The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: INTERVIEW: Mýa Talks Creative Freedom, Navigating the Industry, Independence

Episode Date: July 2, 2026

Today on The Breakfast Club, Mýa Talks Creative Freedom, Navigating the Industry, Independence. Listen For More!YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakfastClubPower1051FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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It's DJ NV. Just hilarious. is Charlamagne de Guy. We are the breakfast club. Lawlerosa is here as well. We got a special guest in the building. Yes, indeed. Maya, welcome. Good morning. How are you doing? Is this your first time here? Is it? I think so.

Wow. Good morning. How you feel? How's your energy this morning? How you feel? Good. I got a good nice rest. Okay. That's important. I have some tacos for Taco Tuesday. She's married to a Mexican, so she is. He's also black as well. So it's, yes.

I'm good. How are y'all doing? New album, retrospect? Yes, sir. What did this album mean to you? This album is a journey back into time, the time that influenced me to sign up to music. You know, when I fell in love with music for the first time,

it was literally soul, funk, R&B that filled my household vinyl days, the collection that my parents had, a lot of dancing going on, a lot of singing going on in the living room. but culture as well the block parties the skating rinks

those gatherings where your family would come over laughter children playing so it's a celebration nobody could look at you until you grew up in that era by the way like literally no oh no I'm a 70s baby I know I know

yeah so the whole experience but I'm glad that you said that because we were listening to the album and I instantly got prints yeah so it was like that was totally intentional Oh, yes. The Minneapolis Sound. Absolutely. I've worked with Jam and Lewis before, performed with Prince before.

But that whole era of funk, the performance, the aesthetics, the fashion, you know, the little eye expressions and the facial expressions and the hand gestures. Just the ultimate performers during that time, the rehearsals. You know, I'm a musician's daughter. Yeah. And it really inspired me. I've done stuff like that before on previous albums. I did a Rick James cover, but I just wanted to. embody a whole body of work, which is what an album is to me.

So retrospect is literally digging into the crates of my influences and going back into time, those joyful times of my childhood that first influenced me and introduced me to music. We didn't really fast a performer with Prince either. Yes. What was that like? It was beautiful. You know, I got to see him two nights in a row at the O2 in London, and he had a lot of artists join him on that run.

And I learned a lot just by being there for two nights. There was a jam session, of course, afterward at the Indigo. And, of course, the conversation about independency, you know, the first conversation. I'd met him before that. But he was a big advocate of empowerment. No sampling. Playing an instrument. All of those things.

and then really investing in your craft. And there were gyms that were jobbed. See, I'm not Prince. And I started this independent journey very early before it was a thing. Planet Nine is my label. And I didn't necessarily know what it was all about when I stepped into that new territory.

And he was the person that was the voice of reason that sort of kept me on that path, even when it got tough. You know, it requires you to, of course, finance 100%. That's the way I've done it. and, you know, grind, but also wear several different hats and wear many roles. And it's been a beautiful educational journey of empowerment, but learning. And then also developing relationships when you become the label yourself and figuring it out

because, you know, the business of music and then also the technological side of things changes. Yeah. Every few weeks there's a new platform. So it was really wonderful just to be in his presence, but also to receive the same. spiritual conversations, the business conversations, the new business models, the rehearsal conversations, finding your niche conversations, the performance aspect of it, and then encouragement. How ahead of his time was he? Oh, I mean, he was in his own world. He was one of one, playing over 17 instruments.

You know, I don't know anybody that does that. And was very passionate, meticulous, very detail-oriented. I witnessed him doing a sound check at the O2 both nights. And so I actually ran into him on my way to my sound check coming from his sound check. And he was out there mixing on the board and the front of house. Wow. And he cares that much about how the audience or the listener receives the art down to the mixing. And so, you know, I get asked often, how come the, there's been an eight-year guest.

gap in between albums. I mean, I, too, have really taken my time to be in that process of mixing. This is the first album that I am releasing independently in Dolby Atmos, as well as Sony 360 audio, which is an immersive experience. So that you're, like, inside of the music, surround sound. Okay, okay. That where you go to movie theater? 360 degrees.

But now that, you know, they're doing this with music now versus just soundtracks for films. What if I can't afford the sound system? my house. Like what's going to sound like? I'm just listening on my little. There are headphones actually being developed now so that you can get the immersive experience. Yeah, it's so wild. I did the whole test thing at the Sony Studios where they have these little wires that they stick in your ears and they can actually see how you're ingesting the sound and then they calibrate it to your ear. Oh, wow. It's so crazy. And then they take it off with, I don't know how many speakers are around you, 360 degrees

above, left, right, and below. And you cannot tell the difference between like 30 different speakers in the room and the little tiny wired earbuds that go on your ear. You're like, what's going on right now? This is so advanced. So how long did it take for you

to make this whole album retrospect? How long with it? Just don't whisper because Maya whispering. I'm whispering. This is my morning voice. This is my morning voice. going yellow. I'm listening.

Am I whispering? It's like you She just settled the energy in a room. It's still early. So how long did it take you to make this? Okay. How long did it take you? You got to remind me.

I'm so chilling late back. Okay, so I didn't have an actual timeline, you know? I actually cut the very first record in 2016, which opens my album, give it to you. I released it as a single in June of last year. D. Nice is now on it for the first record. album version. Shut up to D. Nice. Yes, legendary, D. Nice. And he introduces this album with that song.

And so I'd release other albums during that time. There was Smooth Jones that came in 2016. And then T.K.O., which is more of the slow jams, Baby Making Music Project in 2018. In 2017, I recorded the second song. So it was like in between touring and in between album tours and promotional and grind stuff that I would just go in the studio. my production partner is My Guy Mars from 1500 or nothing.

And we would get together in between albums. But it was actually the pandemic that was confirmation for both of us. Like, yeah. Let's start making some playlist that get us out of this funk because this is a very uncertain time for all of us. The world, we had so many different directions we wanted to go. There was a mixtape laying, Maya Lansky. But we were like, it's too dark right now. let's bring the joy and let's go in this direction.

