Mia X
Mia X | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Mia Young |
| Also known as | Unlady Like Diva, Mama Mia |
| Born | January 9, 1970 New Orleans, Louisiana, United States |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, singer-songwriter, musician, actor |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels | Mama Mia Muzik, XLP Distribution (current) No Limit, Priority, EMI (former) |
| Website | www.myspace.com/xlmiax |
Mia Young (born January 9, 1970), better known by her stage name Mia X, is an American former rapper, singer-songwriter and actress. She was the first female emcee to get a contract with rapper and entertainment magnate, Master P on his successful record label No Limit Records. She has collaborated with several No Limit Records artists, including Master P and Silkk the Shocker on the seminal albums Ghetto D and Charge It 2 Da Game.[1]
Early life
Young was born on January 9, 1970 in the 7th Ward housing projects in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Music career
Music beginnings
Although there is much misinformation on the web about Mia X getting her rap career started in Queens, New York. Mia X and her career are both New Orleans born and raised. In 1984 she joined a local rap group. In 1992, she released a single entitled "Ask Them Niggas", it would appeared on her 1993 EP entitled Da Payback.
1994-95: TRU, No Limit Records & Good Girl Gone Bad
In 1994 Miax would sign to fellow rapper Master P's label No Limit Records as a solo artist & would also join Master P's group at the time the TRU where she would experienced national success. On November 21, 1995 Mia X would release her debut album entitled Good Girl Gone Bad, the album would fail to chart any of the Billboard's.
1997-98: Unlady Like & Mama Drama
In 1997 Mia X reappeared on the hip hop scene in late 1996 with a track called "Verbal Assault" that was produced by Donald XL Robertson on the Southern Smoke mixtape series, the song included a refrain with the words "Guess Who's Back?" which led to some speculation that she might be working on a new album. Also in 1997 she would release her first single from her upcoming second album entitled "The Party Don't Stop" featuring her CEO & frequent collaborator at the time Master P and felllow female rapper Foxy Brown. On June 24, 1997 Mia X would release her second album entitled Unlady Like, it would peak at No. 21 on the Billboard 200 and No. 11 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, the eventually would become certified gold by the RIAA for sales exceeding 500,000 copies.
On October 27, 1998 Mia X would release her second album entitled Mama Drama, it would peak at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and No. 3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, the eventually would become certified gold by the RIAA for sales exceeding 500,000 copies. After the release of her successful album Mia X would go on hiatus from the music industry for unknown reasons.
2008-present: Betty Rocka Locksmith
In 2008, she appeared on C-Murder's album Screamin' 4 Vengeance, on tracks titled "Mihita" and "Posted on tha Block (Remix)". In 2009 Mia X would work as the executive producer on the release of her son Sean's (aka Fly Guy Sean) debut album The future is in my hands... Also she is working very closely with her nephew Skrill-Dilly and his release on Mike Dean's List production label set to be released in 2009 via an unsaid major distribution deal.[citation needed]
On November 29, 2009 during an interview Mia X would discuss about her hiatus and comeback, revealing that she is working on a mixtape entitled Unladylike Forever and a new album entitled Betty Rocka Locksmith due out in February, 2010 & had also announce the start up of her label entitled MusicLife Recordings & also her ghostwriting for other artist's stating
