Toya is the professional name of LaToya Lacole Rodriguez, an American R&B singer and songwriter from St. Louis, Missouri. Born on July 22, 1983, she emerged during the early 2000s, when contemporary R&B was increasingly shaped by hip-hop production, polished pop songwriting, and crossover collaborations. Her brief recording career is chiefly associated with the single "I Do!!" and the self-titled album Toya, released by Arista Records in 2001.
Raised in St. Louis, Toya sang in church and at school before pursuing music more seriously. While attending St. Louis University on scholarship and working jobs alongside her studies, she wrote songs and made demo recordings. Her work eventually came to the attention of Tony Davis and Courtney Benson, managers and producers associated with fellow St. Louis artist Nelly. The pair helped introduce her to Arista chief L.A. Reid, who signed her after hearing her material and arranging an audition in New York.
Toya's debut album presented her as a vocalist capable of moving between several strands of early-2000s R&B. Its material combined hip-hop-influenced grooves, dance-oriented production, romantic ballads, and touches of jazz. The project also reflected her St. Louis background through guest appearances from artists connected to the city's developing rap scene. Released on August 7, 2001, Toya reached number 109 on the Billboard 200.
The album's most successful track was "I Do!!" The song became a major crossover hit, reaching number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 25 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Its accessible arrangement and upbeat romantic theme gave Toya a strong introduction to mainstream radio, while its success placed her among a wave of young female R&B performers receiving major-label attention at the turn of the century. The follow-up single, "No Matta What (Party All Night)," appeared in 2002 and reached number 86 on the Hot 100.
Toya also benefited from high-profile collaborations. She appeared on Nelly's "Stick Out Ya Wrist" and contributed to Murphy Lee's "Same Ol' Dirty." Her most visible guest appearance came on Cam'ron's "Hey Ma," alongside Juelz Santana and Freeky Zeeky. Released in 2002, the song reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a major international hit, bringing Toya's voice to a wider hip-hop audience.
Although her mainstream recording activity did not develop into a long-running album career, Toya remained connected to the music industry through later guest appearances and catalog releases. In the early 2010s, she publicly expressed interest in recording again, but no substantial new solo project followed. Her recorded legacy rests primarily on the concise period surrounding Toya and "I Do!!", which captured the melodic, collaborative sound of commercial R&B at the beginning of the 2000s.