We had a face-to-face conversation. Look, if we had one direction we wanted to go in and we only had one choice, which one would you do? This one or that one? We chose joy. And then in the end of 2020 is when I rented a studio in Glendale, California, and we got to work. And so we literally finished the whole project,

just the blueprint without all the features in 2021. Oh, wow. But the pandemic. inspired that. And then the process of reaching out in the DMs, etc. or relationships that we already had came the features. And then all of the legal processes took place over the years and feature artists clearances and publishing and all this kind of stuff. And now it's seeing the light of day. But I'd also recorded two other albums in between TKO, 2018 and now. So those are already mixed, mastered, ready to go. And, you know, we were working. I got to ask, you know,

when we heard the album, we were listening very 70s, 80s, right? Yeah. Then when you walk in, I see Landel behind you. Yes, sir. Londell is a state manager. I don't know if he's still a state manager for the Prince estate. So he's estate manager for Prince. Did he have any, I guess, did you go to him for advice for dealing with Prince and

the music, the sound, et cetera, et cetera? Well, Londell was very instrumental in Prince's entrepreneurship, you know, and the empowerment behind that. He started in law and does so many. other things and he's been in that practice for such a long time but he also has a management company media company owner of source magazine and i'd been dealing with several lawyers to try to get this project solidified and there was no luck you know but landel has a lot of weight in this business and can literally reach out based on a couple people yeah and so i actually know londell my dad and i

know him for a long time uh we've known each other for a long time and we've had business conversations in the past as well. And so I had told my dad, I'm like, look, I'm so frustrated right now with these lawyers. Find out where Landell is. Get him on the phone. So we started talking collectively. And Landel mentioned, you know, I'm doing other things outside of law. Let me listen to the music, see where you're at. There were lots of conversations to also find out if this was aligned with him. If I was aligned and what my mission was, and it holds that entrepreneurial Spirit, always, which was also held together by Prince for so long in spirit. You know, we lost him.

And he's still here in spirit, but Landell is now my manager and leading this thing so that it sees the light of day with a quickness, but also supporting the project with strategy, there's other teams that are very necessary to roll things out. And I was just kind of throwing out music during my independent career. So happy anniversary fans. Thank y'all so much for writing with me, but now it's a new day. And I want to do it right. I want to do it better and elevate every time.

So teamwork makes the dream work. Gotcha. You know, it's interesting because you said it's your first studio album in eight years. It makes me think, were you protecting your peace or protecting your artistry? Honestly, I was really just having a ball, experiencing what it is to create from a real free, pure place. It wasn't even protection. It got very addictive when I went independent because I had the freedom to create whatever genre

with no ceiling I wanted to, the timeline I set, no deadlines. I didn't have to focus on charting or numbers and validate myself based on someone else's definition of success and all that pressure that does come from the major label system. And the investment I knew, excuse me, the investment I knew was going to be very boutique, you know, and very startup under the radar. because I started in Japan on my very first few releases.

So it was really fun because I didn't have all those rules and, of course, the criticism that comes with releasing a full body of work over me. But that was the time to get acclimated to what this independent journey was about. Do it in a very under the radar situation and a one territory release here and there, mixed tapes, ePs along the way. And then something magical happens. Your relationships are built, you know, the process because of that education and practice. And then you show up and you put together an album, throw it out just for the love that gets nominated for a Grammy.

And then it's additional confirmation to keep going. And Prince always said, you know, I will help you if you stay independent. And there's been so many times you want to throw in the towel questioning self, is this really worth it? Do I need to go back into the system and all these things? because it is very hard and you have to be very relentless and resilient in your grind, especially when you're financing 100% of it. And then sometimes people don't even know it exists. So you're also getting, oh, you're washed up or you fell off.

How come you don't make music anymore and nobody's paying attention? So nobody's paying attention. So to answer your question, you know, there's been so many times that question mark has popped up. But I don't measure success in the way I used to. when I was in the system because there's a new definition that's been introduced to me. My sanity is kept. My spirit's intact. I'm literally having more fun now in my 40s than I was as a teenager just kind of trying to figure it out in understanding that, you know, if it doesn't reach a certain number or a chart position, then you can be canceled.

You can leave. You can be shelved. And I love music so much. I think I've protected just the love of the art, not intentionally. But that's what Prince was always talking about. And that's what he was an advocate for for those he thought or maybe saw a little spark of love and passion in so that they could preserve their art themselves and still work in the business. Were you nervous about going into the 70s era? Because it's like, you know, you have to think about, well, does it fit?

Where does it fit? And especially with this generation so loving the 90s, the era that you came out. Cool, can it is different now. When it was pure. People comment on this album and they're like, oh, you go into the era when it was pure. Rick Jays. But, no, I don't even create from that place anymore, from fear, based on who I think should like it. Or considering every demographic, you'll go in circles, try and

to do that. My measure of satisfaction is, does it feel good to me? You know, does it feel right? Does it feel ready? Is a modulation needed? Is this in the right key? Do we need to rework this record so it has a little bit more slap? Is the mix right? Is the feature right? Did I do my best on it? Can I live with this in my car over and over and over and over again? Can I ride to it? Can I share it with others? You know? And that's where I create from. And if I love it, of course, I start sharing secretly and privately to my friends, the people that know me, the dances, my creative

director. And, you know, you can always test with your fans. We have private chats. You can always go on Instagram live if you really want to test a record before you invest as a business. But no, I don't make music from fear.

There's nobody judging but me now. And I'm never nervous about my favorite era. of music because I knew that it hit different during that time. My dad is a singer, performer. I watched him

and his band in my childhood right in my living room, rehearse. And I was just dancing away and singing away with hairbrushes and broomsticks. And that's the feeling that I wanted to capture. So you'll get all of that joy from the Trailblazers, the Rick James, the Prince, the Tina Marie,

the Chalimar, Atlanta. Star is all over the ballads. SOS band, Gap Band, Evelyn Champagne, King, Patrice Russian. So many influences, MJ. You can hear it. This is like Quincy Jones

and Rod Temperton influences all in that that come from my favorite era of music, which is the late 70s, and then it bleeds into the 80s with synthesizers. And you also have the hip-hop element

on this project because my guy Mars, the executive producer partner of my as well as Mike and Keys who work with Nipsey Hustle and the list goes on and on and on they know hip hop, they know drums the iconic pioneers like Jay Dilla are all over

their productions so you get that fused and I'm in love with this project you said nobody's judging but you now does that come from the independence yes okay I was going to ask or does it come from where you are in your womanhood now It comes from both places. The independency has allowed me to create from that space of freedom where there's no number that I have to meet.

There's no sale. There's no first week pressure. I just want it out in the universe. And that's success for me. Like, hey, enjoy. I might not be here tomorrow. We never know when our last breath is. But the fact that I've birthed something and I just put it out for those to enjoy, whoever's ready to receive it wants to receive it, stumbles upon it, you know, word of mouth.

is shared with best success you know and then to bring it to the stage is like the cherry on top for me because I love to perform and if my dad likes it because I always play it for him

being a musician you know is he satisfied with it those are some good ears back here and you know I'm not really fearful also because of my womanhood and there are a lot of lessons that I've learned

along the way even just as a songwriter some gems practice I've had and it's a wonderful journey to just kind of be refined and step out fearlessly that's the era that Maya is in now. Do you think modern music lost something emotionally like when everything became algorithm and numbers of dream?

Well I think there's pros and cons to everything. You know, algorithms can definitely be a focus when you're talking about business and return of investment when somebody's investing because they're putting up some money. They're literally fine. financing something and they want their money back plus some. You know, when you're doing it for the fun, it's a little different.