"My parents died in ’99, “My parents died five months apart shortly after I dropped Mama Drama. And, my mom was the care-provider for my children. That allowed me to tour and to do the music thing. And my children were relatively young when she died in a car accident. And on top of being extremely devastated and heartbroken, I had to also make the choice to fill my mom’s shoes because she was mom to all of us. So I had to raise the children. That meant I had to go to the P.T.A. meetings and you know, be more proactive in the children’s lives and their extracurricular activities. My mom was also like my biggest fan. I also lost 14 family members in that 18-month period after my parents passed. And I had more personal tragedy before that. Thirty days before my mom was killed, my brother’s father was killed. I had a lot of things going on, a lot of things that I had to deal with. Master P decided to play basketball, clarifying of the origin of the tank’s decline once the No Limit Records CEO decided to play in the CBA and tryout for teams in the NBA. "There was a breakdown in the family unit at No Limit as well as my own personal tragedy. I never had a contract with P" Mia would reveal. "We really & truly were brothers and sisters in the game. And at that time you know, he was pursuing basketball anyway. And he was totally understanding to what had happened. He had a close relationship with my mom. So he understood the pain that I was in. He understood that I really wasn’t gonna be able to just come in and record and go on tour. And he wasn’t really doing much of that himself anyway. He had decided to pursue a whole thing in basketball. And, No Limit, we was used to being just together. It was a family unit. We were very close. And when he decided to play basketball he had to bring in an unfamiliar staff. And so a lot of things just started to like breakdown. So, it wasn’t a situation where he was feeling like, you’re at the height of your career and I can’t let you go. He was like, damn, her whole family is dead. I signed a couple of confidentiality clauses and I still continued to write for other artists," she revealed. I just didn’t make any music for myself… I never stopped writing, I just had to fall back to be a mom. It wasn’t No Limit artists, it was all…high-profile artists. I was focused on my little sister – it’s two of us,” explained Mia. She had just graduated from university when my mom died and entered her master’s program. And then she went on to medical school. I’m happy to say that today she is a doctor of Internal Medicine and Molecular Genetics. o, you know, I had to be Mama Mia for real. I had to really, really walk it like I talk it. That’s what was going on with me. Now, Ashley’s a doctor. And my children, my son Sean & my daughter Tye are grownups, 22 and 20… I had always put in the back of my mind that when the kids were grown and stable that I definitely was gonna throw my hat back in the ring. My love is Hip Hop. I fell in love with Hip Hop in ’79. I started rockin’ mics in ’84. I put out my first record in ’92, hooked up with Master P when he came back home from Richmond, California for a visit to New Orleans in ’94… I’ve always wanted to be a rapper, ever since I heard Angie Stone [of the group] Sequence [who scored a hit in] 'Funk You Up.' When I heard Sha Rock of Funky 4 + 1 spit, I wanted to be a rapper. I realized girls could do it. And, this is my heart. This is truly my heart. And so now I’m able to freely record music and put it out and just do the damn thing. I’m a cook, breaking down her unique album title, “and most people in the game they know me for cooking just like they know me for music. My family had a catering company [for] 50 years. We are known in New Orleans for being a long line of great cooks… So, okay you know Betty Crocker is a popular baker and original recipe creator. So I am Betty Rocka, because I can cook and at the same time I spit that crack. And on the streets, when people get into the street game they aspire to have keys. So as far as this game goes, I’m the locksmith. I’m also linking up with my old road member from 1984, Mannie Fresh, and he is blessing me with a beat. I’m gon’ be working with Juvenile. He’s blessing me with a verse. B.G. is blessing me with a verse. So, I’m very happy with the way that Betty Rocka Locksmith is coming together. Unladylike is not about being uncoof, it’s about having an unladylike flow,” Mia explained. It’s about going against all odds, and when people hear you they have to respect you for the contribution you making to the game. And not just because you’re cute, or not just because you like to pose and you like to shop. Unladylike is a representation of the real pitbulls of the game… Unladylike is a state of mind, and that’s what the mixtape is all about."[2][3]
On June 13, 2014 Mia X would release a new single entitled "Mr. Right" featuring artist Ms. Tasha via her label Mama Mia Muzic.[4] On September 01, 2015 Mia X would release a new single entitled "No More" featuring artist Caren Green.[5]
