Mýa Harrison swept the music world with hits like “It’s All About Me” and “Case of the Ex.” Her coy but mature persona and her dance moves immediately captured our attention. Unlike other artists, Mya was classically trained in tap dancing and ballet. So when she stepped out on the scene in 1998, she brought something new to the world of R&B music.
We were convinced the multi-faceted artist would dominate the charts for many years to come. She collaborated with everyone, from Blackstreet and Mase to Pras, ODB and Pink, Christina Aguilera, Missy Elliot, and Lil Kim on the Grammy award-winning song “Lady Marmalade.”
Following her musical success, she tried her hand at acting and even starred in the films Chicago and Shall We Dance? But as the years passed by, Mya seemingly disappeared from the industry. Behind the scenes, she’s still devoted to her craft and even received a Grammy nomination in 2017, but there are more than a few reasons why she decided to shun the spotlight.
This is a story of men in the industry spreading hurtful rumors about her, mismanagement by her record label, and a mental health breakdown that almost destroyed her life.
Here’s what really happened to Mya.
A young star
Mya Harrison was born into a musical family in Washington DC in 1979. She was one of three children. Her dad Sherman Harrison was a musician and singer and passed his love of music down to Mya, who started playing the violin at an early age.
At the age of four, she really fell in love with music after watching her dad sing in church. She told Vibe magazine (via The Daily Beast) that she was moved by his performance and she wanted to make people feel the same way she felt about music.
As she expressed her interest in the music business, her dad helped her perfect her vocal abilities. And both of her parents took control of her career and became her managers.
Her dad began shopping around her demo, and while she was still a teenager in high school, she signed a recording contract with Interscope Records. For two years, her record label assembled an all-star cast of collaborators, including Missy Elliot, Dru Hill, Diane Warren, and Silkk Tha Shocker. In April 1998, when Mya was just 18-years-old, her debut, self-titled album was released. The album went platinum with over two million copies sold worldwide.
Everything was perfect. All of her dreams were finally coming true. But sadness was right around the corner.
A family in turmoil
The same year her debut album was released, her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and her parents’ marriage was falling apart. Her mom was admitted into the hospital for treatment, and Mya told Vibe magazine her mom refused to check herself out of the facility until after the divorce was finalized.
At the time, she was still trying to prove herself to her record label. She was the only R&B artist on the roster, and they wanted her to compete with the top teenage acts in the industry, like Aaliyah, Brandy, and Monica. Her record deal was the opportunity of a lifetime, and her main goal was to be able to financially support her entire family except for her dad, who she fired as her manager after her mom filed for divorce.
Mya told Vibe she was in the position to make a better life for her family. And because of all the sacrifices her mom had made, she felt it was her duty to repay her by having the most successful career ever. But the pressure became too much for young Mya to handle.
She told Refinery29 she didn’t know if her mom would survive or not, or if her dad would end his life over all the turmoil. Mya was also embarrassed by her family being ripped apart. She did a lot of praying and crying behind the scenes and ultimately just shut down. She was too terrified to let her label know what she was going through, over the fear they would force her to take a mental health break. So she powered through it all and continued to fulfill her contractual obligations.
Going back to her roots
She released the album Fear of Flying in 2000, followed by Moodring in 2003. And then, Mya decided it was time to focus on herself. She told Refinery29 that in 2005, she moved back home to Washington D.C. Her brother built her a recording studio from the ground up. Mya also created a foundation for kids from broken homes and returned to her roots by becoming a jazz dance teacher. She also attempted to bring peace and harmony within her immediate family, as well as peace within herself.
Even though taking a hiatus was on her agenda, she was still pushed into remaining involved in the industry. So in 2005, she signed with Ford Modeling agency and brought in a new management team to handle her singing career.
Vicious rumors
Mya said her new managers suggested she link up with a high-profile celebrity to further her career. But she refused to get involved in a PR stunt just to keep her name in the headlines. Mya told Hot 97 that she has fired multiple managers and publicists who’ve suggested she date someone just to help her album sales. However, that didn’t stop the media from dragging her through the rumor mill.
In 2005, 50 Cent and The Game began beefing with one another, and Mya got entangled in their feud when both rappers claimed they had slept with her. Mya tried to ignore all of the lies, up until 50 Cent released the song “Not Rich, Still Lyin” in 2006. Impersonating The Game’s voice, 50 raps:
“And I get bad b*****snow I even Mya (I f****d her 1st Game) 50 you a liar.”
Ever since 50 tried to damage her reputation, Mya has been forced to deny the rumor multiple times. In 2006, she told Vibe magazine she and 50 never dated, never cuddled, and never did anything together despite what the rapper chooses to believe in his own mind. Mya added: “I don’t know how he would get Lloyd Banks confused with me.”
