Maiysha Kai (born April 16, 1978), known professionally as Maiysha, is an American R&B recording artist, songwriter, and journalist. She has released two albums, ''This Much is True'' in 2008 and ''UnderCover'' in 2010.

Early life

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota,

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, Maiysha attended Sarah Lawrence College where she studied vocal performance as well as

creative writing Creative writing is any writing that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature, typically identified by an emphasis on narrative craft, character development, and the use of literary ...

and race and

gender studies Gender studies is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to analysing gender identity and gendered representation. Gender studies originated in the field of women's studies, concerning women, feminism, gender, and politics. The field ...

. After graduating, Maiysha moved to New York City to teach at a private school in Manhattan. She also was signed to

Ford Models Ford Models, originally the Ford Modeling Agency, is an American international modeling agency based in New York City. It was established in 1946 by Eileen Ford and her husband Gerard W. Ford. Company Ford Models was started in 1946 by Eileen ...

Career

Her first album, ''This Much is True'' was released August 26, 2008. It was the first release on the Eusonia label. The album was produced by Scott Jacoby, and features 12 original tracks and a cover of Peter Gabriel's " Sledgehammer". The album also features a duet with

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutherani ...

. The album received press in ''USA Today'', ''Newsweek'', and ''TV Guide''. Maiysha's first single off the album, "Wanna Be", was released to iTunes on June 24, 2008. Maiysha was nominated for a 2009 Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for "Wanna Be". In 2010, she released a live album, ''UnderCover'', via Eusonia. The album was recorded at the Blue Note Jazz Club in Manhattan. Maiysha is the lifestyle editor at

The Grio TheGrio, styled as thegrio, is an American television network and website with news, opinion, entertainment and video content geared toward Black Americans. The website originally launched in June 2009 as a division of NBC News, it became a di ...

and former managing editor for the website ''

The Root "The Root" is a song by American recording artist D'Angelo. It is the eighth track on his second studio album, ''Voodoo'', which was released on January 25, 2000, by Virgin Records. "The Root" was recorded and produced by D'Angelo at New York's ...

s vertical, ''The Glow Up''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maiysha 1978 births Living people Sarah Lawrence College alumni American neo soul singers American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters African-American women singer-songwriters 21st-century African-American women singers