DJ SMELLSOGOOD  

Charise Michelle Lucas - Thomson A.K.A Iyadonna or IYA (I'm Young America) was born in Boston, Ma on July 12th 1981. Growing up in Roxbury (only 3 doors down from where Malcolm X once lived) Iya developed her skills not only as an emcee who can write but also as a singer leading her youth choir in Church. By the time she was 11yrs old Iya was entering talent shows and "beating all the boys". Countless artist have had a lot of influence on Charise like Jay Z, MC Lyte, Rah Digga, ED OG and of course Lauryn. However, it was not a single artist responsible for her ambition to rhyme more like a single song. "Deeper by Boss was the first record vinyl I owned. I realized how powerful women could be in hip hop by the way my boy cousins reacted to it. The lyrics were hard with no sugar coating".

In 1999 Iyadonna was introduced to DJ Clinton Sparks and began work on her first two singles "What You Think" and "That's My Crew" released in 2000 on Compound Ent. Both records were a success on the college rap charts and in DJs crates. Iyadonna was proving that she could rhyme, but that’s not all this multi talented artist could do. When Clinton was asked by another DJ / producer named Creativity if he knew anyone who could write an R&B song for his artist Jenae, Clinton knew Iya was the one. Creativity was so impressed with her skills that he asked her to write two songs and spit a verse on each. "Stop" and "Let Me Go” were released in 2001 and received play throughout the nation. Iya has also worked with such artist as: Akrobatik, K.T, Virtuoso, Chubby Chub and John doe. She has shared the stage with some of the best in the game. Busta, Wu Tang, LL and Jay Z to name a few. In 2004 Charise moved to Norfolk VA, to attend Norfolk State and also became a popular radio personality at WNSB Hot 91 (2004 - 2009). In 2009 Iyadonna graduated from Norfolk State with a degree in communications. Today Iyadonna has teamed up once again with producer DJ Creativity on her newest song "Respect" which has received play on Music Choice, Sirius Radio, mix tapes and radio stations all over the nation. Iya is truly a very unique versatile rapper, singer and song writer. She is able to stretch from pop to hip hop from rhyming to singing from the streets to the clubs which is not only rare for a female to do, its almost completely extinct.