Mara (M): I earned my law degree from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC.  I always excelled in school, and law school was a natural progression for me after graduating from NC A&T State University because I’m an avid reader and writer. In my parents’ eyes, it was the next logical step, but I wasn’t exactly sure being an attorney was a good fit for me.  Anyway, I’ve always been obsessed with celebrity news and gossip, but I never thought I could make a career out of it until I relocated to NYC. Here, the possibilities are endless! The year I spent practicing law right after I moved here confirmed the law field wasn’t for me. By then, I’d built up the nerve to do me and not be as concerned about everyone’s expectations of me.  If I could do it all over again, I’d jumpstarted this adventure I’m living years ago by majoring in journalism in college.

M: To be honest, I acquired that nickname because of my former career as an attorney and the fact that I attended so many industry related events even before I began writing professionally.

 

M: At this point, I’ve almost lost track of the people I’ve interviewed, but some of them include Mike Bigga (Killer Mike), Bobby Brown, Olivia, Diddy Dirty Money member Kalenna Harper, Jadakiss, Raheem DeVaughn, Day 26, Scarface, Kandi Burruss, Tashera Simmons, Sha Money XL, and Maino. 

You can typically find my work in Rolling Out Urban Weekly (RollingOut.com), Parle Magazine, and One Ten Magazine (OneTen-Mag.com), and on websites such as YoRaps.com, GlobalGrind.com, DrJays.com (Live), BlackCityMag.com, NewYork.com,  and of course my own website, the hiphopsocialite.com.

M: Because of websites such as DrJays.com (Live) and RollingOut.com, celebrity news and gossip is accessible to people in a matter of a few keystrokes, which is a far cry from the days when a pop culture fanatic like myself would have to wait until celebrity news/gossip publications released their latest issues to celebrity newsstands. At the same time, because of the instantaneousness of websites like the ones I just named, it’s a never-ending race to be the first to break the latest stories.

 

M:  I wanted my own outlet - something that belongs to me. A lot of times when you’re writing for other outlets, you have to adhere to the guidelines they’ve established for their writers, but on my website, I can do me. On thehiphopsocialite.com, it’s me, totally uncensored.

 

M:  It’s called Street Disciplez Radio, and we’re currently syndicated on the ‘Net as we air live on multiple websites, including HipHopWorld.com, HHLO.net, OneTen-Mag.com, and SDWorldVision.com, among others. We air three nights a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday) from 10 pm to 12 am.

 

In the last two-years, some of the most headline grabbing events in hip-hop have occurred on our show, whether it’s the short-lived beef between Knoc-turn'al and Game, Khia going in on Nicki Minaj, DMX’s estranged wife Tashera Simmons claiming the fallen hip-hop star was set up by Arizona authorities, and most recently, Island Def Jam executive and former G-Unit Records President Sha Money XL saying Game needs 50 Cent.  Our show is controversial and uncensored, and we’re bold enough to ask the questions other radio shows are afraid to ask. Respected music journalist, Ei8ht, hosts the show with myself as co-host, and Vin the Republican, who offers a perspective not typically heard on urban radio. In addition to the individuals I mentioned earlier, past guests include Glasses Malone, 40 Glocc, Bizzy Bone, Cormega, Scarface, Twista, and Hollywood actor, Ving Rhames, as well as a plethora of others. We recently launched our own station (SDWorldVision.com), and if there’s anyone reading this who might be interested in hosting their own show, hit us up at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

M: I typically submit the bigger stories to other outlets since my website is still a work in progress. This guarantees the story, and my name, gets maximum exposure.

 

 

M: I spend a lot of time making phone calls and sending emails, but there’s no foolproof method to this gossip thing, so whenever I write, I make sure to use “allegedly” as often as possible. Nevertheless, if it’s something too outrageous, I don’t write about it at all.

 

M: People love to read and hear about drama, and I believe some female hip-hop artists see that as a way of getting back, or remaining, in the spotlight.  That’s not limited to female hip-hop artists though. It’s a tried and true method that a lot of high profile individuals have resorted to in the past whenever their stars begin to fade or people begin talking about them less and less.

M: In my opinion, artists who have achieved celebrity status have figured out the balance between creating radio friendly hits (the kind of songs a club DJ would have on rotation) and keeping it street in their music.

 

M: My partner and I, Newton Lilavois of ReelUrbanTV.com, launched “Scene And Heard TV” a few months ago, and it marks my return to the visual format of urban journalism. Just three episodes into the project, the show has generated headlines on BET.com, TheYBF.com, Bossip.com, VLADTV.com, and a plethora of other urban media outlets for bringing to the forefront controversial issues such as the struggles of dark-skinned women in the industry with my interview with Diddy Dirty Money member, Kalenna Harper. When Newton and I first started talking about launching a show, I immediately knew the audience I wanted to attract - young professional people of color who happen to love hip-hop and urban entertainment. My goal is to keep bringing our audience the best and most captivating celebrity interviews. I would also like to mention the newest edition to the “Scene And Heard TV” team, Candra, who’ll be handling the editing of future episodes of the show.  For more information on “Scene And Heard TV,” feel free to email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

M: Figure out which outlets are your favorite, and inquire into writing for them.  You’d be surprised how many outlets are regularly looking for new writers. Also, I think it’s wise for every writer to keep a journal, and I don’t necessarily mean for documenting life experiences. I always carry around a journal, which I use to write down new words and phrases that I hear or read.  Quite often, I incorporate those words and phrases into my writing; I’m always striving to grow as a writer.

M: First and foremost, a very special thank you to Lewis of GGurls.com for always supporting every last one of my endeavors. I want to mention my column, “The Adventures of the Hip-Hop Socialite.” It’s a regular feature in One Ten Magazine, which you can order online by visiting OneTen-Mag.com. Shout out to Angelo of One Ten Magazine for seeing to it that I accomplish my goal of having my own column. Also, as I often do, I want to recognize my hometown of Wilmington, NC.  Shout out to my Rock Hill family, and thanks for everyone’s support.