If you have ever heard of Madam Madon you know she has got talent! Her hip-hip style is smooth and powerful. Madon addresses issues that affect her community and personal life in her music. She discusses everything from the heavy pitfalls of street life to the bittersweet lifestyle of being a single mother on the grind. But don’t let her raw and rugged approach fool you - the Madam knows how to get the crowds hyped up. Her music has also been featured on a PBS documentary called “Legacy: Black in America” which aired in April 2009 with President Obama, Ice Cube and many more.
Q&A with Madam Madon:
Favorite Live Music Club?
Some might not believe this if it wasn’t coming from my own mouth, but my favorite live music club is the Bukom Cafe. It’s not a hiphop place, either. It’s live reggae and world-beat music. There’s barely standing room on a Saturday night there, and there’s a great mix of people in there and excellent West African food.
Favorite City?
D.C.!! That’s my home, and I’m still combing through it even now. There are a whole lot of things to do here I haven’t done yet. I love Philly, too. My father is from, and currently lives in Philadelphia. Philly is live every night, and you can always find a sports bar that’s poppin’. I can’t forget about NY, though. I love the accent….and the men! I dig any city with an authentic scene.
Who is your favorite Artist?
I have favorites across the board in all genres, but as for hiphop, I’d say my favorite right now is Jadakiss because he’s never disappointed me on a mixtape or an album. He has a quality of work that is uncompromising and timeless.
What’s the best show you have played?
I had an open mic where the band was playing and a fashion show was going on. The performances were interludes, and separate from the band, but my cd didn’t work, and I was freaking’ out, like ‘Damn…I came for nothing!’ I decided to go on anyway. I asked the band to play anything, and I’d follow. They went into some ‘Blueprint’ shit, and I just spit. There was nothing’ like it! The crowd loved it, and the models worked it.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I spend time with my son. I’m a very private person outside of entertaining. I write a lot, but not just music. I also attend events anytime I can catch one I think’ll be good. I’m so busy during the week, that I often clean a lot on weekends. Cleaning is instantly gratifying.
When was the moment you decided to become an Artist?
I was always an ‘artist’ in a pretty cliche way. I was a high-strung, introverted child and that was how I expressed myself. In my early teens I caught the bug. It wasn’t like I woke up and decided I wanted to rap. I wrote poetry and sang. I ended up making the transition because people said my subject matter was ‘dark’ and ‘street’. I had no studio etiquette or performing ability yet. I was a glass bottle filled with jewels, but the bottle had too narrow of a neck to let them out. So, I guess I always saw myself as an artist, but I didn’t own it until I got my name at 15–Madam Madon. That’s when I looked at the industry and decided that a piece of it would belong to me.
Why is the struggle to “make it” in this industry worth it to you?
It should be worth it to anyone to do anything they feel they’re meant to do. There’s so much sacrifice and effort that goes into trying to launch yourself out there, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Struggle is what’s going to separate the weak from the serious in the game. How hard you push is the gauge for how much you’re willing to do to succeed. Anyway, everything has its bad days. You either love it or leave it alone.
Check out Madam Madon at:
www.sonicbids.com/madammadondc
www.myspace.com/madammadon
Nice pic!