The extraordinarily talented, Grammy-nominated soul singer, songwriter, and emcee, Maimouna Youssef (aka “Mumu Fresh”) is back with a new mixtape and more. Back in June of this year Mumu sat down with EBONY magazine where she talked about her experience in the entertainment industry along with her journey of artistic -reinvention in debut of her mixtape release concert.
On Being Independent:
” When your a young woman in the industry, everyone tells what you should sound like. What you should be. I wasn’t really sure at the time. I really wanted to know what I sounded like no without those influences. I have the gift and the curse of being able to do just about anything but I had to learn how to bring that out without stifling and suffocating myself. I needed to take my own self-voyage to find my voice. It took some years, but this project is the result of that. I’m an artist through and through. If I am not creating the way I want to, I would be somewhere depressed. “
Since receiving her Grammy nomination for her vocal contribution on The Roots hit “Don’t Feel Right” in 2007 for best rap song, Maimouna has swapped musical licks with such music giants as Big Daddy Kane, Nas, Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli, Jill Scott, Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def), Dead Prez, Angelique Kidjo,Cody Chestnut, and more. While the Baltimore native made a name for herself locally with her jazz/hip-hop/funk/ band known as Cirius B, Maimouna earned her stripes as a world-class vocalist and emcee while touring with The Roots in 2006. Her musical endeavors were a springboard for her big screen debut in Dave Chapelle’s hip hop documentary “Block Party.”
She released her first Solo EP, ‘Black Magic Woman,’ in March of 2011, and her lauded, sonically ubiquitous first full length solo album, ‘The Blooming,’ in September of the same year.
“The Reintroduction of Mumu Fresh “ mixtape is Maimouna’s first project in years. Her commitment to providing a balanced perspective on current social, racial, political, gender and class issues on the mixtape presents a welcomed return of the extraordinary artist.
Listen to Maimouna’s latest single, “I’m A Woman” and be sure to keep up with her movement on her social media platforms @mumufresh and be sure to purchase her new mixtape it here
One Love PLUM’s!