Many months ago, Kellee Maize sent us an email that looked like spam in an attempt to reach the “readers” of the Pagan Centered Podcast. After we aired an episode that established Kellee Maize as a replacement word for expletives, we were contacted to set up an interview. This week, it’s Kellee Maize for the hour.
Regular Hosts:
Amber of Red Tail Arts, Branden, Joe, Sam
Guest Hosts:
Barrett of Pagan Mens Podcast, Cara of PNC Minnesota, Kellee Maize – Pagan Rapper, Peter Dybing of Covenant of the Goddess, Saturn
01:45
Kellee explains why PCP had readers via her mass e-mail.
02:52
What brought Kellee to Pittsburgh? She felt drawn to it after visiting her boyfriend in the city.
03:47
Kellee started as an undeclaired theater major, but it didn’t end up working out that way
04:21
So she decided to study communication instead.
04:33
Did Kellee explore different styles of music while in school? Hmm…not really. But she did have some experience in radio and had some DJ exposure
05:15
Kellee’s always had an activist mentality…
05:29
Kellee says that when she started, she never had confidence in her own work till after school. So she sang backup until then
05:40
So Kellee was just a background singer? Hmm…not quite. More behind the scenes
06:17
How long has she been recording? 10 years total, but only the past couple years have been serious
06:37
Does she plan on leaving Pittsburgh to further her career? Not really at the moment, but perhaps something in the future if the opportunity arises. But she feels grounded there.
07:27
Her home town…New Berlin, Pennsylvania
08:13
Sam asks what she was involved in with her activism that she mentioned earlier
08:22
She worked at the Pitt Radio station doing news
08:46
She started looking into helping with poverty, but that was mainly after graduation
09:07
Kellee attended political things on campus, but she was too caught up in her own ego to really involve herself at that time
09:27
So, what would have you done if given a second go round? Or what have you done because of it.
10:39
The crew talks about their Pennsylvania experiences and how most of us got smart and ran far away.
11:48
What do you do in your spare time Kellee? She works with her marketing business that deals a lot with the club scene.
12:16
Kellee talks about prophecies where women come together and take control
14:06
Branden asks what does she feel she’s doing differently than the mainstream that makes her marketable
14:29
Her take on Branden’s question is that she hasn’t found that the world of hip hop relates to the idea of quantum physics and spirituality. So she’s trying to create as much content of that type as possible.
16:08
Cara asks what kind of tip she would give to aspiring artist when they’re independant and without a lot of funds. Kellee responds with taking care of her fan base.
16:49
Kellee takes trying to respond to every fan very seriously
17:19
Peter asks what has got her interested in Paganism
17:26
Kellee has an interest in all things esoteric and science. Basically anything that tries to explain why things are they way they are
18:01
The original start may have been astrology. Astrology…the pagan gateway
18:19
So does she consider herself pagan? Hmm…not really. Some of that comes from a general dislike for labels.
18:42
Kellee talks about the origin of the word pagan…and accuses us of not having a deep religious practice. Wait…WHAT?
18:57
Does she see any conflict between a pagan belief system and the idea of marketing? While her business is marketing, she doesn’t feel that she does a lot of market consumerism. She see’s focusing on events as something different because they are more enriching
20:04
Kellee doesn’t feel like she’s promoting marketing in any way…
20:40
How does living in the city effect being more on a nature based path. Doesn’t that conflict?
20:57
Kellee doesn’t see nature as needing to be in the middle of the forest. The rain and the clouds can be good enough. Though she likes to talk a walk in the cemetary every now and then to get her nature fix.
22:17
Branden asks Amber about the huge Masonic cemetary off of Perry Highway
23:20
Chat comment: They feel it odd that she chooses such a hard style of music to portay such an earth based ideal. Kellee elaborates on her music style and why she’s connected to it.
24:42
How have friends and family responded to more of a pagan path being in Pennsyltucky? Kellee says she hasn’t had much of a problem because she doens’t really pick a side and identfy as anything in particular
25:39
She’s gotten all sorts of comments in more of a public forum because of her spirituality
25:39
She’s gotten all sorts of comments in more of a public forum because of her spirituality
25:58
Has she had any problems in the business world because of her look or spirituality? She responds that she really hasn’t had much of a problem because she tries to maintain an awareness of her surrundings.
26:38
She’s not getting calls to get signed, but she has over the past 6 months. She feels that it’s because she’s not talking about the normal sex, drugs and things that the mainstream does
27:20
Star Foster joins!
27:29
There’s some non-mainstream hip hop artists gaining ground, does Kellee feel that she’s tapped into a niche market?
27:56
She does feel that, that is what she’s trying to create through the different types of work.
28:54
Kellee touches on some of her study basis, and how people are more related in their beliefs. She also goes over some movies that she’s fond of because of the new age ideas that are portrayed there.
29:43
Star talks about pagans and music, and wonders if Kellee would be interested in eventually going to pagan events and/or festivals
31:29
Branden talks about that where she claims a lot of pagan ideas, he feels that their more new age and generalized ideas
32:01
In identifying with pagan but not subscribing, is she intending on coming across as a jack of all tribes but master of none? Does she worry about isolating herself by not giving due respect to all those different traditions?
33:27
Kellee has always been interested in a plethora of different things, and that ends up to be a stumbling blocks
33:46
Star feels that may be the definition of pagan right there.
