From Armenia to Los Angeles to Vegas: Lil Mak Marialena

By: Tyler Ellison
tylerellison.inc@gmail.com

Lil Mak Marialena might not be a familiar name in hip-hop or rap presently, but this young artist that some refer to as the first female Armenian rapper is determined to make a name for herself in the music industry. When I recently met her at a North Hollywood Starbucks, she told me about some of her career aspirations – which include a stint in Las Vegas – elaborated on her musical influences, and even reminisced about her childhood in Armenia, which inspired her latest single.

“I grew up in a musical family,” Lil Mak Marialena replied when asked about how she got her start in music. “My dad plays the flute and performs at different venues and my mom sings opera”. In fact, it was because of her father’s successful career that she found herself transplanted from her neighborhood in Armenia to Los Angeles, California when she was 14 years old. Of that move Lil Mak expressed, “It was really hard to say goodbye to some of my friends and family members, not really knowing about where I was going. Armenia was a huge part of my life at that point, it still is, and I will always remember it”.

As Lil Mak continued to discuss her transition from Armenia to California, she noted that one of the biggest, if not the biggest obstacle for her to overcome, was the language barrier. “I did not speak any English before I moved to California.” Indeed Lil Mak has an Armenian accent, but just listening to one of her songs like Coming From or I Think I’m in Love, one would never know. She is proof that regardless of where an individual is from, musically trained artists share a common accent- sharing the same rules and style of musical performance.

One thing she knows for certain is that her moving to Los Angeles allowed her to experience the musical genre of Hip-Hop and Rap. Her musical role models include: Tupac Shakur, Missy Elliot, Lil Mama, and Eminem. “I really like all of them. Their styles are really individualistic and you need to know who you are to have that kind of confidence.” It is this same confidence in knowing who she is and knowing her morals and values, which she credits to her Armenian upbringing. She says that it allows her to focus on what matters to her— getting signed by a record company and to stay away from the pitfalls of fame.

“I really don’t know why people do drugs. If you think about it, it doesn’t make much sense. Drugs destroy your life.” In fact Lil Mak’s favorite song, There was a G, was inspired by one of her close friends who joined a gang and started abusing drugs.

“I know there are a lot of stereotypes about rappers in the music industry, like the drugs and gangs. But that’s not what I’m about. I am about the bling though,” she said as she to pointed to her ears which were lined from top to bottom with diamond stud earrings. “What can I say – I’m really girly, sometimes.”

Aside from being signed to a major record label, Lil Mak has other aspirations.

“I want to go to college. I’ll probably start at a community college. School is important to me, but I would love to get signed so I can create more music.”

When asked about the creative process of writing and how she gets inspiration, she explained, “I don’t think that inspiration is something you can demand. It’s something that just happens. I sometimes get ideas through poems, or even when I’m in class. I find that when I feel a strong emotion or am feeling emotional, that usually helps and inspires me to write.” A sense of determination and professionalism is how I would describe the vibe I got from that statement and is probably the same vibe some of the artists she has collaborated with, most recently Noztra, have felt.

Though simply being a woman has its drawbacks in the industry, Lil Mack Marialena shatters the misconceptions and stereotypes when she steps up to the mic.

“I think it’s funny. Because it’s a very male dominated arena and not a lot of people think I know what I’m doing when I come into the studio looking all girly (pointing back to her ears and to the multiple piercings), but their doubts go away when I start singing into the microphone.” Moreover, she was happy to tell me that, “I just need to record about two more songs and then I’ll have a demo to send in to some of the record companies.”

Indeed Lil Mak Marialena has big dreams, but arguably what will lead to her success in the music industry full of competing artists, is her grounded personality and determined work ethic, which she attributes to her Armenian upbringing.

“I feel like I’ve lived and experienced a lot for my age. I just know what’s important to me and I believe that if I continue to work hard, I’ll eventually get to where I want to go.” And although that place might eventually be Armenia again, as far as her career is concerned, for her the cornerstone would be performing at a Hotel in Las Vegas, “I love Vegas. Vegas is amazing.” As the saying goes – Viva Las Vegas!