Femcee of the Week: Mae Day

She gave up a college basketball career to pursue her passion for music. Mae Day is a Hip Hop artist from Detroit who has been on the grind for about 7 years now. Even though she’s from a city where it’s hard to get shown love she’s managed to receive accolades from pioneers like MC Lyte and MC Serch. She’s put out two albums, “Something’s Gotta Give” and “Cherish the Day”, and she’s currently working on something with BET. Mae Day isn’t the “party club-hopping” or the “reality TV” type of girl. She’s laid back and focused. Digiwaxx had a chance to catch up with her and discuss her love for art, her concept album with Sade, and why she’s not worried about getting love from local DJs and radio.

What’s a typical day like for you?

It depends. If it’s one of my working days where I’m in the studio usually I get up in the afternoon and grab something to eat. I’m in the studio for hours and hours, probably until the morning. I’ll be in the studio just working on whatever I have to catch up on. Or I’ll just create new stuff. If it’s just a regular chill day, I’m not in the studio every day now. There are many different reasons. Sometimes there are other artists in there or sometimes you just need to get inspired.

Any other day I’m just out and about, all around the city, or the metro area. Shopping, eating, or doing whatever with family. I’m real laid back. I’m not into the hype, party scenes, and stuff like that. I may be doing a show here and there or just working. I may do a conference call to try to brainstorm on alternative routes to get this thing bigger or better. It’s a lot of Blackberry work and emails back and forth. I try to keep it normal as possible.

So, you’re focused.

Yes. I’m constantly in my Blackberry with ideas and concepts or riding around with the music that I need to write to. At the same time I’m living life and experiencing life so that it can be put into these songs.

When did you first start rapping?

I started taking it seriously around my second year in college. It’s been about 6 or 7 years. I’ve been into music since day one. I can’t remember where it started at. I use to play a lot of sports and do a lot of other things so music was on the backburner. It was always a natural organic passion of mine. I put it on the backburner because I was doing a lot of other things like art and sports. After I stopped with the sports I needed something to transfer all of that energy and work ethic to. It was only natural to go with my first love, which was art and music.

So, what do you do art wise?

It’s a lot of carving, drawing, and sketching. I’m not really into the paintbrush. My medium is more pastels, chalks, pencil, and charcoal. I get into painting a little bit.

What college did you attend?

I went every where. It started off at Southern University in Louisiana. I came back for a minute then I went to Lansing Community College. This was when I was dealing with sports so it was all about who had the best scholarship and the best team. That’s why I was bouncing around. So I went from Southern Univ. to Lansing Community to another Jr. College in Illinois outside of Chicago. From there I think it was one more school I went to that I’m missing. Then I just came home and said I’m going to focus on music, do what I love doing, and make a career out of it.


What inspires you and keeps you going?

I want to see something different. I don’t like what I’m hearing and what I’m seeing. I think back to like the 90s and late 80s, just how good music was. When I hear a great song or when I used to hear old albums or tapes they could change my whole mood while I’m listening to them. I use to idolize these artists and really feel like I knew them. Now days I can’t even remember these rappers names. I just remember the ringtone or the song.

Good music and the feeling that it once gave, that’s what inspires me. Music has always been a huge part of my life. Even when I wasn’t focused on it professionally, music was in the background. You always had that song that was your theme music for the summer or whatever you’re feeling at the time. That’s what inspired me because I want to be that for other fans and people who are listening. I want to be the type of artist where people are thinking of my music as the soundtrack of their life or a role model that’s worth the title.

Your last album was “Cherish the Day”, which is Sade themed. What made you choose Sade as an artist to do that concept with?

It was MC Serch’s idea. His wife had been listening to a lot of Sade and at the same time they were listening to my music. Then it just clicked in his head like these two sounds and voices would go well together. Little did he know that Sade is one of my favorite artists. I had dabbled in her music before already. So when he came to me with that idea I was just like, “It’s destined. I have to do this.” From there I just started recording. I got the phone call from him and we sat and just hashed out the ideas. After that conversation I got in the studio and got with Witt from DeNotes (who is my producer). He was formally with Sick Notes. I gave him all the ideas, we had all the music already, and we just hashed it out. It flowed easily because I was already such a big fan. So that’s what you have now, the “Cherish the Day” album.

