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Mae Day has taken the Detroit airwaves by storm with her sexy, infectious single BABWhy and is making strides toward becoming the next female hip hop star to take off from the Motor City launching pad.
With a style and swagger that’s all her own, Mae Day has opted to forego the gimmicks to give people what they really want – real music. The FrontPage had a chance to sit down with Mae Day to find out more about who she is and what she’s bringing to the table.
FrontPage: Who is Mae Day? Give me a little bit of background.
Mae Day: As an artist, Mae Day is just an infusion of all types of eclectic genres of music and influences with more of a soulful approach that come through in my music. I’m from both sides of Eight Mile; I lived in Oak Park, I lived in Detroit and just been hopping around from city to city during my college years pursuing athletics right before I transferred over into music. And now I just transfer that energy over and just basically tell my story, my experiences through music. The story that’s not being told by females, by pretty much any artist right now, for just the everyday person.
FP: How did you get in to music?
MD: I never really got in to it, I’ve always been around [it]. I came up in a household full of music lovers, so it’s always been around. As far as hip hop, I didn’t think about that until around college for actually pursuing it heavily right after I got out of high school. But I’ve always been a music lover and just doing talent shows and writing here and there. I just never took it seriously.
FP: With your music now, what are some of the things you have going on? I know you have a couple songs on the radio…
MD: Right. We have BABWhy on the radio and that’s just been progressively getting more spins. And then also, I put out my first LP, Somethin’s Gotta Give, through SickNotes Productions and my company Real II Real Entertainment. Basically now, I’m working on a Sade infused mix tape with me and Sade. It’s like a themed mix tape where we’re trying to get more national and critical acclaim. MC Serch will probably be hosting it or presenting it. And also just getting out of state trying to bring it back because it’s so hard to break Detroit that you almost have to leave and get out there and see the world and let them see you and bring something back here.
FP: When you spoke of the Sade mix tape, are you working with Sade on that?
MD: I wish! (laughing) No, it’s more of a themed mix tape where we’re taking the Love Deluxe and Cherish the Day and just all of this stuff off her great albums and we’re theming the mix tape off of that music as a concept. You know, sampling her or infusing her vocals with mine. It’s kind of hard to really describe but within the next month it will be our there for download, going through the whole finishing process of it. So I can’t really give away too many details because it’s so hard to explain.
FP: Who are some of the people you’ve worked with?
MD: In the Detroit area, I’ve worked with Tone Tone, I’ve been able to be in the studio and watch Royce (da 5’9”) in my earlier times and kind of pick his brain. But basically on my album, DRG, a group that’s also through Sick Notes Productions that I work with, Proof, Tone Tone, Stretch Money…just the basic local people that are really trying to do something.
FP: As a female in the hip hop genre, have you found it difficult to break into certain arenas?
MD: Yeah. Just to break in anywhere to get your foot in the door because there’s such a negative thing attached to being a female artist right now, as far as in hip hop. So everybody pretty much in the industry, my music has been well received by them. But it’s just the fact that I’m a female artist that’s really holding me back – as far as with these labels. It’s just such a stigma to be a female artist and the fact that statistics have shown that recently they haven’t really been out here or sold enough for the labels to take them seriously. And I think it’s because they’re always in that box of either its super sexual or extra hard core. There’s no medium or balance between them. So…it’s been hard.
FP: Do you feel like you have to come up with gimmicks in order to ride in the industry or are you refusing to do that sort or thing?
MD: I’m stubborn in that area, where I’m not going to do the whole gimmick thing. I feel like that if I’m persistent enough then they’re going to get the picture and see that it’s good music that we have to offer because the gimmick is only going to last for the moment. We’re trying to build a career and make history and do something ground breaking and have a following of fans. I’m not trying to just make a quick song and a ring tone. I’m trying to be here for a while. So I think the gimmick would just totally throw off what we’re actually trying to do. So I just don’t bother with it.
FP: Would you say that you’ve been really embraced by Detroit as a whole?
MD: Detroit? It’s been beautiful! People out and about who’ve heard the music or have the album…I’ve just gotten great reception from Detroit. It’s been beautiful and I’m just waiting as it catches on to see how more and more people feel about it. But so far, so good. Everything’s been great.
To find out more information about Mae Day, visit www.myspace.com/maedaymaeday.