Sometimes you're like, I don't care if I'm in the red zone. I can go in debt for this. I'll pay extra to just be there or I'll pay extra so that this is out. And I'll get my money elsewhere, whether it's touring or a brand deal or whatever it is. Algorithms can shoot really affect validation. And I think it's affecting our youth, the likes, because they're also growing into themselves in real time. And that's a part of what they look to,

which is also addictive, as how they define themselves. And that can be dangerous. As a grown woman, I'm not thinking about that. But of course, you know, when you're talking to a social media team or your PR, that's their job to let you know, okay, this is actually working. You should do more of that. raw stuff you don't have to be put together all the time you know those are the things I'm still

open to as people want to be talked to you you got to connect some way but algorithms are how businesses make their decisions because it's a risk out here and if you're not a ticket sale if you're not putting butts and seats if you're not selling then we have some hesitation that's right that's it's just business so you can't take it personal and so I encourage artist to learn the business so that first of all you can protect your mental health and know that it's not just criticism in an attack on you all the time. It's literally business and you don't find that out until you become the business and it's your money, you know? So you got to of course have tough skin but it's an awareness and it's an education and it's an understanding.

So I think all of that is really essential now. when you're dealing with other financiers to understand or major labels with a lot of people and a lot of voices involved for your own mental health but also awareness and how you navigate so that you can still be open, learn as a student, and then move forward with some grace, but also know that everything's not going to be perfect. I know you're going to have some wins and some losses,

but it's very essential that you define that yourself and then also have a degree of separation while you're operating in both, and they can coexist, and they can intersect. You know, I was going to ask, you know, you started so young. I did. But we haven't heard a lot of Maya crazy stories. Is that because your dad is still with you now and he's still guided, making sure that he's controlling everything else?

Because a lot of times when people start young, you start hearing crazy stories, the industry runs them down, the industry makes them crazy. But we haven't heard those stories from you. I mean, there's always controversy. See, there's wild stuff out there, of course, that I actually experienced at the birth of, you know, a lot of the bottom feeder type of sites. You know, you can't avoid that in a public forum, you know, as a public figure. And everybody's a public figure nowadays. But.

Lauren, going to all the bottom feeder sites right now. Just to see what I'm out there. I saw you talk about it. She just started typing. That's right. You get thrown into a whole lot. with Melissa Ford on her the sit down that y'all did and I

made some notes about just what it felt like being there at the break of it all because we feel like we get it so bad from what we experience now anytime you step out into this world be prepared to get attacked from every direction even if you are

Mother Teresa and your fundamentals it does not matter so you do have to understand that the world that we live in plus everybody's opinion being who on Front Street, it's going to happen. And if you know that everybody's kind of going through it, wonderful. We didn't have social media when I was a teen, so I survived.

We had, you know, tabloids and blogs, but I was really under the radar because also, and I'm thankful for that, because I was still a test dummy when I first started. They weren't sure of R&B and if it could live on a rap and rock label. I was literally on Interscope when it was just rap and rock as an experiment. I was not signed on my first album during their investment to see if it could even work and exist. I was not even signed to Interscope on my first album. I was signed to Haka Islam out of D.C. on University Music Entertainment. So it was real soft pedal-ish.

I didn't get the Britney Spears exposure. But we were positioning and aligning on old soundtracks, Ghetto Superstar, pop stuff here and there, good looks, just try to figure it out. So I didn't have the initial, I would say, stamp of approval yet. I was in a real void gray area. Like, R&B, we don't know what that is. We don't know if that's going to work over here. We're willing to take a chance somewhat. Let's see how it does.

What was the first best business decision? Shout out to Baltimore Drew Hill. Cisco was also on the same independent label that helped me. break onto the scene, you know. There's a lot of piggybacking that happens when you're new to this business, which is a very competitive business, and I'm thankful for that move, even though that wasn't my first choice for the first single. I had a strong camp.

You know, my dad was there during that time, and my mom was my accountant. She's always kept me debt-free and finances intact. Amazing. Even in the hardest times, you know, so that I'm very responsible. but I also understand how quick it could go out the door, but also, you know, to plan for the future, estate planning as well and what you want to avoid. So I've been really, truly privileged and blessed

to have family involved in my business, but also present. So just kind of keep me protected from all the things that we do hear about. Mm-hmm. You think social media would have helped your career more or heard it? Both. Okay. Both.

You know, you get to know people too much. You know, there can be some strong effects personally, spiritually. You know, to open yourself up to the world is dangerous. And I think there's a lot of judgment that's very fragile when you're learning yourself as a teenager. I see it all the time with child stars in the public eye trying to grow into themselves. So I think the popularity and, of course, the investment. might have been enhanced because of the exposure that you get from social media, but it could have gone so many different ways.

Are you ready for it? What are the dynamics going on in your personal life? I don't think at that time I would have been ready for too much popularity. I was still learning me. I was also still learning the business and also just how to conduct an interview, how to do radio traps, like the real things when you're just a newbie to any territory. I was watching A lot of fans

When they have conversations About your career They always talk about how Like your fourth album Was like either it was delayed Or like the release wasn't as big as fans Feel like it should have been Yeah

And they feel like it was unfair to you And that's why certain things Didn't happen for you afterward How do you feel about that time period of your life? It's so interesting looking back at that time So when I mentioned Interscope Yes A series of events go like this

Hock Islam You know signed to an independent label. They invest in you. Demos were shopped to several different labels. Interscope said yes, but it's still a maybe.

Second album, I got signed to Interscope, officially. Did another album. Third album was Mood Ring. 2003, did a tour, all that. I start wanting to record my fourth album and the budget was closed. And they're still recouping.

A lot was spent making that third album with Ron Fair. And, you know, I didn't have management at that time. So I'm now kind of in a transition where I got to either put up my own money and I started to do that. And it was like a lot of money every week I was spending in studios. How much? 20,000. Over the course of two weeks, I said, this is ignorant.

What I'm going to do is go home. I'm going to build a studio. I'm going to build a rehearsal space. But I'm also going to purchase a house. So I can have living, take care of family, but also cast a crew that's based from my hometown. that's hungry, that's thirsty, provide opportunity, start a foundation that something doesn't feel right living in L.A. Something is missing. And I was out there by myself. So I called my dad up. I was like, look, I'm not happy here. Let's sit down. I can't create. I don't want to come home

and I want to do things from the ground up. He took me to Motown via Sylvia Rome. It was still within the universal system and that's where R&B was supported. It was. was understood, culturally understood. It has a history going back to Detroit. So Sylvia Rowan allowed me to executive produce my own project. And it was a wonderful project called Liberation, which would have been my fourth album. Things happened. There was Napster.

