Maize ( /ˈmeɪz/ MAYZ; Zea mays L, from Spanish: maíz after Taíno mahiz) known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable or starch. The Olmec and Mayans cultivated it in numerous varieties throughout central and southern Mexico, cooked, ground or processed through nixtamalization. Between 1700 and 1250 BCE, the crop spread through much of the Americas. The region developed a trade network based on surplus and varieties of maize crops. After European contact with the Americas in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, explorers and traders carried maize back to Europe and introduced it to other countries. Maize spread to the rest of the world due to its ability to grow in diverse climates. Sugar-rich varieties called sweet corn are usually grown for human consumption, while field corn varieties are used for animal feed and as chemical feedstocks.

Kellee Maize is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Her first album, Age of Feminine, was released in 2007. Since then, she has released two more albums (Aligned Archetype – 2010 and Integration – 2011). Maize has been involved in the music business just over a decade and has recorded and released three full albums leading to a handful of singles. As of 2011, Kellee’s YouTube videos have combined for over 2 million views, and she has over 70,000 Twitter and Facebook fans. Her albums have been downloaded over 400,000 times, and she has been mentioned in various media outlets over 200 times.

A Google search for “female rapper” displays her website as the Number 1 hit.

Kellee was born in Reading, Pennsylvania and adopted by a family that lived in in New Berlin, a small town in Central Pennsylvania. At the age of nine she started her first rap group, Thunder and Lightning. In 1998 she moved to Pittsburgh where she attended college at the University of Pittsburgh. In 2000 she began rapping and singing on stage, but financial instability led her to the workforce.