We were lucky to catch up with Maceo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Maceo, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

The biggest risk I’ve taken in life is trusting my visions. I was affirming things before I even realized I was affirming them. The first example I had of that was when I moved out of state in 2016 to start a new life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I had never moved out of state for anything, but it was a goal that I had had for myself most of my life. I have no loved ones or friends in the state so I took a big risk coming to a new place where nobody knew me and I knew no on, but I trusted that that feeling inside me that told me that I was gonna be okay. Since then, I have established myself fully as an independent artist, funding my own music videos and projects, starting my own entertainment LLC And, starting my own home Studio to record myself and soon other artist.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I got started in music very young. I performed in my school choir, I also performed in an a cappella group after college. I sung background for different groups and ensembles and went on to auditioning for different musical TV projects such as American Idol, X Factor, and Sunday’s best just to name a few. I even started to perform at talent shows around Baltimore where I grew up. Francis MacGyver, who is the founder of SOAC entertainment held local talent shows. She is the mother of KD, who was in the R&B group Prophet Jones. I was just a kid back then when I started so I didn’t understand all of the ins and outs of performing by myself as a solo artist. I had just started writing my own music, but had a hard time trying to perfect my craft because I didn’t know where to source my music or how to come up with beats or finding somebody who knew how to make beats all I had was my voice, but not the network. As tech technology started to advance back in the early 2000s, I started to I started to look up producers to help me make my sound come to life and started finding local Studios to record in. I had no clue what I was doing. However, I stuck with it and was consistent until I found a producer who understood my sound, and my voice and help me develop into more of a solid artist. His name is Philip Cason aka Insane. He is an award winning producer based out of Jersey/Philly. When we linked, it was like magic. He helped me understand the process of recording music and it felt like being at school all over again learning all the different ways of the voice and different dynamics to sing. Fast-forward to the present. where now I have my own Studio equipment And record myself in my own music at my own pace. I’m continuing to release new music into the world under my own imprint MRP3 entertainment LLC, which was established in 2019 and am also ready to undertake other artists and help them record and find their sound as well.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I’ve worked full-time and part-time jobs most of my adult life, and that was my way of funding and getting the capital I needed to purchase equipment. I would also take performance gigs at clubs and set aside money for equipment that I needed whether it was a microphone or a foam pad to put on my wall. As my audience grew, and I started to understand how streaming and music sales worked. I was able to create more passive income for myself by promoting my music online and having people stream and purchase music. I would hold showcases for myself to promote my Music, which required me to put more money out, but later on, helped me get a return on my investment. At this present time, I understand the power of networking, and that has been a great way for me to help gain new capital by building and expanding my professional relationships.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

One story I can share is when I first started going to a recording studio in Baltimore and I did not understand the ends and outs of recording. Every time I would go, I was learning, but I was also wasting a lot of time and money because I didn’t understand the business of recording and I was never fully prepared and would leave with an unfinished project. My inner saboteur caused me to doubt my abilities in songwriting and as an overall artist because I just couldn’t figure out how to make the most of my time and my money. So one day, I decided I will never put myself in a position that allows me to not be in control of my surroundings. I would go into the Studio whenever I had a chance and with pen and paper and would write out exactly what format I want everything to go. I had to center myself and focus on what I wanted the outcome to be of every session that I had. I also had to remind myself that I am not perfect and some things will not go my way, so I have to be prepared to adapt to the things that aren’t going my way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.maceo3.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/macy_cray?igsh=Z21rMHRsMHllcGVs&utm_source=qr
• Twitter: https://x.com/macy_cray?s=21
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@maceontv?si=1TP9rXHM2zdXmnqU