Discography
 | It has been suggested that this section be split out into another article titled Mia X discography. (Discuss) (November 2015) |
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | |||
| Good Girl Gone Bad | – | – | ||
| Unlady Like |
|
21 | 2 | |
| Mama Drama |
|
7 | 3 |
|
| Betty Rocka Locksmith |
|
TBR | ||
Extended Play's
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | ||
| Da Payback | — | — | |
Mixtapes
| Title | Mixtape details |
|---|---|
| Unladylike Forever |
|
Soundtrack albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B | |||
| I'm Bout It (with Various artists) |
4 | 1 |
| |
| I Got the Hook Up (with Various artists) |
|
3 | 1 |
|
| Foolish (with Various artists) |
|
32 | 10 |
|
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US R&B | |||
| Down South Hustlers: Bouncin' and Swingin' (with Various artist) |
139 | 13 | ||
| Mean Green: Major Players Compilation (with Various artist) |
|
9 | 6 |
|
| We Can't Be Stopped (with No Limit) |
|
19 | 2 | |
| Who U Wit? (with Various artist) |
|
62 | 22 | |
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
US Rap | |||
| "I Wanna Be With You" (featuring Master P and Mr. Serv-On) |
1996 | — | — | — | — |
| "The Party Don't Stop" (featuring Master P and Foxy Brown) |
— | — | — | Unlady Like | |
| "What'cha Wanna Do?" (featuring Charlie Wilson) |
1998 | 12 | 10 | 3 | Mama Drama |
| "Imma Shine" | 20 | 17 | 6 | ||
| "Mr. Right" (featuring Ms. Tasha) |
2014 | — | — | — | — |
| "No More" (featuring Caren Green) |
2015 | — | — | — | Betty Rocka Locksmith |
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
US Rap | ||||
| "Rodeo" (Big Ed featuring Silkk the Shocker and Mia X) |
1998 | — | — | — | The Assassin | |
| "Make 'Em Say Uhh!" (Master P featuring Silkk the Shocker, Mia X, Fiend and Mystikal) |
16 | 18 | 6 | Ghetto D | ||
| "Slow Down" (Snoop Dogg featuring Mia X, O'Dell and Anita Thomas) |
— | — | — | Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told | ||
| "Thinkin' Bout U" (Master P featuring Mia X and Mo B. Dick) |
— | — | — | MP da Last Don | ||
| "Hot Boys and Girls" (Master P featuring Mystikal, Mia X, Silkk the Shocker and Kane & Abel) |
1999 | — | 87 | — | ||
| "Make 'Em Say Uhh! #2" (Master P featuring Fiend, Snoop Dogg, Mia X and Silkk The Shocker) |
19 | 13 | — | |||
| "Make You Happy" (Cupid featuring Mia X) |
2013 | — | — | — | Positopia | |
Collaboration singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B |
US Rap | |||
| "If I Could Change" (with Steady Mobb'n, Master P, Mo B. Dick & O'Dell) |
1997 | 48 | 23 | 7 | I'm Bout It: Music from the Motion Picture |
| "Major Players" (with Master P, Silkk the Shocker, Porsha & Mean Green) |
1998 | — | — | — | Mean Green |
Filmography
- Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | I'm Bout It | Kasey | Supporting role |
| 1998 | MP Da Last Don | Nicey | Supporting role |
| I Got the Hook Up | Lola Mae | Supporting role | |
| 1999 | Hot Boyz | Police Secretary | Uncredited role |
| Foolish | Heckler #2 | Cameo role | |
| 2006 | Dream Home | April | Supporting Role |
See also
References
- ^ Bynoe, Yvonne (2006). Encyclopedia of rap and hip-hop culture. Greenwood Press. p. 261. ISBN 0-313-33058-1.
- ^ HipHopDX (November 28, 2009). "Mia X Talks Her Hiatus And New Music". HipHopDX. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
- ^ "Mia X, Been Through the Storm - XXL". Xxlmag.com. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
- ^ "Mr. Right (feat. Ms. Tasha) - Single by Mia X on iTunes". Itunes.apple.com. June 13, 2014. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
- ^ "No More (feat. Caren Green) - Single by Mia X on iTunes". Itunes.apple.com. September 1, 2015. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
- ^ a b "RIAA – Searchable Database: Mia X". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
- Articles to be split from November 2015
- 1970 births
- Living people
- Actresses from New Orleans, Louisiana
- African-American actresses
- African-American female rappers
- African-American female singer-songwriters
- American hip hop singers
- American people of Native American descent
- American rhythm and blues musicians
- No Limit Records artists
- Rappers from New Orleans, Louisiana
- Southern hip hop musicians
- Gangsta rappers