Part 1 of 2: Kellee Maize is a Pittsburgh-based independent artist, rapper, singer, activist, and entrepreneur. Her music focuses on a variety of issues, including human rights, environmentalism, and the co-existence between religions–but the common theme is love.
Kellee has self-released five albums since 2007 that have collectively seen over 1 million downloads. All of her music is free and licensed through Creative Commons, and she has performed at nearly 500 shows, including Bonnaroo, Harvest Fest, Zeitgeist Media Festival, and MIDEM.
Additionally, Kelle has produced 20+ music videos with millions of views on Youtube, is verified on Twitter with over 116,000 followers & 55,000 Facebook fans, a the spokesperson for a Toyota Hybrid National Ad Campaign, the co-founder of Nakturnal, a female-owned integrated marketing and events agency, and is the #1 search result on Google for the keyword “female rapper.”
Table of Contents
7:29 – If you had to describe yourself as a band, song or genre, what would it be?
9:27 – How did you get started in the music business?
22:44 – Looking back at your career, what stands out to you as your proudest moment?
27:00 – What’s been one of your biggest failures and how did it change you?
If you had to describe yourself as a band, song or genre, what would it be?
Hip-hop, and the culture and soul behind it. And what it has meant to people all over the world. Hip-hop is born out of discontent, and when things that aren’t working socially. It can be a voice to people in turmoil all over the world. And it’s been in my heart since I was a very young girl.
How did you get started in the music business?
Ironically, and I had mentioned this previously, I recently discovered who my birth Father was and we have been able to reconnect and develop a relationship. He is a singer, actor, activist and entrepreneur–all of things that I am. Chris, my Mother that raised me and my best friend, always told me that I was singing and dancing before I could walk and talk. It was part of my being from the beginning.
Looking back at your career, what stands out to you as your proudest moment?
Pride is an interesting thing, in terms of how I process it. I’m hard on myself, and I’m always conscious of how I want to improve next time. I don’t sit in the moment of accomplishment as well as I should. But at the same time, I’ve learned to love and appreciate myself over the years, and I think that is a really important thing for people to recognize–particularly women.
But if I had to pick one moment, I would say my first album release party. It was amazing for me because so many people came to support me. They were interested and thought it was funny and surprising. I had this moment where I thought: “Wow, I can do this.”
What’s been one of your biggest failures and how did it change you?
I do a lot of different things, and sometimes I feel like I could have done so much more music. I could have focused more on the music at an earlier time. I was too self-conscious, and I could have shared my music with people earlier.
The best ways to reach Kellee:
On the web:
http://kelleemaize.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/kelleemaizemusic
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/KelleeMaize
Kellee’s article in the Huffington Post:
How I “Made It” in the Music Industry: My Top 10 Tips
3/25/2014
Book mentioned in this episode:
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book)
Outro Music:
Yesterday
Age of Feminine
Kellee Maize
Leave a Reply