Are there any other artists that you’d like to do a concept album with?

It might be a few. I’m a big Anita Baker and Prince fan. Right now as far as a concept album I’m going to let “Cherish the Day” do what it’s doing because I felt like that was one of the best collaborations that we probably could have came up with. Anyone that I’m a fan of like Chaka Khan and Rufus or Frankie Beverly and Maze, it’s just so many legendary artists that I’d like to work with. As of right now Sade, I have to just let it be what it is. Like I said that was one of my favorite artists.

Are you working on a new project?

I’m always working it’s just a matter of what I’m going to do with the material. A lot of times we’ll have all this material and then we’ll come up with what I’m going to do with it later. That’s when I start rounding it off into a particular album. I’ll maybe add and subtract a few songs.

I’m just working right now and we’re trying to figure out what’s the next move. I have some DJs that are interested in putting out the next album or mixtape. I also have artists that have reached out to work with me like M-1, Guilty Simpson, MC Lyte, and Miz Korona. It’s some people out here in Detroit as well as beyond. I’m just gathering everything and figuring out what’s the best way to put it out. I don’t want to keep doing things at the same level. I want it to be bigger because “Cherish The Day” was bigger than my first album (Something’s Gotta Give).

In one of your songs you mention how you refused to be on the show, Miss Rap Supreme. Why didn’t you want to be on the show?

It’s a reality show, that’s what it is at the end of the day. I’m not a reality star. I don’t know anybody from a reality show that’s had a credible music career. It’s not made for that. It’s made for entertainment. Music is an underlined detail. I work too hard. I had a resume before that and I don’t want all of that to be thrown away from me being a mockery. No disrespect to Serch and the show because it did what it did and there were some rappers on there that were really nice. At the end of the day it all got overlooked because VH1 edited how they wanted to. You saw how it came out. It’s just like I want something a little more credible then that. I’m not a reality show artist. Big ups to all the ladies that took that route and Serch for giving them the opportunity but, I think the whole vision was lost. It was all about the drama behind the scenes than the music. I knew that was going to happen. That’s why I said, “No, I’ll pass.”

Even though you weren’t on Miss Rap Supreme you still do performances with MC Serch from time to time. How did you hook up with him?

Serch had been around my first listening party that I had at Half Past Three (in Detroit) a few years back. This was when he was on the radio here at WJLB FM 98. He got an invitation to come from some DJs. Before that I had been on their morning show. From there he began to work with my production team and he was still managing my producer, Witt. I guess he really started to listen to the music more and being more involved. He had introduced me to my last manager as well. From there it kind of snow balled.

That’s when he came up with the “Cherish the Day” concept. He’s always been in the background. He came to the forefront after the Sade project because he initially came with the idea of it. He’s been a big fan and supporter. Whenever he had shows or the outlet to talk about music he would bring me up. He felt like it’s sad that somebody had to come from out of Detroit to show love. He big ups a lot of Detroit artists and I just happen to be one of them that he goes hard for. He wasn’t technically working for me or anything. He just came in and showed love because he sees how hard it is out here.


You and I are both from Detroit. Unfortunately it’s a city where local artists don’t get shown love until they make big first. I know you voice this on Twitter a lot but, how does that make you feel?

I used to be pissed about it but, now I don’t even care. The radios and DJs have the power but, a lot of times they don’t use it for the right reasons. I just don’t even factor in inside of Detroit. I just look else where. Regardless, I always give Detroit the first crack at whatever I’m doing but, if they’re not receptive to it then I’m going to take it else where. I’ve seen these happen plenty of times where if you can get it crackin’ else where you can come back home with it. Then they’ll be ready to show you love.

