Recently, it was announced that a female member, who goes by the name of “Rhea“, would be joining Pharrell Williams‘ alternative hip-hop troupe N.E.R.D. Some fans didn’t take this news too well, fearing the womanly invader would have the same effect on the group that Fergie did on the once-upon-a-time legit Black Eyed Peas. These concerns are perfectly valid, given that Pharrell and the crew haven’t always made the right decisions (see “Jump” featuring Joel & Benji Madden of Good Charlotte). His recent claim that the group has become “three-dimensional” could very well have translated into “now totally blows”.

But before you jump to any conclusions, perhaps you should know more about this mysterious lady. Rhea’s been around in the industry for quite some time now, and she’s collaborated with everyone from 50 Cent to Ryan Leslie. On the gossip front, she once dated a current Grammy nominee. And her own original songs have gotten considerable radio play outside of the US. Oh, and how about the fact that one of her songs was turned into the worst Super Bowl campaign ever? Perhaps you should crack open a refreshing “Brown and Bubbly” Diet Pepsi, because your mind is about to be blown…

Considering that this song probably isn’t the most convincing argument for Rhea’s awesomeness, let’s examine her musical background a little more closely. She comes from a background of classical training–later moving on to other genres–and graduated at the top of her class from Berklee College of Music. She can bust out an aria just as well as she can rap, and N.E.R.D. seems like the perfect place for her to showcase her vocal talents.

Need more convincing? Two years ago in New York, Rhea began working on a side project under the name of BLAKMYNT. Only one song ever materialized from the collaboration, and it’s essentially the complete opposite of “Come And Get It”. Operatic pizazz, raunchy rapping and a haunting backing beat. Could we be hearing similar sounds on N.E.R.D.’s new album Instant Gratification?

Well, technically we already know some of the sounds that we’ll be hearing on Instant Gratification. While touring in Seattle with Jay-Z, the group performed a brand new song featuring their newest member on vocals. It sounds like a decent balance between their older songs and the best elements of their newer offerings, but we’ll probably have to hear a studio version before coming to any conclusions. Speaking of older songs, let’s take this moment to reminisce.

Oh, the good ol’ days…