Billboard Top Hip-hop
Rising Star: The Journey of Chaikey
Q. It’s an honor to speak with you today. Why don’t you give us some details about you and your story. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve always loved the arts and spent a lot of time reflecting, so I started off creating for myself. I was raised by my mother and family in a large, loving, and crazy Caribbean household. It’s challenging to find peace and privacy in that environment, so I’ve always looked for it everywhere I’ve gone and in everything I’ve done and created.
Growing up, I read, wrote, drew, painted – and of course listened to music and watched TV; these were and still are my outlets. Around my middle school years, people started telling me I should model. I didn’t think I could model, and even though I loved music and movies, I didn’t seriously consider or pursue a career in entertainment; I experienced some of my worst years of social anxiety and depression in my teens.
I dual enrolled in high school and graduated in 2017. I was still unsure what to pursue but I knew I wanted prove the negative voice in my head wrong. I did; I started modeling in fall 2018. I graduated from PBSC with my A.A. in Studio/Fine Art around that time. Over the years as I got into modeling, I continued painting and writing stories, poetry, and music, mainly for myself.
I got where I am today by creating from experience, being inspired by other artists, leaving my comfort zone, collaborating, networking, getting mentorship, and sharing creations – both mine and others’ – via social media and in person at local events.
Q. I’m sure your success has not come easily. What challenges have you had to overcome along the way?
Success hasn’t come easily and it’s still on its way to me, but the obstacles are lessons. Some of the challenges are juggling my hats, businesses, creations, mental health, and personal life/relationships while I’m healing and getting to know myself as an individual and a creative.
For years, I’ve had an unhealthy relationship with myself and others I’ve let into my life. I was smoking and getting into “situation-ships” by my teens. Most people haven’t known this side of me but it shaped a lot of my story.
Fall 2020-spring 2021, I started converting some of my poems and journals into music and scripts for my show/short film/ebook The Diary of An Anxious Black Girl. Throughout that same time period, I experienced an unexpected pregnancy and my grandfather’s passing.
Summer 2021, I recorded a song and performed for the first time. Before and after summer, I fell in and out of depression and slowed down on creating.
I went to therapy for a few months then stopped. Since the end of 2022, I’ve been working on being healthier.
Q. Let’s talk about the work you do. What do you specialize in and why should someone work with you over the competition?
I’m a Neo-soul artist and creative director. My creations follow a young black artist’s experiences – my experiences – with health, alter egos, and vices.
It’s about creating more than it’s about competition for me – though of course competition is a factor to consider in any industry or business.
Someone should work with me because I’m making a conscious effort to be my multifaceted, original, honest, and authentic self. I’ve made a lot of my life about creating this angelic image to make up for my insecurities and anxiety. Now I want my image and creations to be truer to me and what I’m living, not some wave, some trend, or what I think other people want.
Q. What’s your best piece of advice for readers who desire to find success in their life?
Put your health first – before relationships – not just romantic but also platonic. Put yourself before social media and your business; what you pour into you is what you get out of anything else.
Network, get mentors – especially in your industry – and use guidance to create/get to know your own standards and story before immediately just trying to live like your mentors. Be true to self, always. I’m working on all this myself; when I live by it, things flow best.
Q. Speaking of success, what does the word mean to you?
In my eyes, success means peace, happiness, and freedom in every part of my life. Success means getting up and being able to live, to exist knowing we have more than everything we need. It means thriving consistently; being alive beyond day-to-day survival. Success is being able to be.
Q. What’s next for you?
What’s next is creating my first EP, music videos, and short films, and curating events for their releases. My EP “Divine Intervention” will be about overcoming and living a happier, healthier life. I want to focus on having more fun with the process this time.
Q. Finally, how can people connect with you if they want to learn more?
People can connect with me and learn more via email, my website, or social media. Email is the best way to get in contact with me for any business-related questions.
Email: iamchaikey@gmail.com
Website: www.ichaikey.com
Instagram/Tiktok/Twitter/
Facebook: Chai Key
Billboard Top Hip-hop
Marc “Mayjah” Payne Elevates in the game with New Album Levels of Payne, Featuring Rap Icon Shorty T and Kung Fu Rasta Sifu Bosco
LOS ANGELES, CA – Rising hip-hop artist and social media influencer Marc “Mayjah” Payne unveils his latest studio album, Levels of Payne, a boundary-pushing musical journey that blends West Coast lyricism, Southern grit, and Caribbean soul. With high-profile features from New Orleans rap legend Shorty T and St. Lucia’s reggae ambassador Sifu Bosco, this project solidifies Mayjah Payne’s position as one of the most dynamic new voices in global hip-hop.
Hailing from the West Side of Los Angeles, Mayjah Payne built his reputation not only as a gifted lyricist but also as a multi-talented producer and storyteller. Known for using hip-hop as his artform to speak on life, struggle, and ambition, he’s no stranger to growth. Levels of Payne reflects that evolution—a matured, sharpened sound fused with international influence and raw authenticity.