33:53
Scurvy asks if there’s anything she wants to ask the group of us crazy pagans
34:26
Kellee asks PCP and guest what’s important to us and what keep us here?
35:10
Peter: The divine is in everything
35:21
Star the Tangential Queen: Star relates to the feminine divinity
36:03
Amber: Brings up here Isis issues and relates it to a bigger issue. Research your topic so you’re making sure to bring across the more accurate ideas
37:30
Kellee respects the Isis issue, and elaborates on why she has come to Isis and her dualism.
39:27
Kellee acknowledges her responsibility to knowing the full story of the deities that she uses
39:50
Branden: Says congrats on not being a chick just trying to get attention
40:36
Kellee started understanding that she wouldn’t have any support. So this has been a good experience for her…her career that is.
41:50
Star was just complaining how there wasn’t any pagan rappers…and then…Scurvy sent her a video
42:13
Branden brings us back to topic
42:29
Branden: His biggest thing is not to do things blindly or because it sounds good. Also looking at the actual science and history.
43:16
Saturn: Stop screwing up the planet…she’s getting pissed. That’s his message. Funny thing is, Kellee just wrote a song with lyrics relating to that
44:38
Joe: Just talks about how relatoinship with deity is difficult
45:22
Cara: Your base is in your household. You seek to do excellence. And prayer can do wonderful things. And remember that some of us can be quite structured
46:17
Sam: Although she’s metaphysics based, she doen’st have a patheon. But family is important, and it’s what you make of it. It’s a priviledge and a blessing to have something like that
47:22
Peter asks where she gets her information of the pagan community. Where everyone else gets it Peter, GOOGLE!
49:18
Peter gives Kellee the Pagan Portal at Patheos to look at
49:53
Scurv gives what he feels is a good idea. She says’s she’s gonna kick people off her island to add us.
50:35
Star asks about the Steelers and any spiritual connection? Kellee says no direct connection, but kind of an indirect ways
53:16
Does she place bets on the Steelers? Nope, she just supports them. Even if she doesn’t quite understand it
53:46
Branden relates the Steelers craze as border line religion…creepy…accurate…but creepy
55:55
Kelle talks about how there’s a Steelers bar in every major city and it can make her cry to think there’s such support. And then it makes her cry because what if we were giving our energy to something that wasn’t so detremental and useless?
57:48
Cara talks about a friend that says music is her religion
58:04
Kellee says that if she absolutely has to put a label on her self…she says that love is her religion
58:21
Sam feels she gets ill if she goes without live music and elaborates on why
58:50
Sam talks on research done on the biological effect of music on the body and brain chemistry
59:26
Kellee has been interested in sound healing, and she’s slowly learning little bits here and there. There’s a Mayan gentleman that she’s planning to learn off of.
1:01:03
Star askes if she has people coming to her for spiritual advice
1:01:25
Kellee has a few people asking her questions, but she more sends them to people that are more adept. She shares some interesting fan mail from a schizophrenic.
1:04:01
Cara asks about creepy stalkers…are they a problem? Kellee says not yet, just a few off color comments on facebook
1:05:09
Star want to hear about later down the road if she happens to encounter that as her career goes on
1:06:22
Scurvy askes how she handles requests for benifit concerts
1:08:03
How do you find the balance between being creative and performing and work and personal life? Kellee says not very well as of late, but commitment to the business has made it self-sufficent so she can now focus other places without too much worry
1:09:24
On top of that…she takes pride in being promt when replying to her e-mails……..
1:10:28
How is Kellee living her ethics? She committed to the community and the children of the community with little things when she can
1:12:42
Kellee is involved in landmark education
1:13:23
Star asks if there is going to be a chance to buy a physical CD. End result…we’re not quite sure. But e-mail her and she’ll find a way to get it to you. There’s no expected release date for the new album
1:15:45
Someone in the chat room asks if she’s familiar with some other artists…but more importantly…why are there no links to the activism that she does????????
1:17:26
Was there any memorable experience that either made you feel that it may have been time to give up or that this is the right path for you?
1:18:17
Kellee shares some of her hurdles that she’s overcome
1:19:10
A specif moment where she almost stopped performing? Not so much, but the music industry can be brutal from several different aspects
1:20:45
Kellee feels she’s just like us. We all have a part to play, and she’s one of many voices trying to say the same things
1:21:04
Star talks about the Illuminati things in the hip hop scene and the story she wrote on it
1:22:11
Peter asks her to make a statement. Kellee says keep being love
1:22:32
Cara talks about love, and comares it to Buddist philosophy if you substitute love for compassion. Does Buddism play a large part in your life Kellee?
1:24:11
If you weren’t rapping, what do you thing you would do? She wants to learn magick…like levitation and telepathy…and reiki….
1:25:05
Cara asks how she keeps her skin so fantastic! The secret…photoshop and a really good make-up artist. At least she’s honest!
1:25:53
Kellee, as she’s turning 31, has thought about doing a video without make-up and looking honest so people see it’s not all about looking pretty
Credits
Post-produced by: Joe and Amber
List of resources used or mentioned:
Heroic Plot
PCP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 US License.
Season 19 Credits:
[DH] Lethal Destiny
http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/354802
_-={Everlasting Times}=-_
http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/170554
_-={Forces United!}=-_
http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/290238
Originally Published: Sunday, April 17, 2011 at 9:21 pm
Pagan Centered Podcast
Licensed with CC BY-SA 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/
