Mayomi - Mayomi (1995)

A couple of days ago a delightful friend of the Isle, Konstantin, sent me several albums off of my wantlist.  Thanks a TON for that, K! One I was looking most forward to was the only album by Japanese-Swedish rapper Mayomi.  And it does not disappoint. It was impossible to find anywhere when I first looked for it, but while researching Mayomi I saw that it was re-released in 2010 and several copies are now available on Amazon and eBay, and it's even on iTunes. Ah well, now you know where to go if you want high quality versions of your own.  I didn't find out much else about Mayomi, unfortunately.  I'm not even sure where I first heard about her, though it was likely due to her involvement on eurohouse act Melodie MC's track "Bomba Deng" from 1995.  Three years prior she and a friend appeared on the The World Rap Contest as Sista's Of Soul.  They didn't win, but ended up meeting Statikk, the producer behind Melodie MC and several other Swedish pop acts. He produced a track for them, "Make It Your Way", which was their only single before they broke up in 1993.  Mayomi went solo and released "Whatever I" the following year. Apparently it had moderate success, and with the track's producers, Collén & Webb, who were collaborators of Statikk's, she recorded her debut album for Virgin.  Three singles were released from the album in 1995 - "The Best A Man Can Get", "How Can I Get By" and the title track - and they met with some success as well.  But she only released one other single, "So In Love" in 2006, and hasn't been heard from since.  But if you enjoy other Europop rappers like Leila K, Leki, or Isle postee Daisy Dee, then you should get to know Mayomi.

Live performance of How Can I Get By

Live performance of I'm There

Download Mayomi

1	Commin' At Ya
2	I Am
3	Is This A Dream
4	How Can I Get By
5	I'm There
6	The Best A Man Can Get
7	Steppin' Out
8	Women Cry
9	Time Changes
10	Lullaby
11	Whatever I (Remix)