The album’s standout track, “Don’t Mean Nothin,” pairs Mayjah’s slick bars with Shorty T’s Southern bounce and storytelling, forming a gritty anthem about surviving through adversity and rising to the top. Meanwhile, “Ashes To Ashes, Dust to Dust” brings a melodic twist as Sifu Bosco’s reggae harmonies flow effortlessly with Mayjah’s laid-back delivery, celebrating heritage, unity, and peace through music.
With Levels of Payne, Mayjah Payne continues to expand his creative legacy. His previous projects have earned airplay on over 72 radio stations and charted Top 40 on 34 of them, and this latest release is already generating buzz across streaming platforms. Known for his high-energy performances and verified Instagram reach, Mayjah is taking this project worldwide to connect with audiences from California to the Caribbean.
Critics are already calling Levels of Payne his most complete and ambitious work to date. “This is for the art – this is for the culture,” says Payne. “It’s not just about where I’m from—it’s about where we’re all going. Music should bring people together. That’s what this album is all about.”
Levels of Payne is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, and TIDAL. For fans of authentic hip-hop with a global heartbeat, this album is a must-listen.
Follow Marc “Mayjah” Payne on Instagram and other social media platforms @MayjahPayne and visit www.mayjahpayne.com for interviews, bookings, and press inquiries.
Watch “The Streets Don’t Love You” from the project “Levels of Payne” here below on the @MayjahPayne instagram page.
https://www.instagram.com/
Bianca Ciocca is back with an electrifying new single, “BED,” released on Valentine’s Day in collaboration with Chiato Records. This track is a mesmerizing fusion of Afro drill and sultry vibes, delivering a hypnotic rhythm that pulses with raw emotion and bold energy.
With lyrics like “Te busco y siempre estás, ya no hay marcha atrás” (I look for you and you are always there; there is no turning back), Bianca captures the essence of irresistible attraction and deep connection. The song’s smooth yet powerful beat makes it the perfect late-night anthem—whether you’re cruising through city lights or lost in an intimate moment.
🔥 “BED” is now available on all streaming platforms! Don’t miss out—stream, share, and spread the love.
💖 Listen Here: https://song.link/pwrggtx83z6vx
Bianca Ciocca: A Sonic Nomad Pushing Boundaries
Italian-German powerhouse Bianca Ciocca is more than just a musician—she’s a visionary artist whose creativity spans across singing, composing, acting, dancing, and fashion design. Based in Berlin, her music is a reflection of her nomadic soul, seamlessly blending elements of Hip-Hop, Trap, Latin, Dancehall, and Drum & Bass.
Her dynamic stage presence—whether performing solo, with a band, or as a DJ—has captivated audiences across the globe. Currently on a worldwide tour, Bianca is also preparing to unveil her upcoming album, “Bubble of Screams,” a deeply personal project inspired by her first Berlin winter, where she faced darkness, ghosts, and transformation through music.
With performances spanning Mexico, the USA, Europe, Africa, and India, Bianca has made her mark internationally, collaborating with acclaimed artists such as Tribuman, Nash, Maxi Roots, Sick Boy Simon, and Toy Selectah.
Following the success of her last album, “Jungle Tropical Feeling,” Bianca continues to break barriers, using her music as a force of empowerment—representing women, human rights, and fearless self-expression through the Girrrlx Power collective.
💖 Stay Connected with Bianca Ciocca: https://linktr.ee/biancacioccamusic
💽 Discover More at Chiato Records: https://www.chiatorecords.com
Billboard Top Hip-hop
WeslyNorth: The Eclectic Artist’s Journey from The New Hippie Nation to “I Take It Back”
WeslyNorth was born in Salisbury, MD on the 3rd of December in 1988 as William Hudgins Named after his father, who was an army vet and later became a local DJ. William was raised in the church, as his mother is a devout Jehovah Witness who sung in the choir regularly.
Born into a musically inclined household, WeslyNorth developed a love for the art at a young age. At the age of 18, WeslyNorth started a collective of artists and musicians in DC called The New Hippie Nation. The collective grew into something that still thrives in DC where most know him as Willy Wesly.
His creative process consists mainly of views that allow his writing to flow. Bright rooms with windows, pops of vibrant color and tea with honey help him focus on curating the songs he’s known for, but don’t box him in. His style is eclectic as he pulls from artist inspiration he’s heard his entire life. Growing up listening to music from Fred Hammond, OutKast, De La Soul, J Dilla, Slum Village and Nate Dogg. Artists like James Fauntleroy, Jon Bellion, beaux nox, aldae, Isaiah Huron, Dijon and Sunsetto are just a few of the many he aspires to today.
His new album is titled “I take it back. An apology to those he has not shown his best to. It is a hopeful reverse of bad karma for anything negative he’s done or said. He sees this album as a way to say, “If I’ve ever hurt you or hurt myself..I take it back, maybe I meant it in the moment but I take it all back now.”
The album is a mix of melodic soul pieces that feature stadium sounds and choir harmonies. It is a cinematic, feel good, road trip, morning mood type of vibe that we cannot wait to hear.
Marc “Mayjah” Payne Elevates in the game with New Album Levels of Payne, Featuring Rap Icon Shorty T and Kung Fu Rasta Sifu Bosco
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