QUEEN ZMC

This post was written by Kilusan Bautista

Life is an on-going process of self discovery. We are offered an abundance of lessons within every chapter of our lives. No matter where we are in life, the challenge is to make the best out of whatever situation we are in and let history be our truth.

Rooted in the influences of Soul music and Hip Hop culture, unconditional love and family, community service and humanity, fashion and beauty, it all adds up to the QUEEN ZMC aka Zuri McDaniels. The present moment is very exciting for Zuri McDaniels because of the vast array of projects quickly approaching in 2011. Zuri is a free spirit, eager to share her positivity, wisdom and love to the world. She cherishes the blessings of the present with sincere optimism to share her voice and allow life to transform her as she willingly accepts the journey ahead.

The name Zuri means beautiful in Swahili. Her father, Kenny Alston, gave her this name and constantly reminded her that true beauty is about service and who you are on the inside. He was a singer who instilled a great amount of self confidence and inner strength within her. He passed away in 2009 and Zuri proudly acknowledges the role her father played in teaching her about unconditional love. One of Zuri’s happiest moments with her father was when he introduced Stevie Wonder to her by singing “Isn’t she lovely.”

For over 18 years, Zuri McDaniels has been married to Darryl McDaniels aka DMC of the legendary rap group RUN DMC. A strong friendship has been the key to their long lasting connection. Zuri McDaniels admires her husband for being patient, humbled and strong minded. He teaches her about integrity and staying true to oneself despite the ups and downs of the entertainment industry. Zuri strives to model these characteristics within her own life work.

Zuri and Darryl have been blessed with their only son, Dson McDaniels. As a mother, Zuri McDaniels encourages her son to be an individual and to define his own character. Her only expectation of him is to be honest and sincere. She reminds him that a true mark of a person is based on what you do when no one is watching. Zuri McDaniels has consistently provided her son with a multitude of opportunities in order for him to find himself but she realizes that his future is in his own hands. At the age of 16, Dson has grown into a respectable young man who is down to earth and loves hockey.

As a result, Zuri McDaniels looks forward to establishing her own non-profit organization for inner city youth called Hockey Moms. She wants to offer other youth the same opportunities that her son had in order to develop as strong individuals. She believes that inner city youth lack the exposure to healthy activities that foster personal development and support. One of the goals within Hockey Moms is for youth to realize that they have choices in life; to believe in their dreams and to actively pursue it. As founder of Hockey Moms, Zuri McDaniels is open to playing whatever role will be needed in the realization of this project. She is receiving a lot of support from other community based organizations that work with youth such as Hip Hop for Life, founded by Tamekia Flowers-Holland. Zuri McDaniels asserts that “now is a very critical time to be in kids’ lives. The community must be more involved in anything that brings hope!”

Zuri looks forward to a potential reality TV show based upon her life’s transformative process. We all ask ourselves, “Who am I” and “What am I becoming?” She is determined to genuinely share with the world her process of self discovery at this stage of life. From daughter, to wife, to mother and now, Zuri McDaniels is becoming the QUEEN ZMC. She has the ambition and drive to fulfill a childhood dream as an actress. With a love for fashion, she aims to produce her own perfume line and establishing herself as a stylist. Zuri has her heart set on sharing her lessons in life through lectures and motivational speaking. Her strongest passion is to inspire others to do what they love and discover themselves.

Zuri McDaniels speaking with students at American Intercontinental University, Atlanta (2011)	Zuri McDaniels with the President of AIU (2011)

Coming Soon: http://zurimcdaniels.com

Stay tuned for more news on the Queen ZMC!