There was social media. There was iTunes. And so when you change the release date, so many different times, there's the farthest territory, Japan. That's a whole day ahead, right? And when they changed the release state the last minute, Japan had the, how they album and it was out and then it leaked and then it got shelved and a whole bunch of other stuff around that time well they're just ahead you know regarding a whole day ahead so they got it

before they got the memo or somebody didn't click in the metadata to check off that one territory and so once it's out anywhere it's out and your whole rollout is fumbled the whole investment it gets shelved you can choose to go back in the system. I was just in a place of, look, processing, which has happened after spending a year and a half, literally putting up even some of my own money. Did you cry? Of course, you know, to be thrown out, discarded,

dropped all of these things with negligence and made to look like I wasted somebody's money when I show up, I show up on time. I really invest my own money. into situations. I just decided to sit with self for a minute and figure out, you know, well, what it is. I want to do. Broadway called immediately, which was wonderful.

Prince called immediately when he heard the word independent. And there were these wonderful things that happened immediately for me where I was quickly gathered up and shown that this actually is probably going to be your greatest blessed. There are opportunities coming. You have a catalog already, but I was always living in this fight or flight correctional facility mode. Yeah.

Like, I want you all to understand that. I'm not lazy. I want you all to understand that the perception is not I wasted anybody's money. The perception is, is I'm going to go get this. I'm going to go show you that I mean business. Show you that I'm really about this art. Show you that I'm really about this music.

And do the best I can with what I got to work with, whatever that is. It's always just figuring it out in real time. Can you expound on that? You said you're always in fight or flight. Correctional facility. When you're in that devastation after you've had all of this press, all of this expectation, the release dates announced changed,

you know, investment made, but also a narrative that says, oh, you waste a $2 million of Motown money. All of these things, like you're somebody irresponsible or real high maintenance and doing all these crazy. things. That's not the case. Things happen. I feel like that energy can exist for everybody now if you allow it to because of social media. Of course. You fight or flight correctional facility. You always feel like you're in fight or flight and you

always feel like you've got to correct some shit. But you also get called washed up. You fell off. Your career's over. And all of those things are placed over your head. So you go into a real deep spiritual dive to save yourself. And that's actually what I did. I started studying outer space DVDs because I finally got the chance, which was a blessing, sit down. Went to the library, got a library card, and that's how Planet 9 was birth. By being in this state of self, like insignificance, but also significance at the same time. We all exist in this very blink of an eye moment, right, on this little ball amongst trillions and trillions infinite universes. But you're connected to all of that.

Connected to all of that. And he created all of that. And he created you. Yeah. And then. An IHard Radio experience. Weekend gold tickets to Ilson Inc. One, two, three.

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Hey, I'm Hoda Kotbi, host of the podcast, Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby. Okay, if you know me, you know this. I'm always searching for inspiration, for support, and useful tools to help maximize joy. So this podcast lets us uncover all of that together. We're going to have these meaningful conversations with the world's most fascinating people, Like when actress Olivia Munn shared how she overcame fierce health challenges that she never saw coming.

I've gone through breast cancer and then helped my mother through breast cancer, and that was more difficult. There's a lot of people who understand postpartum depression. I was not prepared for postpartum anxiety. Olympic champ Sean Johnson revealed why she had no choice but to be a gymnast. There was something about gymnastics that was intoxicating to me. It's given me a belief that we all have one of those treasures inside of us. We just have to find it. Listen to Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I'm Jake Brennan, and on the Discrace Land podcast, I explore the wild lives of rock stars and unbelievable true crime stories from music history. These are the stories you haven't heard, the kind you'll end up telling someone else. Like the time Paul McCartney spent in one of the world's most notorious prisons. Imagine that. You're Paul McCartney. It's 1980. You're an ex-beedal. And you're doing time in one of Japan's worst prisons right there alongside Yakuza gangsters and for a ridiculous charge. Or the bizarre crime Lady Gaga is accused of.

Who is the artist Lady Gaga as being accused of doing the unthinkable to, after allegedly stealing her music and style to become famous? And what about that time, Blondie's Debbie Hatt? Harry escaped a serial killer. The man who had given her that ride she barely escaped from was Ted Bundy. Listen to Discrace Land on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My first guest is Harris Hilton, Shakira, Luke and Yerrin, Samira and Gracie. I'm so excited.

On the bouncy bed. You have surprises? Many surprises. Welcome to Sweet 305, where the group chat. comes to life. What up? It's like a way to say like, oh my,

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What does your world look like? You're no longer a part of that world. It's time for you to build your own from the ground up. And it was so spiritual for me. And things just started happening when I finally just made the decision and got out of my funk that I had to prove something to others, others, others. And it still stays with you, of course. to just learn the lessons that this was trying to teach me, but I also took myself to where music inspired me.

My great-grandmother's name was Alberta Davis, and at four years old I knew I wanted to sing when I heard her sing. My dad is also a singer, and at Ken Gardbaptist Church in Kensington, Maryland, I witnessed something, but I also felt something. I was so undeniable when I heard her singing and her tenor, boy, she had a very, deep voice in the Baptist church. I took myself in 2007 to go study disciples class, and I went to the altar.

Just so happens the same day that I go to church to just receive a word, I'm just spiritually called to that altar. It was the 80th anniversary of that church that I didn't even know. My great-great-grandmother, Carrie Davis, found it. Wow. And that's the same place that I was moved musical. through gospel music. That was the ancestors.

And I didn't know what a recording artist was. I just knew that music is in my blood. It's in my veins. I'm on an assignment to do music. And that was my source of everything. And everything has just been so aligned since then because that's always where I pull from. And I'll never forget that I don't walk alone.

It's in this record retrospect on face to face. So I just go back to my roots, my foundational roots, which is black music, but also the core of everything. And American music is black music, and that's what this project is rooted in. So that helps me always get out of any font when the world is judging you.

Just to go back and retreat to the time that you fell in love and were spiritually moved where you couldn't even articulate it at that time. And that's how I pick me back up and keep going. And in this era, the 70s and 80s, it resonates with you. So that's how we got, retrospect, are we seeing any visuals?

Because I love the single cover art for just a little bit. Like, this was obviously you. Intentional. All you, intentional. But your idea. And then also the album cover, it gives 70s, 80s, funk, disco. I'm ready to get fucked. Oh, sorry that, but like, I'm ready get fucked up and just be vibing.

Exactly. Are we getting visuals to match this? Yes, you are. And I want to give a shout out to my creative director who's been rocking with me for over 20 years. Derek Brown when I made that shift to go back home. I did an audition. We had a gym audition. He started off as a dancer for me, but he shoots videos now. He edits. He choreographs.

