If you follow Maya the Donyou’ve probably come to expect confidence.
Ahead of the release of her project,precious cargoon June 26, the rapper sat down with Curvy Fashionista to talk about the creative journey behind the project. During an interview with Mya the Don, the conversation quickly moved beyond music to the books she’s reading, her down-to-earth diary habit, and the fashion that’s become part of her signature.
She’s an artist with razor-sharp bars, an effortless style, and a personality that commands attention even before she picks up the mic. But after spending time with her, I realized that confidence was only part of the story.
What she expected to hear about music quickly turned into conversations about romance novels, psychology, diaries, and the creative rituals that help her stay connected to herself.
somewhere between the arguments sister souljah Through influences, a love of vintage handbags, and lessons learned during a break from releasing a full-length project, a different version of Maiya began to emerge.
That’s the version listeners will discover precious cargo.
“I’ve been working hard on the music that’s coming out. It’s a big change for me,” says Maya. curvaceous fashionista. “So I’m really looking forward to people hearing that and finding out what’s going on.”
Part of that answer stuck with me.
She doesn’t just want people to listen to her music. She wants them to understand everything that shaped it.
Before there was music, there was always creativity
Creativity has always been a part of Maiya’s life, even before rap came along.
As a child, she wrote poetry because, in her words, she thought she was writing songs. Eventually the school introduced her to poetry as its own art form, and she soon realized she had a talent for it.
“When I was a kid, I was always doing something to get attention,” she says with a laugh. “‘Let’s see what I can do.’ That was definitely me.”
That same curiosity led her to other creative endeavors. She learned to play the violin, viola, and cello. She taught herself to paint. If she was interested in something, she wanted to understand it.
Listening to her story, you can tell that she wasn’t born with confidence. It was something she built by giving herself permission to learn.
“I truly believe that you can do anything if you try hard enough,” she says. “Nothing is impossible for me.”
That mindset continues to shape how she approaches music today.
book behind bars
One of the things that struck me most during our conversation had nothing to do with: precious cargo.
I could hear Maiya light up as we talked about the book.
she is currently reading JL Seagers The New Haven series describes exciting romance novels in which someone introduces their friends to what they’re currently into.
When I jokingly asked if the reader could read on to her favorite episode, she immediately laughed.
“You have to read them in order,” she said. “That’s a bit of a ponytail act.”
Moments like this make it easy to see why she recently launched The Fine Print book club for readers who love getting lost in a good story.
But reading has become more than just a hobby.
Throughout the creation of precious cargoBooks became a source of inspiration.
“These books touched my emotions enough to create a huge response,” she explains. “We have to get creative. We have to get this out somewhere.”
It’s the same reason why Sister Souljah remains one of my favorite authors.
“Her writing is deep and very honest and thorough.”
That honesty became something Maiya wanted to incorporate into her work.
heart of precious cargo
As our conversation continued, a theme kept emerging.
Honesty.
Whether discussing songwriting, personal growth, or the years between projects, Maiya repeatedly returned to the importance of being true to yourself, especially to yourself.
“It’s been a long time since I quit a ton of jobs,” she says. “It’s been a lot of ups and downs, changes and seasons going on for me.”
Rather than pretending those experiences didn’t exist, she decided they deserved a place in her music.
“I wanted to be as real, vulnerable and honest as these writers.”
She then shared a thought that seems to define the entire album.
“You can’t disappear for this long without explaining why.”
That’s the cause precious cargo I feel different.
Maya invites listeners into the chapters they missed, rather than simply returning in the hopes of moving on.
Later in the conversation, I asked her what she hoped fans would discover after listening to this project.
Her answer wasn’t about chart success or streaming numbers.
“I hope they see that I’m a little more sensitive than I look.”
For an artist whose public image is often rooted in self-confidence, this is an unexpectedly vulnerable response.
A ritual to ground her
When I ask Maiya how she stays creative, the conversation quickly turns to her diary.
Every morning starts with a notebook. Before social media, before email, before the demands of the day demanded attention, she would take 15 minutes and write about whatever came to mind.
“Probably the first thing I do before I pee is write in my diary,” she says with a laugh.
She believes this practice strengthens the connection between her thoughts and writing, making it easier to express herself creatively.
The advice she offers is surprisingly free.
“You can write the same word over and over again,” she says. “‘I have nothing. Nothing.'”
She says that’s perfectly fine because journaling isn’t about writing beautiful sentences every day.
“It’s not about writing a book. It’s just about clearing your mind.”
As someone who opened a journal wondering if every entry needed to be deep, I appreciated hearing that reminder.
Creativity can begin by simply making space for your thoughts.
Style also tells part of the story
Fashion has become as recognizable as Maiya’s music, so naturally we wanted to know how she dresses.
Her answer was surprisingly simple.
She starts with shoes.
From there she chooses a bag and builds the rest of the outfit around those items.
“I focus on silhouettes more than anything,” she says.
This philosophy explains why her style always feels intentional. Rather than experimenting with every trend, she pays attention to proportions, shapes, and the overall atmosphere the outfit creates.
She credits women like Beyoncé, Tyra Banks and Raven-Symoné with inspiring her growing up, but says New York has been the biggest influence on her style these days.
And if there’s one product she’ll never regret investing in?
Vintage designer bag.
More than a rapper
Towards the end of our conversation, I asked Maiya about legacy.
Her answer came without hesitation.
“I want to be the best rapper of all time.”
It’s an ambitious goal, but after hearing her talk about creativity, discipline, and growth, it doesn’t sound like a passing grade. It’s like someone who has spent years building the habits necessary to go after it.
The same idea extends beyond music.
With the launch of her book club, Fine printshe’s creating a space for readers who love books just like she does.
“If you’re a rogue and love to read, The Fine Print is the place for you,” she says.
By the end of our conversation, precious cargo It felt like it was more than an album title.
It felt like a reflection of everything Maiya brought to this next chapter. The confidence that fans already know is still there, but this time with added vulnerability, introspection, and a willingness to let listeners see the women behind the music.
when precious cargo ” arrives on June 26th, fans will not only hear where Mya the Don is headed next.
They’ll eventually understand a little more about the journey that brought her there.
Source: The Curvy Fashionista – thecurvyfashionista.com
