We have all heard the phrase “fake it until you make it”. It is something we see every day in the music world. Struggling artists try to fit into the cookie cutter mold that they think a popular musician should fit in. The clothes, the hair, the style, etc. It is the true artist that breaks free from all of this and blazes a path for himself. I was introduced to an artist that is doing his own thing no matter what. Let me introduce you to Maya Miko.
Based in London, England, Maya Miko grew up as an unpopular kid who liked the “wrong” kind of music. He says he was the only black kid in the neighborhood that was in to country and folk music. I could picture that being a lonely childhood. Maya tells me of “faking it” by changing his clothing style and buying a bunch of hip hop albums. He studied them to fit in, memorizing lyrics and learned how to flow. He started writing and got up on stage to perform. That is when the bug bit him and he fell in love with it. He now stopped having to pretend and started writing music that he was passionate about even if it didn’t fit into the London gangsta rap mold. Maya writes of dreams, heartbreak, and escape that appeal to not only the rap crowd but anybody who likes real music.
Maya Miko has now released his first true record Cutting Loose. This is a tough record to categorize. Yes, he does rap, but there is much more to the songs than just that. Maya has found his own style that can relate to anyone. The opening track ‘Reasons We Stay’ starts as a mellow love ballad and transforms to a powerful song that paints a picture of struggling love that you want to succeed. The title track ‘Cutting Loose’ sounds like it could be on the next Paramore record. It is sweet pop punk with an edge. The hit of the album has to be ‘Wheels Fall Off’. Maya Miko displays his true rapping talent in this club banger with a dub step feel. It is great to hear an artist sing about how he got to where he is today instead of pretending to be something he is not. The great song also has a great video with it. Enjoy it below: