NIGHTLY NEWS!!!

Mad Wednesdays: 

Maria Davis 

Gave JAY-Z A Chance When No One Else Would!!

Reasonable Doubt may have set the foundation for Jay Z’s career, but outside of its spellbinding lyricism and immaculate production, one of the most memorable moments came courtesy of a woman named Maria Davis. On the album’s seventh track, titled “22 Two’s,” Hov incorporates the words “two” and “too” in various fashions and although his precision is to be admired, the main draw is the feisty host featured at the beginning of the song, who introduces herself as Maria Davis of Mad Wednesdays. After assuring the crowd that they’re in for a good time, Maria spots Jay in the audience and commands him to “put that champagne down and kick a little freestyle.”

But Davis is the one who steals the show, delivering the classic line “Who’s smoking reefer” when she apparently smells weed smoke in the air and proceeds to admonish the crowd after Jay’s impromptu performance. When the supposed culprit gets vulgar and insults her with a curse, Davis promptly orders the club security to escort the disorderly patron out of the venue before paying homage to Jay Z and continuing on with the show without missing a beat. Two years later, in 1998, Jay Z would release hisHard Knock Life album, sell over five million copies, and ascend to legendary status — and Reasonable Doubt, which had been a mild success upon release, would be hailed as one of the definitive albums in hip-hop history.

Maria Davis, on the other hand, became somewhat of a mythical character in rap lore and has a fraction of the visibility that Brooklyn mogul has on the mainstream radar. If you were to mention her name to die-hard rap fans, most would instantly spout off about her standout appearance on the LP, and ponder what ever happened to her or if she was even a real person. Ultimately, chalking it up to another instance when the lines between storytelling and reality are blurred and moving along with their life. Many casual rap fans would be vaguely familiar, if at all, and fiend indifference before asking what you think of the latest mixape to hit the ‘Net. But what both sets of fans should be well aware of is that Maria Davis and Mad Wednesdays is very much real and has played a pivotal role in the careers of many of your favorite artists of the ’90s, including Jay Z.

#DanteHawkinsSaidSo