INOJ

occupation = Singer, songwriter years_active = 1996-present label = So So Def, Columbia associated_acts = website =

Ayanna Porter (born November 27, 1976), better known by her stage name INOJ (pronounced "I know J"), She sang in the high school choir. She wanted to have a singing career, but her parents convinced her to pursue engineering, another passion. She decided to attend the University of Baltimore because it was near Washington, D.C., and not too far from New York City, and she had a better chance of connecting with music producers. In her sophomore year of college, she joined a girl group called Spellbound, who got signed to a major label recording contract. The group disbanded, and she became a songwriter.

She was asked by So So Def producers to sing a reference track for someone else to hear and emulate, and she recorded her vocals to "Love You Down". The producers immediately put her version out as the final product. At this time, she created her stage name INOJ, pronounced "eye know jay". The name is "Joni" spelled backwards; her birth name is Ayanna and she had been nicknamed Yanni, but she spelled the nickname "Joni" for personal style. According to her, "I try not to classify my sound, but I think I would call myself rhythm and pop instead of R&B." She continued saying, "R&B is more street today than rhythm and blues, and I'm definitely not urban, so I guess I've come up with a new category of my own." 1998: "Time After Time" (US No. 6, 16 weeks) 1999: "Ring My Bell" 2007: "Nine to Five" 2008: "Baby You" 2011: "On" 2012: "Love Thang" 2012: "It's Over" 2016: "My Love for You" 2017: "LYD (Love You Down)" 2018: "September Love"