Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Madame Maize. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Madame , thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I am currently working on a meaningful project and I am very excited to share. I started writing music at age 15 and I fell in love with the art of being able to express myself through music, it felt like a safe place to me. I always dreamed about coming out with my own EP or album. I knew I had to remain patient and resilient if I wanted to see the creative visions I had for myself to come to life. This past year of 2022, I felt closer than ever to reach my goal.

While living in Atlanta I started to take advantage of the opportunities around me and to be more open with my peers about the goals I have for myself. In doing so, I was able to surround myself with like minded individuals who could help me have a better understanding of the industry and how to navigate it as a new artist. I have a single I really believe in and perfected it in the months before recording the song. My single “Straight Like That” embodies the raw experiences I had and how it furthermore solidified who I am becoming but it only scratches the surface of who I really am as an artist.

Releasing my single gave me a better understanding of who I want to be and the type of art I want to share with the world. I have a realization that the different layers of who I am and the versatility I can produce should also be shown in my new project and releasing my single gives my fans a sneak peek into what’s to come.

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

In my early years I grew up watching my mom as a singer. She has a beautiful captivating voice and it was amazing to see how much of a positive impact her talent had on those around her. I also experienced my dad’s take on the modeling and acting industry in 2012, and really became a powerhouse that motivated others around him to aspire to reach similar goals.

During my time in school, I gave my all in every sport I tried and always wanted to be a part of school activities. I began to realize that my passion was not fully there and It was time to go back to my roots and find something I genuinely felt good at and express myself that way. At age 14 I began to be a runway model and it felt like home. I finally felt like I belonged. The people I was around really made me feel confident and I finally fell in love with my height being 5’10 at such a young age. At the age of 15 I decided to further my creativity and would write my own songs to YouTube beats.

My family was very supportive of this dream and I started to get more serious around the age of 17 working with my sister on music because she is also a very talented singer and songwriter. As of now at age 23 I am a solo artist and created a brand for myself as Madame Maize. In the year 2020, is when I would go on to create my own YouTube channel and post music such as covers and remixes I’ve written and really show the world the talents I possess. To this day, I am always coming up with new ways to be creative and be a guiding light for others.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

In this day and age I believe it’s very important to give smaller artists the same love big artists get. We now have technology and it has changed the way you would put yourself out there and a lot of the time smaller artists are trying to find ways to get exposure but I believe that success starts within your own community and it’s the support from your peers that can get you noticed nowadays. If the people you know share or stream your song or buy from your brand it’s just as valuable as a new fan doing it.

It is important for new artists and entrepreneurs to have easy access to resources they need to build a brand and create music. Now we have the tools in our hands and even if we have to stay up long nights to make a vision come to life it’s well worth it because we have platforms to showcase it on. The support from the people around you can really make a difference in someone’s career. Deciding to purchase from a smaller brand versus a big brand can really help a small brand get to where it needs to be.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The goal is to uplift young women and show myself that I can reach my dreams with God on my side and help out my family in a big way. The mission is to be a guiding light for others to see that it is possible no matter the circumstances. I believe in the power of being positive and the law of attraction. This path is not easy and you will be told no over and over before you get a yes. When you don’t give up at some point you will receive a breakthrough.

The times you want to give up have to fuel you on why to keep going. Those times where you say to yourself that you can’t be something, think about all the reasons you can be who you want to be. As I’m on this journey it has tested my faith and I have become a stronger person from it. I go by the name “It Girl” but it has a deeper meaning than just looking pretty.

When you’re “IT” you will face hard times and bullying like I have. I have been told I couldn’t make it and I always felt called out but since I overcame the negatives in my life, It made me understand that I was being called on and the situations I have gone through are happening so that I can better help others. It is okay to be used as an example, I believe that the lord has a light shining on me. Someone who’s “IT” has to gain self awareness like I have and has learned to turn past trauma into beautiful art and knows who they are despite opposition.

Contact Info:

• Website: Itgirlips.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madamemaize/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themadamemaize
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/madamemaize
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@madamemaize
• Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@madamemaize?_t=8aHRtKPujON&_r=1

Image Credits
Photos have been by @builtbyjbstudios, @e.bvisualz and a few other photos have been taken with my IPhone by friends.