As the new millennium sets in, R&B has taken on a new rhythm and rhyme, where lyrics, melody and talent once again matter. You might say it's gone back to the future. What better time for the blossoming fresh sounds of three "sistas" to breathe new life into the music scene!

So, are you ready to Exhale? Meet Tasha Belton, Tiko George, and Toya Watson, the first ladies of Real Deal Records and R&B's hottest tantalizing trio.

Luther Vandross, Mary J. Blige. Michael Jackson, NSYNC, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Chante Moore, and Whitney Houston. The list of artist these ladies of song enjoy are as diverse as R&B is today. They represent the past, feel today's trendsetters and are prepared to map the music of the future.

"We have the attitude of TLC combined with a more traditional R&B flavor, like En Vogue, but we're still funky fresh," explains Toya.

As a teenager in Capitol Heights, Md., Toya was looking for two partners to complement her alto voice. Her musical background traces back to days playing the saxophone in elementary school. She also studied music theory in high school. She was 12 when the singing bug bit her. "I was actually interested in acting, but people were telling me I had a nice voice," she recalls.

Toya hooked up with Tasha, who had also felt the tide pulling her to a singing career.

"It started when I was 11," Tasha reflects. "I saw the 'Little Mermaid.' Aerial was singing and I thought it was cool. Then I heard Mariah Carey and I knew my calling."

The third member of the triangle, Tiko, like so many great singers, has roots in church and the choir.

"I started singing in church when I was nine," Tiko recalls. "My favorite song was 'I'm Climbing Up The Rough Side of the Mountain.' Before I partnered with Toya and Tasha, I was in a Top 40 band. I started really getting into music. I studied saxophone, so I can also read music."

Talent shows, singing the "Star Spangled Banner" at school basketball games, performing for WPGC and WKYS in Washington, D.C. at charity events - the ladies began paying their dues and learning the ropes. It wasn't long before another master of the "ropes" - Evander Holyfield - heard of Chocolate City's tantalizing trio and the group was invited to audition for Holyfield's Real Deal Records.

"It was kinda scary," Toya recalls. "But afterwards, it was exciting once we knew he liked us."

The ladies laugh now, but remember how serious the champ was as he listened ringside. "He had such a stern look on his face," Tasha says. "But after we performed, we noticed he had a good smile on his face. He signed us the next day."

You might say Toya, Tasha and Tiko...exhaled.

Fresh, funky and flavor-filled, Exhale's debut offers a heaping helping of everything to satisfy the fickle appetites of music lovers worldwide - a dash of hip hop, the sweet sounds of seductive soul and the ever popular pinings of precocious pop, all seasoned with their own brand of sugar and spice, and everything naughty and nice!

Bounce to the beat of "Chillin' In Your Benz," a rhythm-driven ride along the streets of Funk and R&B. On top of the pulsating track glides the smooth harmonies of three ladies who can carry a tune farther than a bird flying South. Another cruising cut is "I Don't Want To Fall In Love."

From the beginning to the end, I just fell in love with it," Tasha exudes. "It has a great vibe between the music and the words. It's poppy but funky. It's about two best friends, but the guy wants to take it to a boyfriend/girlfriend level."

With three ladies that can saing, it's no wonder some of the hottest tracks on Exhale's debut are ballad-driven. Melancholy sweet "Still Not Over You" is destined to be an anthem for lovers everywhere.

"It's the first time Tasha and I went through the same thing, so we sat down and wrote about it," Toya reminisces about one of her favorite tunes. "We were crying when we finished the song. It's about breaking up with someone who you are in love with… you say you are going to stop calling him and you don't. You tell him to move on, but then beg him to come back. You give him the impression you are moving on, but you're really not over it."

Familiarity will ring clear with listeners from a cross section of age and genre, as the ladies sing about real life experiences and the chaos that characterize life, love and the pursuit of happiness!

Whether it's the shimmering elegance of "Falling In Love" or the effervescent layers of "Loving You," there is a presence in each cut that reeks of soul and the boundaries of emotions, from the joy of new love to the pain of heartbreak.

Their first album, will contain 10 tracks, of which eight the ladies wrote themselves. They are young in age but wise in matters of the heart, which is reflected in the tender, often soul-barring nature of their lyrics.

"We like the old school stuff, where lyrics were deep and had a lot of meaning," Tasha says of their songwriting prowess. "We like to think deep enough to make people think and feel the song. We want to make them believe what we say."

Adds Tiko, "We feel you don't have to be profane to get your point across. We like metaphors. We don't get explicit because we don't feel it's necessary to get your point across."

Exceptional songwriters, singing sensations...yeah, it's time to Exhale!