Maiya the Don: Hot Commodity Review

Maiya the Don was built for the stage. The New York beauty influencer turned rap princess envisioned success, but not necessarily in the form of viral hip hop hits, a Flo Milli tour feature and an appearance on MTV’s Fresh Out Live. Maiya’s braggadocious personality is commanding and her brand is a meticulously-framed blend of who Maiya is and what she’s learned through growing a loyal online following. Her new album, Hot Commodity, serves as a brash introduction to the bully rapper who draws stiff boundaries with broke men, has zero tolerance for covetous women and is equipped with a conditional vulnerability.

‘Telfy’, Maiya the Don’s first and viral single from Hot Commodity, revitalizes ‘The Thong Song’ into an anthem for women with self-confidence, haters on the prowl and a nice bag on their arm. Several of the songs on Maiya’s album ride the overbranded theme of the baddest of the baddies with men flooding their line and women envious of the come up. The Don’s vibe doesn’t come off performative, though. The Brooklyn-bred lyricist conveys authenticity when she says, “If I let you near me, you lucky/I ain’t f***in’ with these dusties.” It’s a standard she’s set for herself that draws the attention of everyone that meets it and all those envious and unestablished by Maiya’s definition. 

The range in production is a staple of Maiya the Don’s brand. As a beauty influencer, Maiya’s content was a compilation of makeup videos, wig installs, general girl talk and more. She learned what her fans wanted to see and in her transition to music has knowledge of how versatile she can be while staying solid. Born Maiya Early, the artist thumps from pop vibes through her collaboration with singer-songwriter Maeta to the Ambezza, DKeyz and knd-produced slide ‘Art Basel’ to the Mariah Carey-sampled ‘Body’ that presents a combination of silky and raw. 

The social media campaign behind Maiya the Don’s ‘Luv U Better’, which featured an appearance from Siddiq Saunderson (Wu-Tang: An American Saga), was a marketing gem. The direction and success of the song and visual launch were testaments to the idea that Maiya the Don is not popping by mistake, but by design. Hot Commodity is the manifestation of the perspective being a makeup artist, an influencer and a lady from Brooklyn provided her. 

It’s the Maiya show and her audience has the best seat in the house.

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