Mya would go on to reject a red carpet interview with the rapper’s ThisIs50.com website, telling the interviewer 50, quote, “lied on his d**k.”
She later told Vlad TV that she and her dad sat down with 50 Cent’s manager, the late music executive Chris Lighty, to clear the air. 50 allegedly interrupted the meeting and reportedly confessed to lying about being involved with her. Although she hoped 50 would make a public apology, Mya wasn’t going to hold her breath. She said: “I’ve addressed it and you have to pray for certain people.”
Next, there were rumors she hooked up with Jay Z after they recorded the song “Best of Me Part 2.” When an Instagram follower asked if it were true she had an 11-year affair with the rapper, Mya answered, “Never did, never was, never will.”
Betrayed by her label?
She continued to star in various movies. She also left her record company in 2006 and signed with Universal Motown. She recorded her fourth album Liberation in just three months.
Due to budget cuts, the release date was pushed back numerous times. Eventually, the album was accidentally leaked in Japan, and her record label then released the album as a digital download only in October 2007, which really bothered Mya.
Mya is living on her own planet
Completely fed up with her label and the industry as a whole, she left Universal Motown. She launched her own label, Planet 9, in 2008, but it wasn’t easy. She told Essence (via The Frisky)she had to build up her own relationships over time by remaining patient.
All of her hard work paid off. Mya told The Boombox that Planet 9 is much more than a label, it’s her own universe. She often takes herself out of the earthly man-made world and transports herself to her own planet. Planet 9 is where she is able to peacefully pray, meditate, think and follow her own rules without any of the pressures she has witnessed on Earth. Sounds groovy!
Planet 9 is also a place where she can connect with her fans. Some of them have even become a part of her unique world. She told Essence that a talented fan from Mexico created some art for her. She loved the art so much, the fan is now employed by Planet 9 to design promo banners, album covers and tour banners. Other fans have been trained by Mya to become her road managers and photographers.
More dating rumors
In 2009, more rumors emerged about her love life. While attending a nightclub, she ran into Gucci Mane and they took a photo together.
When she went to say goodbye to him, she leaned in close because the club music was so loud. Photographers snapped photos, and it appeared that she and the rapper were leaning in for a kiss. Mya made a public statement via DJ Whoo Kid, denying she and Gucci were an item.
A Grammy nod
In 2011, she released the album KISS. She independently released three EPs in 2014 and 2015, before releasing her next studio album Smoove Jones in 2016.
The album caught the attention of the industry, and Mya was nominated for Best R&B Album at the 2017 Grammys. Then, her album TKO The Knockout was released on April 20, 2018, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of her debut album.
She sacrifices everything for music
Mya says she’s constantly approached by fans who beg her to release new music. She politely directs them to her website and social media pages. Then she lets them know she has never stopped making music. She has just taken a different approach to her career. That, unfortunately, means she doesn’t always receive the airplay she deserves.
Without a big record company backing her, she can’t always afford to get her music heard by the masses. But she isn’t complaining. Despite all the shake-ups that have happened during her career, her creative process hasn’t changed. She told Ebony magazine she doesn’t leave the studio until five in the morning, sleeps until one in the afternoon, gets up, and starts the process all over again.
She told Vibe if she has a deadline, she sometimes won’t eat for three days in a row. Of course, this has left her family very concerned. Even though she still financially supports them, Mya told Vibe her family has asked her to choose another career path because it’s too expensive to be an independent musician. But her 2017 Grammy nomination was enough confirmation for her that the sacrifices were well worth it.
As the head of her own label, Mya told The Culture she’s her own manager, does her own engineering in the studio, drafts contracts, and fully funds her projects. This type of freedom has served her well, but it comes at a cost. She told Vibe in 2018 that she downgraded her entire life by moving into a tiny studio apartment in California.
She’s not done yet
Mya has built her own magical world that is full of positivity. And anything that threatens her happiness gets banished. She told The Source she tries to protect herself from negative forces by turning down certain gigs. But in 2018, she was presented with the perfect opportunity when she joined the cast of the drama series 5th Ward. And in 2019, she linked up with her friend Lil Kim to become a cast member of the VH1 show Girls Cruise.
She celebrated her 40th birthday in 2019 as well and collaborated with a lot of different artists, including Tory Lanez. She also caused a stir when TMZ revealed she got married in December 2019 to a mystery man in the Seychelles Islands. Come to find out, Mya actually married herself! The news was a marketing tactic to promote her song “The Truth.”
She told Essence magazine she’s working on her ninth studio album, which is scheduled to drop in 2020. And even though she may not be at the forefront of the industry anymore, she has complete control over her career and her life. Mya couldn’t be any happier, and we’re proud of her too!
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