He does everything. He's a director. And he put his foot up in my album shoot. He's doing the lyric digital booklet right now. That was his idea because he was there. He's a 70s baby as well. So we Kiki in my basement or in my studio or in rehearsals or whatever. And we said, you know, I had done a previous photo shoot.

that leaned a little bit toward more pop 80s. And we just both agreed it's not resonating culturally. This is the culture. This is perfect. We were both there. That's what we wore. That's what the hair looked like. Let's lean into all of it so that people get it when they see it.

But also the music compliments it. So that was the thought process behind that. And yes, to answer your question, just a little bit featuring two short, the music video, just a little bit featuring too short. The music video just dropped a couple of days ago. and it embodies all that 80s glam. 80s glam from that era. She shorts in a suit.

I've never seen him in a suit before. It's really dope. You're going to have so much fun performance I've been on tour. I am. You already be having fun. I just started using DC just, oh my God, killing it with the go-go roots. Yeah.

Having fun. So I totally believe when you say I'm having the most fun I've had like in my life now in my 40s. And I've always wanted to do it. I did cold-blooded by Rick James a cover on my third album way back in 2003. I've always wanted to go in that direction.

But the labels, excuse me, the labels were looking at me cross-hide when an R&B artist wants to do funk, you know, especially on a rap and rock label. They had R&B elements too, though. That's what I don't know. It did, but they didn't even get R&B. You see what I'm saying?

Enterscope was rapping rock. So if you don't understand R&B and all the things, and my influences, It was kind of hard to digest at that time what that was. So now I get to do that. And I'm so happy that is out in the universe and coming out. But also, you know, I'm looking forward to the tour, the retrospect tour, the Maya Live experience, the real Maya show. And, of course, bringing my roots to the arrangements and the dance and the fashion.

You weren't happy when you was having fun doing like it's all about me and get. and ghetto superstar and girls them sugar. Of course I was happy. No, no, no, I said I always wanted to do a funk album. Gotcha. But also being on a rap and rock label, where R&B itself wasn't even understood, when you start talking about other genres

that also stem from soul and R&B. But I guess just the creation is art. It's hard for others to understand. No, you know, I was always happy for the opportunity. I was always happy to be able to create. and very grateful, and I'm still grateful for all of those things. I'm grateful for all the pitfalls as well. And some of the things that supposedly didn't work out

because they redirect you and propel you into spaces that you wouldn't even start dreaming of if those things didn't happen and then cultivate you, sharpen the iron. So I'm happy all the time, you know, and truly acknowledging how great I do have it, you know, that I'm here, I'm breathing. I'll start there

and have the opportunity every waking day to make somebody else's day a little better through music. And the catalog, too. I was watching your interview with Gina Views and she was talking Best of Me. She didn't know Best of Me Part 2 was a remix to the original.

With Jadaicus. I didn't know that either. You didn't know that either? No, I didn't. They're younger. I didn't know that. Jersey dress, June Ambrose, right? Yeah, June Ambrose.

I literally created a jersey dress because of that. Oh, that's perfect. How did you do it, though? So I have a brand called Brown Girl grinding, and we were trying to figure out something for the summer, and I loved the music video. So we created the jersey dressy dresser literally because of...

The way it looked on her, that's not how to... First of all, I shouldn't have worked you one. I didn't think about it. He's a hater. He's a hither. I had no idea that there was a Jada Kiss version of Tassol, Genevues in that interview. Well, see, it was my street single.

So, you know, it was also a mid-tempo as well. I knew. Don't. I didn't know. I know. I knew. But you know what people thought back then, that's when Jada and and Jay Z were going back and forth. Really? And they always used to say that Jay did that because he wanted to one-up

Jada kiss because the record. Do they have beef? Back then they were going back and forth. I didn't know that. I didn't even know that. I love that. She was all in her own. Removed.

I loved that. Her own world. I thought it was just, oh, a remix. So how did that come about? I heard you telling the story, but you were Swiss and how did the remix come about? So I was in the midst of recording my. Second album, I did a lot of it in New York. Mm-hmm.

And worked with Wyclef. Got in with Swiss. I always loved Swiss's rhythm on his tracks. And he was playing me some beats. I had Jimmy Cozier there, Taran Beal. Mishanda was there. I picked a specific beat. He was like, oh, no, no, no.

That belongs to DMX. That beat did bap, bap, bap, bav, blah, blah, blah. Oh, no. Swiss did the original featuring Jada Kis. Best of Me original mix featuring Jada Kiss, Swiss beats produced. That was his very first R&B record that he'd ever produced, but it belonged to DMX, the actual beat.

There was another song over top of it that I didn't hear. But I think he stumbled upon it by accident. I said, oh, rewind that real quick. So I said, I want to write to that one. And Jimmy Cosier and I, Jimmy Cozier. Jimmy Cozier is an R&BR. To Ron.

No. I did know. I'm sorry, go ahead. He did. Records, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

So we're all in the studio. Tammy Cousier, Taranbeo, Moshonda, and I. And we just come up with the concept, what we wanted to feel like. And that's how Best of Me, Part 1, was born. It was a solo song first. You might have had a bridge on it. We took the bridge off and put Jada Kiss on it because we decided that that would be my very first street single.

What they do or what they consider street singles to be is to warm up, you know, the streets first before you go with your pop hit. Our soul has no, we know what it is with these young ones that you up. Yeah. Yeah, so we knew that we wanted Case of the X to be a single, but it kind of leans toward the pop world a little bit. And we did not want to leave the urban crowd out of this. So we did Best to Me featuring Jada first.

Steve Stout and Hockey Islam were kind of working together. Steve Stout was at Interscope of Hock Islam was running the independent label side of University Music Entertainment. And so Steve Stout had all of these relationships and had Jay-Z. hop on the remix, you know, because of his relationship with him. And McKeda and I, McCada Davis, wrote the remix here at the Hit Factory in New York. And what was the tone and poke? And Ton and Polk. Trackmasters.

And Jay and I are actually in the video in Malibu, California, June Ambrose shows up with a jersey. I didn't think anything of it. It was, I guess, you know, customized to feel. fit my measurements at the time. And that was that. That was the shortest video set I'd ever been on. Six hours total, including hair, makeup, glam time.

And then we were done. No choreography, no rehearsals. And then it comes out and kind of like takes hold of the clubs and whatnot. Oh, so she bought that. And June N-Roo wrote that. You didn't even say, oh, this is what I want to wear this. Oh, yeah. I showed up.

Definitely inspired whole era. No rehearsals. Didn't know what we were doing. Wow. A bunch of badly. Yeah. Carolina Blue Kats. So did he know because I know they've been working together forever?

Maybe they did. I wasn't a part of that process. I kind of just showed up, got glam ready. I was fighting to put dances in the video. I was like, hey, can we at least have two girls? And, you know, I want to do the little dance or something. You're like, no, we don't have time for that. The shoot is here.

