Maryum “May May” Ali

Maryum “May May” Ali, was born and raised in Chicago IL. When she was 6 years old, her father, Muhammad Ali, asked her what she wanted to do in life. May May replied, “I want to help people.” Helping people took many forms in May May’s life. With an agenda of being a positive role-model for youth, she pursued a career as a rap artist from 1989 to 1993, and released her debut album, “The Introduction” with Scottie Bros. Records. She also performed as a stand-up comic from 1990 to 2004 on shows with comedians such as Robin Harris, Chris Rock, Paul Mooney, Chris Tucker and Jim Carey.

Working in the entertainment business was an interesting experience to say the least, but when May May realized that the rap music industry was going in the direction of “Gangsta Rap,” she decided to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work so that she could help youth directly in underserved communities. These days, she uses her comedic skills for raising awareness and funding for Parkinson’s disease research. May May produces the Annual “Knock Out Parkinson’s Comedy Show” every November at the Comedy Store in Hollywood, CA.

In 2003, Maryum became a published authored with her inspirational children’s book titled, “I Shook Up the World: The Incredible Life of Muhammad Ali. For the past 12 years, she has worked in the field of social services as a Case Manager and as a Director of gang prevention programs in South Los Angeles. Currently, she is a Regional Manager at the Mayor’s Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development in the City of Los Angeles.