Mashonda Tifrere-Dean, professionally known just as Mashonda, is an R&B singer signed to Full Surface/J Records, which her husband of 4 years, Swizz Beatz, has a partnership with. She was born in Massachusetts and raised in Harlem, New York. She is a labelmate of Cassidy (her husband runs the label; Full Surface Records) and is featured in his song "Get No Better" from his 2004 album Split Personality. She is also featured on Fat Joe's song "Listen Baby" from his 2005 album All Or Nothing. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but raised in Harlem, N.Y., Mashonda's vocal coaching began at the tender age of 7, in church, where most legendary voices are honed. Urged by her godmother, who saw in her a precocious love for music, Mashonda dedicated a substantial amount of her time as a teen to piano lessons and poetry writing. She gained some exposure in high school from joining a few different singing groups, but it wasn't until a meeting with renowned hip hop/R&B writing team Full Force (Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears) that her music career truly took off. Under Full Force's tutelage, Mashonda co-wrote songs for artists Yvette Michelle and Monifah, which, in turn, led to a publishing deal. Soon after, the budding singer/songwriter partnered with rapper Lady May to form Desert Rose, and signed a short-lived deal with Deric "D Dot" Angeletti's Crazy Cat/Columbia Records. The duo split from the label before releasing an album, and Mashonda soon realized her destiny was to go her own