Dr. Tenina ‘Suga-T’ Stevens is Bay Area royalty, when she entered the hip-hop history-sphere in the early 1980s but really kicked off in the mid-90s, as part of The Click with her brothers E-40, D-Shot, and her cousin, B-Legit. On “Sprinkle Me,” one of the lead singles from their pivotal album, Down and Dirty. The 1995 single became a chart-topping hit for the group and highlighted Suga-T’s skills as a rapper and singer to a broad audience.
Being a chameleon came in handy for Dr. Suga-T, as she is affectionately called. She took a break after a 16-year run in music, from about 2000 to 2010, to ground herself after being overwhelmed by the chaos that sometimes comes with life, especially the entertainment industry. There was pressure to be something she wasn’t as an artist, personal struggles, dealing with domestic violence, and children that Suga-T wanted to raise and nurture the way she saw fit.
“I took a break or somewhat of a breakdown, to be honest with you. There was a bad divorce, another abusive relationship, and a lot of different pieces to that,” Suga-T told EBONY. “That came along with everybody mad at me and a lot of stuff, [but] I gave my life to become a more spiritually conscious person, and I went to, who I thought was the strongest for me. And I was who made me, and that was God. I was like, ‘God, help me to figure out where I’m supposed to be. Right now, because this is not healthy for me.”
In her 10 years off, she went to school, obtained various degrees in supply chain management, counseling, business, and psychology, raised her children, launched businesses, and reset her focus so that she could show up for her community and as many other people as possible.
What that looks like these days is the keynote speaking, Sprinkle Me Learning Academy, which provides online business coaching, Sprinkle Me Beauty, and the Work it Well Project, a charity that provides tools for wellness and social and economic empowerment to a variety of disadvantaged populations. The latter is currently in the throes of the holiday season, with a specific focus on a food giveaway for families impacted by autism between December and January.
“It’s our goal to make their Christmas. We’re focusing on getting out food, vouchers and food gift cards, and we’re targeting the autistic community, and those who are on the ASD. Those are our main population first, and then we work our way out,” said Suga-T, revealing that she also has an autistic grandchild. “So, with Work it Well project, our goal is to empower you with the tools to be healthy, safe, economically empowered, and inspired, and our objective is to meet you where you are, will help you explore what you can become, and to be able to provide different levels of opportunities for sustainability through our programming and collaborations.”
Dr. Suga-T still finds time to perform live from time to time. Last year, she did some reunion performances with The Click, performed with her Shanico Band, and plans to release a music video in January for “Beat it Up,” a single from her last album, I Am Heiress, released in the previous year. She’s preparing for more touring and more giving back, describing her creative offerings for next year as “The Suga-T experience.”
“Every part of the Enterprise was something that was made out of heart, you know? And out of purpose.” In her own words, “The original stallion is still having fun.”