The shoot is then. And we just got to go and run with it before we missed the summer. And that's what it was. I didn't make you feel when you wanted to dance in it like, no. If I can fit a little one to step in there, here and there to give something more than just be cute. Of course, I will. But if the budget doesn't allow or the time frame doesn't allow,

then it might not happen. So I tried. The lady marmalade era, right? It was huge coaching. Did that success feel empowering or did it come with pressure to compete with, like, I don't know, other women? I don't know. I didn't feel any competition because we're all number one so different.

We were all established at the time doing our individual thing in this business and that was also very quick. We got in the studio to just lay our backgrounds together on one session, in one session, and then we cut our leads separately. Ron Faire was involved in that. Missy as well as Rock Wilder

laid the foundation and blueprint of that record. Ron Faire took our vocals and then he edited them and kind of oversaw the executive production process of that and that became this version of Lady Marmalade, you know. So, got into rehearsals for a couple of performances, won a Grammy together. There was absolutely no competition.

I didn't feel that. I thought it was a blessing. I thought it was wonderful to win with your sisters. How did you navigate always making sure that that was what happened, though? Because I felt like during that, even earlier on, you had like Brandy, Monica, right? And then like, Leah, and I know Brandy and Monica, now they talk about it. And it wasn't them. It was everybody around them.

How did you make sure that, like, that didn't even come in your atmosphere and you, like, shut the competition thing down from Rick? Well, it actually never did come into my atmosphere. Maybe if there were another, you know, female singer that was similar to me at the time. It could have become that on the record. But it always works in the press. If there's a little controversy. Yeah, like they lean into it.

They lean into that narrative often to pit women against each other or even men because it's book. it's a big investment with big budgets, individual budgets, that have to cohesively come together to make it work like clockwork. And some things happen, you know, in reality, and some things don't. But you can also play up into it in this business and people wouldn't even know.

But that's also part of strategy that I've learned that actually works for rappers now and then when anyone, when you are just trying to get seen and heard. but I'm thankful I was never a part of that. So he wanted to beef with. He want to beef with right now. You got 70s, 80s, and Spide Al.

You and Cindy Lopal, let's go. Oh, my God. Who do I want to beef with? That's not even in my nature. I don't like beef, though. I don't do beef. You know, that's right. You've been on some big records, though, man.

When I think about it. Ghetto superstar, huge records. Yes. Was there some type of disconnect between the label, and you? Because I just feel like you had a great run. Don't get me wrong. But I just feel like with the records you were on,

it was another level. But that's how the fans feel. Yeah. He said, was there a disconnect? Yeah. I feel like there was another button should have been pressed. I don't know. Label, management.

Well, things happen the way they're supposed to happen, and I really believe in the divine, you know. And of course, everything could have been bigger. It also could have been worse, you know. That's true. And I'm thankful for the specific exact journey that I've been on, Because I hear that a lot. I would rather be underrated versus overrated.

And now is my time, you know, where I'm so aligned and educated and aware. But like I said, being a test dummy and not being all in from your investors because they're very unsure and uncertain of you. That means the couple of years need to be put in to prove yourself, to prove your worth, to prove that you can as a teenager. You know, so maybe some buttons weren't pushed during that time. And that's understandable when you're taking a big, fine. financial risk in a territory and a genre that you haven't even played with before. So I don't hold that against anybody. I understand that.

But it was an opportunity that I took full advantage of by saying, yeah, let's go. Let's try this. Yeah, it's rap. It's rock. And here I am, it's a little R&B girl from the DMV. It may work. It may not. But I'm going to do everything in my power.

But I'm also an art student. I have discipline. I'm used to rehearsing for. 12 hours to get it right or days at a time. So we'll try it, you know? And my parents raised me like that to make sure that whatever I choose to pursue, I will win. I can learn.

I can mess up. I can make some mistakes, but I'm at least armed to go for it with no fear and live with whatever happens. And that's also why I'm a huge advocate of arts programs, sports programs, to instill those life skills that you need to win in any field that you choose to pursue. Was there any record that you didn't want to do or you look back at it and was like, I really didn't want to do that? Yeah.

Which one? My love is like, whoa. I wasn't really a fan of it when I first listened to it because it was mid-tempo. I thought we needed something more dynamic. I thought it was real chill. I love the harmonies. But it was also kind of, I don't know, salacious. When it showed up in my hands, it said a whole lot more that Missy can say because she wrote it.

But when Maya, you know, coming from her second album, Fear of Flying, is going into this whole grown woman era back then and what that was as a young woman, it was a little uncomfortable. I changed some words around so it could fit me. And then, okay, I said, in order for this to work, how can I balance this out? So I brought the theater to it in the visuals where, you know, I can live a little. little bit more with that record. I wanted to go with something else completely out of the box from that project.

But, um... What about the rug wrap? You had, no, hold on real quick. You had me walking around telling me telling me like, my love was like, whoa, boy, what? Like, I was really... She did that because of black rocks. Oh, yeah, shout out to Black Rob.

No, I didn't put it for the mic. Yo! Don't have a favorite with me. I was, girl, that was my, like, whole thing. Like, my love was like, like, It's crazy. It's like, what are you talking about? But it was still like a whole thing, for me. Her pops are looking at you like, God damn.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry, this is what you're in door to call? Baltimore. This is all you endured. I'm telling you. That was me. He's from Maryland. Yeah.

Yeah, so you don't see Baltimore a couple of times. It's not Baltimore. It's Baltimore. The Ruggerat. It's Baltimore. It's not. Wait, so you didn't want to do the song. Was it the labels push to do it then?

It was. It was. It was. But, you know, they hold the weight. They hold the power with the finance. I cut everything. you know, just to see if I like it first. And, you know, I wanted to go with something a little bit more, like I said, the street singles.

I wanted to leave with a record called Why You Got to Look So Good and start the way I started my second album and leave with Streets. I did that record with Rock Wilder, Why You Got It Look So Good. The beat was so hard. Lloyd Banks was on it. And it's, of course, not what people think I would say. Why You got to look so good. You make it so hard to leave you. Why you got to look so good. I don't want nobody else to have you. But the beat was so hard.

And he was like, I can't give you this beat. One of those occurrences again. The beat belongs to Jay-Z. I was like, please, just let me write something to it. And if you don't like it, cool. He had to give it to me because he's like, yo, this is fire. That's what I wanted to be my first single for my third album. But, you know, they're thinking about.

appeal. They're also thinking about investment and it worked, but it's not quite the one that I wanted first. Did people ever mistake you're like laid-backness, you know, for being mysterious or trying to be difficult? Maybe. I think because, you know, I'm just like my parents. They're just real chill, real laid-backed. They only speak when they have something to say. And they're not really, really talkative people. They're very expressive people, maybe through art. My mom is a painter. She's into fashion.

