The Blessed Madonna | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The Blessed Madonna performing at All Points East Festival in Victoria Park, London, on May 27, 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Marea Stamper[1] |
| Born | October 22, 1977 Kentucky, United States |
| Genres | House, techno, disco |
| Occupation(s) | DJ, remixer, producer |
| Instrument(s) | Turntables |
| Website | theblessedmadonna |
Marea Stamper (born 1977),[2][3] better known by her stage name The Blessed Madonna (formerly The Black Madonna), is an American DJ, producer[4] and musician.[1][5] Mixmag named her the DJ of the year in 2016.[6] She founded her own record label called We Still Believe.[7]
A high-school dropout who was bullied for her gender-nonconforming appearance,[8] Stamper started her career in the late 1990s, selling mixtapes by underground DJs at raves.[1] Stamper studied English at the University of Louisville and was the general manager for the college radio station.[9]
In 2013, she released her EP Lady of Sorrows. In 2014, she released two singles, “Stay” and “Exodus”. On November 11, 2016, she released the single “He Is the Voice I Hear” at Gramaphone Records in Chicago, Illinois. The song was later released on streaming platforms through her own label, We Still Believe, in the beginning of 2017. In 2018, The Blessed Madonna appeared as herself in Grand Theft Auto Online, as part of the After Hours DLC.[10] She has been called "one of the world's most exciting turntablists."[11]
Stamper's former stage name, The Black Madonna, references the Black Madonna paintings of the Virgin Mary, a tribute to her family's favorite Catholic saint.[12] Historically, Stamper defended the use of The Black Madonna, citing her Catholic faith as a reason for her attachment to the icon.[13] However, in response to a Change.org petition that raised concerns of racial insensitivity, Stamper changed her stage name to The Blessed Madonna on July 20, 2020. She cited "controversy, confusion, pain and frustration" caused by the previous name and stated, "People who shared that devotion loved the name, but in retrospect I should have listened harder to other perspectives."[14]
On July 27, 2020, British singer Dua Lipa announced the release of a remix by Stamper of her song "Levitating" featuring American artists Madonna and Missy Elliott to serve as the fifth single of her 2020 album, Future Nostalgia. The remix was released on August 14, 2020.[15] On August 4, Dua Lipa announced Club Future Nostalgia, which was mixed by Stamper, and features previously announced guests Madonna and Missy Elliott, as well as Mark Ronson, Gwen Stefani, and others.[16] In late 2021, Stamper began hosting regular shows on BBC Radio 6 Music on Saturday nights. In 2022, Stamper released the single "Serotonin Moonbeams" which featured vocals from singer Uffie, as well as a sample from Burton Inc.'s "Why Don't You Let Me Know". The track interpolated Suzanne Vega's hit song "Tom's Diner".
In 2016, The Blessed Madonna came out as bisexual while speaking out against U.S. President Donald Trump.[17]
