Floetry

Floetry is a London, United Kingdom-based contemporary R&B, neo soul and soul duo made up of Marsha Ambrosius and Natalie Stewart, who also perform under the role-based name The Floacist. Active from 1997 to 2007, the group develops from the two artists’ work as songwriters before they move into the foreground as performers.

Formation and early work

Ambrosius and Stewart first connect through basketball, with Stewart from London and Ambrosius raised in England. Their friendship grows from rivalry on the court into a shared interest in music. Ambrosius brings reggae influences, while Stewart draws on funk and soul. Ambrosius studies at Brits Performing Arts School, where she takes business and finance alongside voice, performance technique and recording, while Stewart splits her time between acting and directing. The pair later attend college; Ambrosius plans to study at Georgia Tech University on a basketball scholarship, but injury ends that path, while Stewart attends Middlesex University before transferring to North London University.

After Stewart’s girl group, 3 Plus 1, disbands, the pair begin writing songs and performing in and around London in 1997. Three years later, they move to the United States in search of greater opportunities. An early period in Atlanta does not lead anywhere, but Philadelphia proves important for their development.

Songwriting and industry connections

Before establishing Floetry as a recording act, Ambrosius and Stewart work as in-demand songwriters. They write material for Michael Jackson, Jill Scott, Glenn Lewis and Bilal. In Philadelphia, they meet Julius Erving III, the son of basketball player Julius Erving, who becomes their manager and introduces them to DJ Jazzy Jeff for recording sessions. These connections lead to recording deals and bring the duo into the music industry more formally.

Albums and recordings

Floetry signs to DreamWorks in 2002. Their debut album, Floetic, is released in 2002, and their second album, Flo'Ology, follows three years later and reaches the Top Ten. The duo is known for combining Ambrosius’s singing with Stewart’s spoken-word-led delivery, with Stewart described through the “floacist” role name.