If that’s the way it has to be then it just has to be that way. It’s not right but, at the same time what can you do about it? I’m not going to sit here and be pissed or stuck in a rut with crabs in a barrel. I’m going to do what I have to do. I’m going to get out of here and make something happen then bring it back. Maybe I can be a part of changing the cycle. Maybe other people will join in and we can have the type of productivity that Atlanta or New York has. It’s going to take a lot of people to break the cycle. Right now the city just isn’t ready for it. You just have to say, “Whatever” and look past that. You can come back and rep for the home team.

In Detroit we’ve lost a few of our Hip Hop artists like J-Dilla, Proof, Blade Icewood, and more recently Baatin from Slum Village. Did you ever work with any of those guys?

I worked with Proof. That was the first artist that put me on record. He was at my first show. He was working with my producer. He was at the studio and asked me to be on his record. I have a few Proof stories but, he was the first artist that featured me on the record. I don’t know if it will ever come out but, it was suppose to be for his “Jerry Garcia” album. He wasn’t just an average Detroit dude. He showed love just off rip. If he saw you and he liked you he would just say let’s work. As far as the other people I’ve been influenced by them or heard them around the city. I never exactly got a chance to get into the studio and lay anything down with them but, I’ll always have that memory with Proof. It’s unfortunate that we lost so many.

I interviewed MC Lyte a few weeks ago and when I asked her who is some new artists that she’s feeling you were one of the first people that she mentioned. She's also mentioned you in a few videos on Youtube. How do you feel about a pioneer such as MC Lyte giving you accolades?

It’s a blessing to me. When I was first introduced to Lyte it was as a fan. My father used to play her music all the time. I used to sit there and go word for word with her songs. I met her and she respected what I was doing then after that she reached out to me to work.

I built a relationship with her. It’s big to have a legend behind you, in your corner, supporting you, and letting you know that you’re on the right track. There aren’t too many female rappers out here still relevant or in the forefront making things happen. MC Lyte is one of them who are. On top of that she’s a fan and supporter of what I’m doing. It’s like, this lady has had longevity and she’s at a legendary status. So if she likes what I’m doing then I’m doing something right. I can’t give up or slow up on what I’m doing. I’m obviously doing something right. She has laid the blueprint down already. It feels good. It’s almost unreal. If I’m talking to her on the phone or she hits me up it’s like, “This is MC Lyte hitting me up. It’s ridiculous and crazy.” It’s cool and I love it. She’s shown more love than a little bit and I appreciate it.

You’re currently indie. How has your experience been as an independent artist?

It’s cool. As far as my end it’s still not on a large of the scale as I want it to be. I’m not big on the whole indie burst label. I’m just about whatever the best situation is for me. I still wouldn’t even mind being indie now if I had the right distribution necessary to reach the people I want to reach. As for right now it’s cool. It’s a step by step process. I’ve done the local market and I’ve done it a little bigger. So now it’s a matter of can I do this indie level bigger or do I need to change it to a label. Can I do it without getting totally raped for all of my publishing and royalties?

I’ve been able to still reach people because I have supporters like MC Lyte, MC Serch, and Mick Boogie is working on a project. So it’s reaching at least some of the masses. Now it’s just a matter of is indie going to reach who all I’m trying to get to. It can be more money made but, it’s cool for what it is.

Do you have any upcoming shows?

As of right now, nothing exactly. I’m just basically recording. I’m working on some things as far as doing something with BET. That should be coming up in the fall. I don’t have an exact date right now. So when I have that then I can actually share what’s going on. If I do shows I’ll do it if it’s for artists that I’m supporting. I just did the 5 E Gallery with Invincible and a lot of other female MCs that Piper Carter put together. I’ll do things like that, which has some type of movement behind it. Just as far as the club circuit and doing shows just to be doing shows, I haven’t been doing that anymore. I feel like I’ve tapped out that market. I did the Detroit Music Awards. I’m just trying to do something where it’s a movement behind it and I’m reaching new people. In the club they look at you like you’re crazy anyway when they cut off the music for you perform. So I’m kind of tapped out on that.


Mae Day - BabWHY You can find out more about Mae Day at www.MaeDayMaeDay.com, www.myspace.com/maedaymaeday, and www.twitter.com/maedaymaeday