Melissha Martinez (born 21 December 1978), better known by her stage name Maya Jupiter, is a Mexican-born Australian rapper, singer, songwriter, actress, MC and radio personality. She released her debut album, Today, in 2003. She was a member of hip-hop group, Foreign Heights, with MC Trey and DJ Nick Toth, which released a self-titled album in 2007. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2007 the trio was nominated for 'Best Urban Release' for "Get Yours (Remix)". From 2004 to 2008, Jupiter hosted the national radio station, Triple J's weekly Hip-Hop Show. Thereafter she pursued her solo career based in Los Angeles and released her second album, Maya Jupiter, in December 2010.
Biography
Maya Jupiter was born as Melissha Martinez on 21 December 1978 in La Paz, Mexico. Her father is Mexican and her mother is Turkish. She has an elder sister, Shiraz Martinez. Her sister took her to local salsa and Latin American clubs. "Mamacita" was a track dedicated to her mother, "[it] was about the divorce of my parents and I guess it was very personal ... very full on. ... I needed to get out about my father because I didn't see him for about seven years, which I think incited the whole fascination of wanting to know about the Mexican culture". Also that year, she worked with eleven-piece Latin, jazz, hip-hop band, Son Veneno, and accompanied them to The Belligen Global Music Festival. The combination have since performed at numerous festivals including Homebake, Bacardi Festival and supported American singer, Kelis.
By August 2003, Jupiter was also a regular host for shows such as Soul Kitchen and Freestyle on television video outlet, Channel V, and held hip-hop / rap workshops in community centres. She took over as host of national radio station Triple J's weekly music program, Hip Hop Show, in 2004. In 2006, Jupiter joined with fellow rap artist MC Trey and DJ Nick Toth to form the group, Foreign Heights. They released their first single, "It Goes On", featuring Mr Zux in November of that year. In January 2007, their self-titled album was released in Australia and they performed at the Big Day Out. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2007 Foreign Heights was nominated for 'Best Urban Release' for "Get Yours (Remix)".
On 14 April 2008, Hau, frontman of Koolism, took over Jupiter's role as host of the Hip Hop Show, and she left Australia to further her solo career in Los Angeles.
In December 2010, Jupiter released her second album, Maya Jupiter with Panamanian-American singer Aloe Blacc assisting on recording and Quetzal Flores and Martha Gonzalez (both are members of Quetzal) co-producing. OC Weeklys reviewer, Gabriel San Roman described the album as "an innovative collection of songs anchored in lyrical themes of social justice and Son Jarocho vibes" and was pleased by "[t]he sample-free, original instrumentation [which] adds to her music's unique appeal. A Latin American harp, requintos, jaranas, electric guitars, trumpets and keys round out her melodies, and there's a striking use of live percussion instruments such as the quijada, cajón, tarima and pandiero instead of MPC drum beats".