Raqiyah Mays

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Raqiyah Mays is a hip-hop journalist and an co-host on the The Kiss Wake Up Club, on Emmis Communications-owned station, 98.7 Kiss FM. Mays was also a Sunday personality at sister station Hot97, where she reported on entertainment and gave social commentary.

Mays is executive editor of the politically-themed hip hop publication, the Ave Magazine. Founded in 2004, the magazine works to balance coverage of social issues and entertainment. She has written for Vibe, XXL, The Source and has the Associated Press. Although an accomplished writer, Mays had trouble reading as a child. However, with help from her mother, her literacy improved^[1]. She attended Penn State to become become a lawyer, but changed her interest to radio, and transferred to Hampton University without her mother's knowledge.^[2].

Mays has been working as executive producer on the documentary, Girlfight: The Truth Behind Women in Hip Hop with veteran producer and director, Timiza Sanyika.Mays said,"In the industry, most women in hip hop have to fight for respect every time they step into a board room, recording booth, or any rap oriented event..." She argues that even with successes, the limited places for women in the industry, instigates catfighting among each other.

Mays once produced shows for DJ Grandmaster Flash at Sirius Satellite Radio, and worked at City College's college radio station WHCR. ^[3]. She was married on September 4, 2006. She lives in Brooklyn, and originates from Piscataway and Newark, New Jersey.

1 Acting
2 Controversy
3 External links
4 Footnotes

[edit] Acting

A lifelong devotee of the theatrical arts, Mays studied at the renowned Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute in New York, founded by Lee Strasberg, the patriarch of American “method acting”. Raqiyah also trained with esteemed acting coach Tracy Moore-Marable and her ‘The Spirited Actor’ program. In Platanos & Collard Greens, the romantic comedy about the blending of Latino and African American cultures, Mays portrays the character of “Malady” in one of NYC’s longest running Off-Broadway plays.“Rosalie” is the role Mays covers in Auction Block to Hip Hop, the dramatic play about redemption and damnation. Mays says of her leap into the acting field, “This, along with hip-hop, has been the great passion of my life. To be a part of critical and commercial successes such as Platanos… and Auction…, is a blessing and an honor. My goal now is to parlay these opportunities into more theatre, film and TV roles that display the vast emotional range that I’m capable of.”

Raqiyah’s acting stints also include appearances in the NYC adaptation of the iconic play The Vagina Monologues , and the indie film documentary The Art of Love and Struggle. Look for her too in the upcoming indie release Stephanie’s Wedding.

[edit] Controversy

Mays debuted in her Sunday afternoon spot at Hot 97 on March 28, 2004, following the termination from her 10am to 2pm Saturday shift at rival station, WWPR-FM. Her firing came after she made critical remarks about interracial romance between white women and black men. In response to her dismissal, and later hiring, Mays released the following statement.

A lot of the feedback I have gotten from across the country has been very supportive from both black and white people...I feel blessed to have the opportunity to talk to the people again. I can't wait to find out how the tri-state area feels about my comments, life, the world, everything.^[4]

Mays elaborated on Clear Channel's decision to fire her.

As an on-air personality, I strive to stimulate thoughts and create interesting discussions when I'm on air and sometimes that involve sharing personal experiences and giving others a forum to discuss and relate on sometimes controversial topics. ... That's the only way we're going to break out of the evil patterns we live in today. Unfortunately the broadcast industry is under FCC scrutiny and we're in political campaign times, so the climate is ripe for reactionary measures. In no way, did I intend to offend the listeners. In fact, I'm shocked that the 'confession show' caused this reaction. ... I simply stated that my concerns with seeing interracial relationships, when we as an African-American community have inner work and healing to do on our own as a result of our history. ... Many single African-American women feel that when they see interracial relationships, that there's one less black man available to them. That very topic was discussed in the recent Newsweek article. ... I am being censored not for sexual indecency, but for racial indecency in my quest to elevate minds. Unfortunatley, Clear Channel is not ready to hear people discuss their opinions on race relations.^[5]