Rising rhymer Maiya The Don is focused on the art of rhyming and making an impact with her bars. The 22-year-old Brooklyn native creates songs for the girls, the “self-made brats” and “first-born daughters,” who have looked out for everyone but themselves, and now it’s time they all put themselves first. Big Don’s confidence is clearly evident in her personality as well as her rhymes. She brings her bold energy to her 2024 XXL Freshman freestyle. With bars like, “B**ch, I’m really the biggest,” it goes without saying that she’s here to stay. Or in her words, “Get on the train or get hit by one.”
The 2024 XXL Freshman may be a rap newcomer, but her skills prove she’s got experience. “Look at the stats, if I’m a rookie, she’s an amateur,” Maiya rhymes. She’s unfazed by any stressors that come with the career path she’s chosen. A path that she’s always desired to have since watching BET’s 106 & Park back in the day with her brother, who has similar rap aspirations. She takes her craft seriously, noting that she doesn’t need help with her pen game. “Baby, I’m the dime, so the pressure never shook me,” Maiya spits. “I heard a reference track, so no, you h*es will never push me/B*ches got ni**as in writer’s rooms just to talk about they pu**y.”
Maiya The Don‘s price is rising and she’s putting tax on it with clever wordplay. “I’m out-rapping b**ches, that’s with or without the numbers,” Maiya raps. “You want my throwaways?/It’ll cost you like, seven figures/Ya right toe and ya liver/They think I came outta nowhere/Lil b**ch, I been nice/Smooth flow and delivery, I’m a midwife/B**ches’ body count and net worth/It’s me, myself and I/I don’t respect the rest.”
Whoever wasn’t familiar with Maiya The Don prior, she’s assured that her talent will gain her a spot on anyone’s favorite rappers list. “Money talks, so be careful who I speak to/I been planning to sit on M’s like Evisu/Name a new b**ch that be rapping like this/I bet this freestyle alone will have you scrappin’ ya list, b**ch,” she adds.
It’s evident Maiya takes a page from the long lineage of respected female rappers when listening to her bars. “I like to say I’m influenced by everybody,” Maiya tells XXL. “I think anybody out of New York, especially the women. I can’t be a young Black woman from New York and not name Lil’ Kim, Foxy Brown, Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, like, everybody who came before me, obviously. And I like to say that I’m super-influenced stylistically by Rick Ross [and] Jay-Z in terms of how I like to rap.”
Following the success of her breakout single, “Telfy,” in 2022, Maiya has garnered over 7 million plays on Spotify and nearly 3 million views on YouTube for the track. She’s locked in several collaborations with Flo Milli including “Conceited” alongside Lola Brooke. She also has a song of her own with Flo, titled “Expensive,” and appeared on the Atlanta artist’s track “Anything Flows” with 2Rare and Kari Faux. Maiya’s other bangers include “Dusties,” “Luv U Better” and “In Your Hands” featuring Ty Dolla $ign, all of which appear on her debut mixtape, Hot Commodity, which arrived last year.
Last winter, Maiya showcased her talent in the all-women cypher, curated by Latto.
As the spotlight continues to shine on her, the New York native is standing in her own individuality. “Me, I’m somebody who cannot be duplicated or replicated or imitated,” she maintains. “I feel like I’m very fresh by nature. I rap very traditionally. I feel like I’m the exact opposite of what people want female rappers to be, where they just believe that it’s a man spoon-feeding them sh*t. Not ’round this b**ch. I’ve always been very rambunctious and the type of people, the opposite way, like, black sheep kind of person.”
Get familiar with Maiya The Don and the flames she’s throwing in her freestyle below.
The Freshman issue is on newsstands everywhere. In addition to interviews with the 2024 Freshman Class and producer Southside, there are also conversations with Sexyy Red, Ski Mask The Slump God, Mustard, Rubi Rose, Ken Carson, Ghostface Killah, Lola Brooke and more, plus, a look back at what the 2023 XXL Freshman Class has been doing. Also, there are stories on the ongoing scamming and fraud plaguing hip-hop, and how podcasters and streamers are playing a major role in rap beef. The issue is on sale here, along with some exclusive Freshmen merch.
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