MO WILEY

GEARING UP FOR RELEASE OF HER

FIRST KUT DEBUT ‘MAJOR LEAGUE BALLIN’

AND DEBUT VIDEO ‘YOU CAN’T TOUCH IT,’

THE MULTI-TALENTED FEMALE RAPPER LAUNCHES

A POLITICAL CAREER IN HER BAY AREA

HOMETOWN OF SAN LEANDRO

While Continuing The Planning Phase Of

The Mo Wiley Children’s Foundation,

Wiley Sees Her Position Of Rent Review Board

Tenant Member As a Springboard To

Further Help The Youth In Her Community

Contrary to the old adage that we’ve all heard a million times, it’s IMpatience that’s the real virtue—or at least it is with Bay Area female rapper Mo Wiley, who’s delving full throttle into an inspiring new political career as she awaits distribution for the upcoming release of “You Can’t Touch It,” the club groove driven first single from her highly anticipated debut Major League Ballin’ on Kent Entertainment’s First Kut Records.

The multi-talented performer shot the video in L.A. with director Ian Fletcher, whose credits include the clip for DJ Quik’s “Tonight’s The Night.” It was recently sent across the U.S. for distribution and can be viewed on Wiley’s own website and that of First Kut.

Though she cleaned up her act and went straight a while back now, Wiley brings a gritty vibe and real street cred to Major League Ballin’ and is already a popular club draw in Northern California with a huge following in Oakland (where she made Club 17 her home base). She’s matching her lofty ambitions with action, starting her career with big time players in the rap biz. Not only is she working with the “Godfather of Rap” (and Kent owner) Morey Alexander (who launched the careers of rap legends like N.W.A, Easy-E, Ice Cube and Dr. Dre), but her album was produced by one of FirstKut’s most popular artists, Slick (from Slick and the Shock Mob).

As her musical career has heated up, Wiley’s passion for community issues and concern as a mother of three (ages 18, 12 and 10) for the welfare of the city’s youth have led to some exciting personal opportunities in the local political arena of her Bay Area hometown of San Leandro. Last September, the dedicated activist held an emergency press conference to protest city budget cuts that would eliminate school crossing guards. Wiley spoke on behalf of the concerned parents and, with the help of other concerned citizens, was able to get the city to reconsider this crucial safety decision.

Her role in facilitating civic discussions about this issue gave her insight into the operations at city hall, and for a time she contemplated running for mayor. Wiley’s ongoing commitment to her music career and her current pursuit of a real estate license made her realize that her talents were best suited to getting in on the ground floor and helping the current mayor, Tony Santos, on various issues. She was nominated to be on the Rent Review Board as a tenant’s member on December 7, 2009 and after being appointed by Santos and his council, Wiley was sworn in and took the seat on December 21, 2009.

“The crossing guard situation helps spin off the beginning of an interesting political career for me,” she says. “Learning about the dynamics of how San Leandro ran made me think I could really find a way to make a difference, and the key was figuring out where I could make the greatest impact. My goal has always been spreading knowledge to the young generation. The position itself involved review hearings from landlords and tenants regarding rent control ordinances, but in a larger sense it allows me to work with my constituents on building a better community for young people and their families.

“My job is to bring to my counsel, Mayor Santos and these constituents ideas that are helpful to the community,” Wiley adds. “In line with the theme of my album, I like to say my role allows me to play on the local political ball field and learn the political system from an entry level position. I have the ability to get in there with my constituents and make good things happen over the next three years of my term. Some of the issues facing our city right now are cutting spending, creating jobs and lowering the crime rate by actually educating the young people and finding more productive things for them to do. It’s great to have the chance to serve my community this way.”

In 2008, the artist talked about incorporation with several partners the Mo Wiley Children’s Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to feeding, sheltering and educating our youth. While the organization’s ultimate aim is to start an orphanage and a rehab facility for both parents and children to straighten out their lives and be productive members of society, Wiley plans on incorporating in January 2010 and hopes to be involved with the city and school members to have a place for youth to come and gain leadership skills.

Inspired by the negative media and blogosphere attention received by Oakland in the wake of the March, 2009 shooting of four OPD police officers by a single assailant, Wiley—believing that the city has many good children and families—later launched a second community based organization called For The Streets, by The Streets Youth Foundation; its mission is to serve the needs of at risk inner city kids.

Due to her current commitments to her music career and her position with the city of San Leandro, Wiley has put both foundations into what she calls a “long term planning and funding phase,” with the intention of modeling them after the successful Harlem Children’s Zone—an organization created by Geoffrey Canada that serves inner city youth from eight months to 21 years old. Wiley says that 97 percent of the kids involved in the Zone graduate high school and 100 percent of them place above grade level in Star testing. She also notes that President Obama has said he wants this program duplicated throughout the nation.

“I feel that is important to give back to the community that helped me turn my life around,” she says, “and from experience I know that if you touch children between 8 and 13 and show them a better way of life, they will be more inclined to pursue that kind of positive, healthy existence in the future. Abraham Lincoln once said something about leaving the earth better for your children than you inherited it, and that starts with responsibility on all of our parts. As a child who was dealt a bad hand of cards, I had to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles and want to make sure those kids whose lives I impact have an easier time. I want to see them with smiles on their faces and the belief that they can do anything their hearts desire. As a mother, I simply want to provide for my own three kids so that they don’t have to get in trouble to have the basic necessities of life.”

Like all the great rappers who develop an incredible business sense to expand their brand, Wiley has an exclusive clothing line with Morey Alexander, appropriately dubbed “Mo Wear.” Her Mo Wear line will feature hip-hop apparel for women, including casual jeans and T-shirts designed with the female in mind.

“When women traditionally shop for hip-hop apparel, they either end up looking like a guy or come home frustrated,” says Wiley. “I’m going to help design items specifically for them.”

Other lines under the Mo Wear brand will include Wiley Wear, which will feature casual athletic clothes, and her high-end Boss Gurl line, which includes fancier jeans, dresses, knee high boots and sexy but not overly risqué clothing geared towards a high spirited night on the town.

Through MySpace, Wiley also connected with an online merchant site that allows users to create their own product line for memorabilia type items. She began messing around and getting creative and is now selling a line of U.S. postal stamps with her image on them as well as Mo Wiley Keds and Customized Keds featuring pictures and imagery from her photo shoot for Major League Ballin’. In addition to pics of Wiley in her baseball uniform on the front and sides, the shoes feature a candy stripe on the toes and insole—creating a customized candy cane like effect. Fans can check these out at www.zazzle.com/mowiley.