rewrote the track as a diatribe against her labelmates. When Dr. Dre heard the track, he turned up at the awards ceremony party, where he punched Tairrie "twice – once in the mouth and once in the eye. He hit me like Tyson, but I took it – I don't know how." It turned out to be the only Comptown Records album release. Tairrie B later began working on her second full-length album ''Single White Female'', but before releasing it decided to change her musical direction away from rap. After being released from her contract by Eazy-E, just a few weeks before his 1995 death, she then formed

Manhole A manhole (utility hole, maintenance hole, or sewer hole) is an opening to a confined space such as a shaft, utility vault, or large vessel. Manholes are often used as an access point for an underground public utility, allowing inspection, m ...

(later renamed Tura Satana),

My Ruin My Ruin is an American alternative metal band from Los Angeles, California, composed of the husband and wife duo Tairrie B and Mick Murphy. The band has been through various line-up changes since its formation in 1999. The band's sound consis ...

and LVRS. In December 2008, Tairrie B married her long-time partner and guitarist of

, Mick Murphy. She stated in the band's Myspace blog that she had changed her last name to Murphy, but would continue to use the name Tairrie B in music. In August 2015, Tairrie B returned to her rap roots with her third studio rap album '' Vintage Curses''. On October 30, 2015, cult director

John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...

commented on Tairrie B's rap career and legacy in his interview with

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the " Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band The Stooges, who w ...

on BBC Radio 6 just before playing "Ruthless Bitch" saying, "..she was very much a part of the story, she was the first white girl rapper I remember." On October 20, 2020, Tairrie B released a new album, ''Feminenergy'', with 12 songs that she described as "socially conscious, politically reflective, hardcore tracks of hip hop, rock & resistance." The album addresses racism, social injustice, sexism, and contains tributes to the passing of civil rights icon

John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American politician and civil rights activist who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...

and United States Supreme Court Justice

Ruth Bader Ginsburg Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg ( ; ; March 15, 1933September 18, 2020) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death in 2020. She was nominated by Presiden ...

. The album features Mick Murphy (My Ruin), Paul Catten (Dead Sheeran, Barrabus, Murder One, Lazarus Blackstar, Medulla Nocte), and Spokane DJ, GrandMixer GMS (KFOX Nightbeat & Global Frequency).

Discography

Studio albums *'' Power of a Woman'' (1990) *'' Vintage Curses'' (2015) *''Feminenergy'' (2020) Demos *''Single White Female'' (recorded 1993; released 2010)

References

External links

Official Myspace page

BGD
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tairrie B 1965 births Alternative metal musicians American women heavy metal singers American women rappers Gangsta rappers Living people Musicians from Anaheim, California Nu metal singers Ruthless Records artists My Ruin members West Coast hip hop musicians 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American women musicians 21st-century women rappers