She's sewn all my clothes that I went to school in or their dance recitals. They're very artistic people and express themselves differently. Now, you know, when it comes to negotiations or, you know, getting on the phone and knowing business, my dad's been in this business since he was 17. So he's a very vocal guy when necessary.

regarding business. But yeah, I think it can be misconstrued that you may be meek or timid or shy or not confident or you don't have what it takes or bougie or stuck up or high maintenance. Yeah, that can come with being soft-spoken. There's a beast here, though. There's a real beast here that comes out when it's supposed to where it's supposed to, you know? And I'm just laid back naturally until I hit that stage. Period. Then you're giving it up.

But, you know, I got friends, we get loud. You know, it's a time and a place everything and different parts of my personality come out, depending on the environment, you know. And also, I haven't really been on Front Street for people to really truly get to know me. Yeah. You know, and it's also a tricky world to navigate through during that time when you are meant or actually grown to be put together. There was artists developed.

You don't say certain things in interviews. You've got to cross your legs a certain way. You can't just be out here. Any way you choose like you can now. You know, pregnancy was like, you can't be pregnant. You can't do this. You can't be normal human beings. And I look at a lot of the pioneers and how they struggle with, oh, what the label said about them being a mother or having family time or taking time off, like real human things that are necessary.

for the train to keep moving forward. Yeah. And those things were punished back then. So I've come from the era of cassette tapes and recording to tape, not pro tools and digital, but analog, but transitioning into the new world with just new ideologies and new fundamentals. So I can be a little bit more open now and not punish for it, I think, but also know myself more to be more open.

I saw you talk, oh wait. I saw you talking to Melissa. forward about motherhood and just different things that right now you are focused on your independent music journey so you can't it's just not your focus right what's not my focus just right now I'm being becoming a mom or being married and like that whole conversation that people throw on you well I am a godmother I am the rich auntie and I enjoy all of it I love kids yeah but that's misconstrued as oh she don't like kids oh something's wrong with you you know or nobody chose her How come nobody ever wiped you up?

Oh, they've tried. Exactly. Or they have. Or it just didn't work out. You know, you don't have a ring on your finger. Something's wrong with you. But a ring doesn't hold any weight. If the vows are not being adhered to.

Yeah. What is a ring that I can buy myself if it means nothing? And the fundamentals of what a marriage really means, which I deem sacred. And I, of course, want to be selective in choosing the right one. So that might take time. That might require me to be solo for a while versus just always being in something because I got to be taken and chosen for y'all to feel that I'm living in a happy space. But I don't know too many people that are happily married as well. I think for me, the focus hasn't been what the world may want of women and men on the world's timeline.

I think it's a beautiful thing. Love makes the world go round and round. I'm an advocate of all of it. It's a lot of love in this project. Yeah, projects, but I love children. Don't get me twisted. I love men. Don't get me wrong.

It's just when there's a calling and you invest in answering it, but also being an example for the girls out there that may be discouraged in giving up and throwing in the towel, something else is calling you to do something. And love is also all around me. There's different forms of love, which I'm very, very clear on and very vocal about, but I'm also an advocate of self-love

because I don't expect somebody to just come into my world to be my savior and my end-all-be-all happily ever after because that requires self-love for the right one to show up. I want a mirror of me at my best and highest. Right. in divine timing with a reflection of the best me, because that means I'm also giving and pouring. I'm not here to be wiped up.

I'm not here to be in a situation for validation. I'm here to give the best of me in every area of my life for the world, for myself, for my family, for a companion. But I'm also very aware that, you know, love is all around us every single day in so many different forms. And I'm patient. I'm not seeking. But that's different, you know, for the society that we came up in.

But I think it's very different. It's very different. It's inspiring to hear you say, because of the ownership that you take in it. And especially coming from the air where they're telling you guys how you have to live your life and you've been like kind of built that way as an artist to like, no career, career, because I can't do it all. But you take ownership and I can do what I want when I want. Yes.

And so can you. But of course. you know, we grew up in a society that says to do it by a specific book and a specific timeline. And if you're not following that, you know, expectant, I'd say flow, then are you happy? You must not be happy. Oh, that's really bad. It's going to be too late. Your eggs are going to expire.

Like something's wrong. And everything's right for me right now. And I'm living in that space. I don't want to be in the wrong situation. So I'm going to be more patient. and align myself, but also not expect anything to show up and also lean on another person to make my world. Great. I'm going to create the best world that I can for me to live in first, for others to live in. Make sure I can, first of all, financially take care of another person, a baby that is 100% dependent on me.

But I also want to sit my ass down and have the time to do it. Pick you up from school. Help you with your homework. I mean, it's so hard as a mother, a working mother, and just in general, I want to be available before I have kids. And I also want to adopt kids. It's not that I don't want kids. It's just not been the focal point and the end-all, be-all of my journey. I thought she was over there trying to shoot out.

My journey. For now. Yeah, but the reason I brought up is because I feel like a lot of people, when they talk to working women or women that have things happening, and you see. say something like what I heard you say in that interview, the pushback is, oh, well, the time clock, and you are very much in control of what you want and when you want it. And I was like, I think you can kind of navigate that conversation a little bit differently now for my own self.

I don't like you competing yourself to my. You're not my. No, but it's the thing of you've got so much going on. But like when I go home, Mother's Day weekend this weekend, my family, I go home, the first thing is you're doing great, but when you're going to have a baby or when you're pressure. You know what I mean? It's a real conversation that people have.

But it's also coming from a place of love. Because experiencing having a baby for many women, fathers, there's, of course, oxytocin on the biological scientific side of things. But it's an experience that changes you forever. It changes you forever. The love is so overwhelming and it's so pure and it's so innocent. I mean, I love animals just the same. So I have a ton of animals. But it's coming from a place of love and tradition and our specific culture that we're here.

I've realized because they want you to experience it as well and not miss out on that. Of course, we live in a very interesting time where there's inflation and you want to have your bag and all these things together. But that's not how existence ever happened. We didn't have the modern world once upon a time. Women were popping out tribes of babies, you know, for a long time ancestrally. And we're just not living in that natural world anymore. And so I'm also very aware of that so that I can set up, first of all, a safe lifestyle. and a comfortable lifestyle and a supportive lifestyle for the life that I might want to build.

And then I'm also growing at rapid rates, discovering new parts of myself, new parts of healing, plant medicine, and ancestral wisdom that there are so many things I realized I didn't know five years ago. And I want to get myself time. It might not necessarily be my own child. It might be a whole orphanage of hundreds of kids. that I want to build and invest in. My vision might be a little different than, you know, another person, but there's love inside of me that I still want to give.

It just may come across as different because it's not existent right now to the world. But I'm working on other things. And it just starts with self. And I've also been on a journey where it's all about alignment and all the beautiful things fall into your world in not my time. timing, the most highest timing, and I'm good with that. Sounds like you went on a journey with Mother Aya. No, I've never done Ayah Mosca.

