Tamar Braxton’s self-titled debut album, *Tamar*, was released on March 21, 2000, via DreamWorks Records and RedZone Entertainment. It was a project that she has since expressed dissatisfaction with, as she felt she had little creative control over its direction.

The album’s sound was a mix of contemporary R&B and hip-hop, featuring production from notable names like Missy Elliott, Jermaine Dupri, Tim & Bob, and Tricky Stewart. The lead single, “Get None,” was a Jermaine Dupri-produced track that also featured rap verses from Dupri and Amil. The second single, “If You Don’t Wanna Love Me,” was a ballad written by LaTocha Scott of Xscape, which showcased Tamar’s powerful vocals.

Despite the all-star lineup of producers, the album was not a commercial success, peaking at number 127 on the Billboard 200 chart. The lack of mainstream success and her dissatisfaction with the creative process led to her being dropped from the label shortly after its release. For many years, this album was largely overlooked in favor of her later, more successful projects, like “Love and War”.

First, let’s take a look back at the album for what it was. After being part of The Braxtons with her sisters, she branched out as a solo artist after signing a deal with producer Tricky Stewart and his RedZone Entertainment along with now defunct Dreamworks Records. The album released on March 21, 2000 and had a modest debut on the Billboard 200 charts, coming in at 127, along with 42 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The lead single was “Get None”, a bouncy Jermaine Dupri production typical of this era along with a feature from Roc-A-Fella Records artist Amil. If you listen closely, you can hear background vocals from a young Mya. Bryan-Michael Cox also contributed as a co-producer.

The album’s second and final single was the timeless ballad “If You Don’t Wanna Love Me” which showcased Tamar’s beautiful vocals. The song was produced by Tricky and penned by LaTocha Scott from Xscape. Neither of the two singles experienced much success commercially, but that certainly wasn’t due to the quality of the music.

The rest of the album finds Tamar moving effortlessly between mid tempo jams and ballads. Production contributions from all-star duo Tim & Bob on five songs help create a high quality backdrop to mesh with Tamar’s vocals. Missy Elliott chips in with a feature and production on the female empowerment anthem “No Disrespect”, something she became known for during this era. Tricky Stewart is listed as the album’s executive producer and he handled the bulk of the remaining production.

When you listen to “Tamar”, it’s pretty evident this album is quality r&b music. Although Tamar has gone on to achieve much bigger things in her career following her marriage to Vincent Herbert and breakout success on “Braxton Family Values”. No more Toni Braxton’s younger sister, Tamar Braxton is an r&b star in her own right. So why has this debut album gone unnoticed for so many years? That isn’t a question we can answer at this time, but what we can say with confidence is, Tamar Braxton should look back proudly at her real debut album “Tamar”. This is an album that r&b fans can pick up to this day and witness the growth and evolution of the youngest of the Braxton sisters.