SWEET WITH A BITE: in conversation with MAHA ELJAK 

MAHA ELJAK – the fearless model-turned-punk-turned-musician – is debuting No Profit on Glamcult TV in collaboration with Dr. Martens.

Maha’s a Black, Muslim, Sudanese woman who’s not here to conform – she brings attitude, ambition, and outfits to match. She’s punk but she’s polite with it (as long as you’re on her side, that is). Rage fuels her on stage, political activism fills her zines, but IRL she’s like a soft-spoken angel descended from heaven, dapperly clad in argyle socks and buttoned-up collars. Her style speaks in dialects: part pirate, part preppy, all Maha. And one thing she’s learned early-on is when your parents don’t like your shoes, you know you’re doing it right. She knows exactly what she’s here for: community, care, and a chunky sole. Perfect timing, because the Dr. Martens DMXL V2 Mary Jane is available at Glamcult Store now <3 

No Profit’ is such a raw, urgent debut: a protest track that calls out the violence of power and profit. What pushed you to write it now, and who were you speaking to directly in the track?
It’s inspired by the current state of the world, where I see people suffering and dying, literally calling for help while leaders and companies fill their pockets with money. And it really frustrates me because those people hold so much power. And instead of using their power for good they’re making everything worse. I feel like leaders should really look after people. You shouldn’t have power if you don’t want to invest in your own people. 

What did you learn about yourself through making this track?
This song shows that I’m not afraid to speak the uncomfortable truths that everybody tries to sweep under the rug. And it shows my care for people and the world, and that music can be a tool to speak up for those who are silenced and ignored. It’s so important to look after each other and to speak up about important matters. As an artist, I always try to reflect the times. Instead of singing about the weather, I try to write about what I see happening around me. Because my home, Sudan, is also going through a war right now. And so many people are complicit with this war. 

Your music tackles injustice head-on, but it’s also deeply emotional. If you had to describe your music to someone in three words, how would you do it?
Urgent, danceable, and honest. 

What are the feelings that are at the base of your lyrics?
It’s a lot of emotions. I would definitely say rage and anger, but also things I’m writing about right now: hope, home, and belonging.

What’s your first musical memory?
My dad always used to play music at home in the car. From Bob Marley to Tracy Chapman, Whitney Houston. And making music myself started very, very early in high school. I joined this pop choir, and that’s where I really felt it would be a big part of my life, haha. Because there were always others who got to sing solo, and never me. It really frustrated me. But that’s where I really felt like music is going to be a huge part of my life. Later, I discovered pop-punk music when I went to college. That’s where I got to know new people who were into that.

You’ve been performing live for a while now, but this is the first time you’re officially releasing your music. What does a stage give you?
Yes, so this is all very new, I started performing in 2024. I think I’ve done 10 shows at different venues and with different amounts of people. I’ve had sold out shows, but also performed for five people and I’ve also had people walk away, but my feeling after the show remains the same. After I perform I still get that rush, I don’t care how many people are there – I just really enjoy sharing my story, sharing my music. I just feel… Heard, maybe? I feel like performing lets me express everything. In my day to day life, I don’t really talk about things that I’m going through or things in the world but I talk about it when I’m on stage – that’s where everything flows out of my body, with all different emotions. 

That sounds special! How did growing up as a Black, Muslim, Sudanese woman shape not just your politics, but your sound?
For me being a Black Muslim woman means always feeling the pressure to prove myself, because I’m living three layered identities at once. My music tells these truths through deep, straightforward lyrics carried by instrumentals that make you move literally and figurally. I’m actually writing a song about that right now, about how my identities can feel complex for some people. My sister said that it’s triple suicide, you know, to be a Black, Muslim woman. And it’s actually really dependent on how you approach it. I really embraced it. I didn’t when I was younger, but I’m just really proud of who I am now. I’m just trying to make the best out of it, and I’m trying to not let it take me down. I really know who I am, I know what I want and I know who I’m trying to be. I also try to write about it, so people also know what’s on the inside, not just on the surface. Everyone is so individualistic, people don’t care about other people. I just try to evoke that through my music too, to show who I am, where I come from, for that community feeling. Because there’s always stereotypes, there are always assumptions, and I’m just trying to break that through my music. The world is so harsh, and if I just listen to everyone and anyone… that doesn’t help me.

Do you feel like there’s a common misconception about you?
People often have fixed ideas about people like me, assuming my interests and identity don’t align with what’s expected and what I look like. Someone once told me that I was a “bounty” because I didn’t wear “traditional African clothes”? That was so ridiculous and ignorant. Or sometimes people think that I wear a costume, whilst it’s my day-to-day wear. I was tired of that. I can feel judgement from people here in the West but also from home. It can be hard, as a young kid I really tried to fit in with people, but I’ve let that go – I don’t have to, as long as I’m content with myself. Through my art I just want to express my identity on my own terms, free from the constraints of mainstream narratives. I’m just trying to push back against the narrative society puts on me – because we’re not a monolith, you know, we’re our own individuals, and that’s why I’m just all about non-conformity. Not because I want to, because I’m just myself? 

Free of society’s boxes! Dr. Martens has a rich history of being embraced by those who challenge the norm, so I wanted to ask how your style reflects your own identity and politics?
First and foremost, I want to mention that I bought Dr. Martens with my first savings, with my first money. When I told my mom this morning about this collaboration, it felt like such a full-circle moment. I feel like my style evolved very organically. When I hung out with this person at my school, who was really into pop-punk, that’s where I just started dressing like an alternative skater girl. I was really inspired by the people who I hung out with and honestly I was just really copy-paste, basically. And then along the way I discovered artists, I saw Nova Twins, I saw Grace Jones, I saw Pale Waves, I got inspired by the people who I listened to and then I gave it my own twist. It’s very gothic, but it’s also very chic. And that’s kind of how I shaped my current style. Clothes always speak for you, you are what you’re wearing. I feel like my clothes also are a good representation of who I am. My clothes can be very intimidating to people, or they can be bold, maybe challenging. I’m not afraid to experiment with clothes, or to wear outspoken things. I’m just a very bubbly, expressive person, one day I’m just wearing all black, and the other day I combine it with pirate-chic clothes. When I wear bright colours, that part also reflects my personality – I can wear dark clothes but my personality remains the same. I just feel like some princess, but I’m still that bubbly, expressive girl, you know.

We love the way that you styled your Mary-Jane 14XX’s. Do you have any go-to tips for others wanting to style them?
Definitely. The shoes are definitely eye-catchers. I showed them to my parents, and they were like, literally, what are those? But that’s what I like, you know, when my parents don’t like my clothes, I feel accomplished. I feel like you should style them with cute socks with ruffles, to make them cute and edgy, or style them with socks with patterns, that would also be very cool. They’re like a birthday cake, you can just add anything to it! But I would definitely really show them off – no hiding under baggy jeans allowed.

Cute, and what’s the best piece of advice someone’s ever given to you?
That it doesn’t matter what I think in my head, it’s my body that’s talking. I think my dad would always tell me to have faith in myself because if I have faith in myself, I can pull off everything.