J. Quenton Cooper/Courtbouillon
Remy Ma

J. Quenton Cooper/Courtbouillon
Mia X

NEW ORLEANS (April 13, 2018) – Three entertainment professionals – rappers Mia X and Remy Ma and radio personality Downtown Lesli Brown – advised students on how to be successful during a Brain Food appearance March 19.

Remy Ma said, “I can’t believe how many times I was down and I got back up,” recounted being raised by a single mother and then spending more than five years in prison. She repeatedly said, “Nothing will ever stop me.”

Mia X, the first female emcee to get a contract with media rap mogul Master P, said, “All I ever wanted to be was a rapper… It all started with a cassette tape.” She said that despite having her son in high school, she never gave up on her dreams.

Brown said you can’t always know how your career will develop: “I started out as an artist… the way you start is not the way you finish.”

All three women shared their experiences being females in an alpha male industry (music and radio).

Downtown Lesli Brown shared how you’re expected to to be timeless and flawless at all times in radio and how she felt her growth as a radio personality was stunted.

“They always want to acknowledge that you are female,” said Remy Ma. And Mia X described being criticized about her weight.

The women encouraged the audience to never give up on themselves and to believe in themselves.

When asked about the most important lesson of their career. Brown shared an acronym: REAL (“Realize Everything About Love”). Remy Ma kept saying getting your priorities in order is vital.

And Mia X advised, “Be humble. Don’t ever get full of yourself. Be you.”

Mia X said she hopes to see more diversity and more women telling their stories.