Born into a large family of singers, musicians, dancers, writers, and preachers she regularly experienced how God could use natural gifts in the most creative way. This exposure would lead her on a journey to her own artistic path.Not only did her family occupy themselves with artistic abilities, but they also stressed the value of education. Some of those same talented individuals were doctors, educators, social workers, and business owners. This balanced picture allowed Maya to envision several possibilities. After graduating from Minneapolis North High School, she arrived at Xavier University in August 2005, only to be disrupted by Hurricane Katrina two weeks later, escaping with only the clothes on her back. She temporarily landed at Southwest University in Marshall, Minnesota and finally at the University of Minnesota where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Child Psychology in 2009 and a Master of Social Work with an emphasis in Families and Children in 2014.  

Ever the trendsetter, having an entrepreneurial spirit, and embracing her artistic side, in 2015 Maya created her Maya Marchelle clothing line, which was quite popular with her peers and generated a large social media following. While employed as a middle school social worker, to make extra money she started twisting locs, advertising the service as Don’t Dread, and has become a premier loctician with clientele that includes several professional athletes. With a passion for music, a few years later she wondered what would happen if she tried to write a song. The inspiration was so palpable that the words began to flow. In 2016, with her musician brother as her producer, she released the single “On Instagram” on SoundCloud. It was an immediate success and inspired her to write more songs. On her birthday in September 2016 she released her first EP “29”, which featured lead vocals of some of her friends in the music industry.

As a

social

worker

in a middle school with predominantly African American students, Maya noticed the low self-esteem of many of the girls, which reminded her of dark days she had experienced as a teen and young adult.

When one girl expressed that a family member continually berated her, Maya decided she would greet the scholar each day with, “Hey, pretty,” a phrase her father would often say to her. She extended this greeting to all the female scholars, which inspired her to create an eponymous song with uplifting verses in 2017. She immediately paired the song with a coloring book. Both the “Hey, Pretty!” song and coloring book have become so successful that the brand created a movement for girls and women of all ages to embrace their love of self and to see themselves reflected in art. The “Hey, Pretty!” video shoot was held on Easter Sunday 2019, and the video can be viewed on YouTube. Other “Hey, Pretty!” merchandise is also occasionally available.

To house all her creative endeavors, in June 2017 Maya established The Maya Marchelle Company, an inspirational music, fashion, and publishing company that extends across all genres and styles in African American culture. She has launched three successful clothing lines with celebrity endorsements; is building her songwriting catalog and has written songs for several artists; released another EP “There Will Be Clouds” in 2018; and her book “Your Hue Looks Good on You” will be released in 2019. 

Maya hopes that her persistence and ingenuity will spark creativity and passion in all those with whom she comes in contact. Her sole purpose in life is to suffuse the world with her light and glorify God in the process.