Okay, okay. But there are other things out here that the world will be put up on very soon, you know. It's already been being talked about. Shared of drugs, man. It's not even drugs. It's not even drugs. It's not even drugs. Right.

But that's not for me to speak on. It's a day. Okay. But administration is about to adopt some very powerful stuff that the world is going to want to align with because it comes from our source, which is God. No man made that, and that is not a drug. Drugs come from nature, and then it becomes chemical compounds of it. But we're in a very unnatural time away from the natural world, and we all could use a little recalibration based on, you know, realignment the natural way. That's all I'm going to say.

Oh, it's coming. Did you see all of the religious leaders? Some of religious leaders are saying they all had to meet and they got briefed on UFO disclosure. Did you see that? I'm seeing a lot of that stuff. I'm deep into conspiracy theory and UFOs and outer space. Yeah, absolutely.

Listen, I want this last thing I want to say. I want to ask you real quick before I say the last thing I want to say, you said you want somebody that's a mirror of you at your highest, what? Because I'm writing down. Highest. Highest your fair. I know I'm already married, but this is something nice. When I hit my husband with this, he's going to be like, damn.

So that means you got to take care of you inside of your relationship. You can't neglect you just because, oh, it's your duty. Yeah. Oh, as this title, to neglect yourself as a mother, neglect yourself as a wife. You have to show up for you first before you can show up for anybody else within that space. That's what I've learned and I'm constantly being reminded of. If I'm going to show up for, you know, my tribe. the best possible way as a leader of that,

then that means that I need to block out and carve out a moment over here to recalibrate my brain, to do a wussi, breathe to a thousand if I have to go away for five days so I can be my best self, so everybody benefits from that, you know, if you're a source. Because we do this thing where me and my husband, we do this thing where we will ask each other, like, why did you marry me? And I want to say now, because I wanted somebody, well, I'm not going to say like that. I'm gonna say, I'm gonna say that for real. I'm gonna tell you, because he'll need, no, don't even do that.

I want to say, I married you because I wanted somebody who was a mirror of me at my highest self. That's a flex. I don't know. I don't want to be like you. You had nothing like me. Okay, God put me in your life to help you heal a tree. But you know what else? You know, you don't have to be perfect for love to show up as well.

Period. You don't write that now down. Love can come in your most broken times. Now you did for two of them. So I'm not. I'm not preaching to anybody. Oh, you got to be perfect and be your highest self to attract. No, because you can literally attract light from being your most darkest broken self in a hole.

And somebody's there to lift you up because they've done some work. Or maybe because they're just aligned and in tune whatever the spirit calls that day. There are beautiful people that show up in your life at the most devastating time. So you've got to trust that too. And some of them are just narcissists and smell the vulnerability. So be aware of that. And that's a whole education in itself too. And I've been through that.

But my job for my personal journey is I see what being aligned needs. And I would only want the best partner. So let's start with self to become the best me so that I could pour into that person as well. I don't show up to any table empty-handed. I want to pour in just as much as I want to be poured in too. So that's what I'm saying. Without expectation and really give from a place of overflow versus lack. And that's up to me to fix or to generate.

All right. My favorite song is falling. Just wanted to say that because girl, you're trying to wrap it up. But my favorite song is falling. Girl 2003, they had me like, that was my favorite song from Mooring. Now, Moorring is my favorite album, but my favorite song is falling. That's so beautiful. Why is it your favorite?

Girl, because I thought I was in love in 2003, and I was telling this guy, I'm telling you, like, it's a whole area you had in my life. You're like 15 at this time. So, yes, and that's when you think that you, the boy that you love and you meet, that's the one you, I'm telling them like, you got me, you complete me, you got me falling head over hills for you and just, and he's just sitting there like, okay, yeah, he ain't up even hear the song and then when we broke up he heard the song and was like, you're quoting

an artist the whole time and that you're going to do the same thing to the other but this is not a song she told me this. She told me this in my face. They might as well date Maya and marry Maya. No, no, no, no. If you're going to keep producing her language. Get your little hot ass out. They were 16

during that time. I really do. Maya, we appreciate you for joining us. What you would hear up there. I appreciate you. You should do audio books or something, Maya. That's what they tell me. I will. I'll get into radio I'll do guided meditation. Oh, all of it. I'll do that.

Yeah. Voiceovers and whatnot. And then the name was Roger. I should have even known. You were a 14-year-old named Roger? Mm-mm. Named daddy grandfather. I shouldn't even, I shouldn't even, I shouldn't even,

it was so tired. Anybody with the letter R is toxic. This is Maya Faw. That was my jammed. That was my jammed. She had me in Shambles. What do you want to hear of the album? What do you want to hear of your album?

What do I want to hear off the album? My goodness. Let's play the latest single. Featured too short? Just a little bit. Featuring too short. All right. Well, the album comes out next Friday,

and we appreciate you for joining us. Thank you. It's Maya, ladies and gentlemen. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning. Every day I wake up. Wake your ass up. The Breakfast Club.

You're all finished or y'all done? I'm Jake Brennan. And on the Disgraceland Podcast, I explore the wild lives of rock stars and unbelievable true crime stories from music history. These are the stories you haven't heard. The kind you'll end up telling someone else.

Like the time Paul McCartney spent in a notorious prison or the bizarre crime Lady Gaga is accused of, or that time Blondie's Debbie Harry escaped Ted Bunny. Listen to disgrace land on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

podcasts. My husband is at a spa resort with his mistress right now and I'm calling the hotel to confront them both. Wait a minute, Dakota. She's calling the hotel while they're checked in together? Yeah, that's right, Sophia. And it gets worse. It's vacate to vacation week on the Okay Storytime podcast, where she caught him buying gifts on Amazon and then taped the 10-page letter inside his luggage before he flew out. So she planted evidence before he even took off? And spoiler,

Sophia, two years later, karma hits so hard, he's calling his ex-wife in tears saying about his mistress, what a mistake that was. To find out what happened, listen to the OK Storytime podcast on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Joy is essential and it's also elusive. But now, there's a new and exciting way to start your journey toward a more joyful existence. Joy 101. It's a new podcast hosted by me, Hoda Kotby. If you're craving inspiration to maximize your joy, tune into these candid, uplifting,

and moving on-air chats. Open your free IHeart Radio app. Search Joy 101 and listen now. Joy 101 with Hoda Kotby. is presented by CBS. My first guest is Terrence Hilton, Shakira, Luke and Yerrin. You have surprises?

Many surprises. Welcome to the Sweet 305 podcast where the group check comes to life. What on? You're the only person I know that loves a yellow starburst. It's lemonade. This is Sweet 305. Here,

oversharing is encouraged. Listen to Sweet 305 with Lele Pons on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast, guaranteed human.