‘90s Singer Kia Jeffries, Who Killed Her Pro-boxer Husband, Is Now a Proud Mom – What She’s up to after Fame

Find out what happened to '90s' singer Kia Jeffries, who killed her pro-boxer husband in self-defense and is now a loving mother of her only son.

Kia Jeffries started her music career in her early teens. The Queens, New York native began earning from music while performing with hippie icon Paul Simon.

In the early days of her career, she spent one month in Yokohama, Japan, with a Harlem-based band. Her knack for hustling and networking led to her bagging her first deal with Epic Records as a member of a four-girl R&B group called Oscar in the early 1990s.

Jeffries' time in Oscar was short-lived as the group did not last long together. She became a member of the female R&B group named 4KaST.

4KaST consisted of Jeffries, Kisha, Sharissa Dawes, and Tasha. It was formed in 1995 and released the album "Any Weather," in 1998. Unfortunately, the group disbanded after their only album.

Jeffries' reputation rose steadily through her impact in the groups she had been part of, and she started getting more opportunities. She began working with famed music producer Troy Taylor.

She also wrote, sang, and produced for film and television. In addition, she gained exposure by going on tour with popular musicians like Chaka Khan, Stevie J, Funkmaster Flex, Puff Daddy, Biggie Smalls, and so many more.

Jeffries is probably best known for singing the hook and verse on Akinyele's 1996 hip-hop anthem "Put It In Your Mouth." The song is considered a classic and remains one of the hottest and most sampled in hip hop history.

The song was recorded in a day at Power Play Studios in Queens and was a pioneering example of blunt female sexuality in rap.

The song reflected Akinyele and Jeffries' backgrounds. While he already had an album to his name, she was an aspiring R&B singer and Broadway performer.

"Put It In Your Mouth" told a story of absurd contrasts and combined a sweet, sing-songy chorus and a 70s acoustic guitar sampling that collided with aggressive calls for sex.

The details of her altercation with her late husband and how he died will haunt her for the rest of her life.

In an interview with Vice.com, Jeffries said Akinyele came to her with the song. He had the beat and the hook. After he said his verse, she was taken aback.

He then asked her to write a naughty verse. Then, she knew she had to go hard to represent the ladies because of his naughty verse. She also noted that people really loved the song and gravitated towards it because of its disrespectful nature.

Jeffries also released a mix-CD/playlist titled "Retroactive," which was a cool blend of eclectic originals and clever interpolations soothing to the ear. To date, her latest singles are streaming on Apple Music, Tidal, Spotify, and other music platforms.

In 2012, Jeffries found herself in the news after being involved in a tragedy. This came after she shot and killed her husband and former professional boxer Earnest Mahir Abdul-Mateen at a motel in Georgia.

Before Abdul-Mateen's death, he and Jeffries had been married for 14 years. However, the couple got into a violent altercation in November 2012 after he discovered her at the Venture Drive hotel near Duluth.

Jeffries claimed her deceased husband repeatedly pistol-whipped her with his handgun before she pulled the trigger and shot him in the chest.

When officers arrived at the scene of the shooting, they found Abdul-Mateen in a hallway while Jeffries was seen outside with serious injuries to her face and head. She also confirmed she shot her husband.

Medics transported the couple to a hospital where Abdul-Mateen was confirmed dead. In their initial report, the police determined the former boxer hit his wife with a handgun until he got exhausted.

When he got tired, she managed to turn the gun on him and pulled the trigger. The cops also said Abdul-Mateen had active warrants against him for false imprisonment and battery arising from a previous incident with Jeffries.

Later, investigators said Jeffries would not face charges in Abdul-Mateen's shooting as she did so in self-defense. However, the tragedy inspired her to become a Mental Health Awareness & Anti-Domestic Violence Activist.

She has since participated actively in providing food, shelter, and other help to the needy and partners with churches and groups to help disadvantaged people.

However, the details of her altercation with her late husband and how he died will haunt her for the rest of her life. Despite this, she hopes that speaking about it and helping others will help her and others in similar situations to find healing.

Presently, Jeffries hosts her own radio show on Wu-World Radio. She hosts "The Collab Show" from 1-3 pm from Sunday to Thursday.

On July 18, she announced she would be hosting the show by sharing a video and picture that showed her in a black printed Wu-Tang T-shirt. She urged her fans to download the Wu World Radio app and listen to her show.

Jeffries continues to make music and recently announced the release of the video of a song she collaborated in. She also has a YouTube channel though she last posted a video there a year ago.

She is also a loving mom to her only son, Zaire Mateen, who turned 23 on February 26. She celebrated his birthday by sharing multiple pictures of him, including throwback snaps from his childhood days. In the post's caption, she wrote:

"MY ONLY CHILD IS 23 YEARS OLD TODAY. I AM BLESSED TO BE THE MOM HE SELECTED."

In June, the proud mom celebrated her son's graduation from North Illinois University by sharing a video from his graduation ceremony. In the post's caption, she wrote:

"BLACK MAN GRAD HE DID IT! THEY CALLED HIS NAME... THEN HE WALKED...💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾🎉🎉🎉🎉😜 wait 4 it…"

Jeffries has paid her dues to the music industry and left an indelible mark in it. Although she has suffered a tragedy, it is great to see that she has recovered from the setback to stay relevant and be a loving mom to her son.