| GrandMaster Melle Mel |
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GRANDMASTER MELLE MEL
“Pre-eminence and all the large effects that troop with majesty..”
Shakespeare, King Lear
“The Gun Show is in effect..”
Grandmaster Mele Mel, 2006
While many MC’s in the Hip-Hop game talk all day long about ‘keeping it real’ and ‘having game’, those who
really have it have no need to make such proclamations.
Mele Mel can be tagged a pioneer, a legend, a godfather, all those things. But first and foremost he is an
MC. And his devastating ability on the mic matters before all else.
Emerging as a teenager in the Bronx in the late 1970s, the birthplace of Hip-Hop culture, Mele Mel can
undoubtedly be called the first real MC superstar of Hip-Hop. Without the benefits of MTV, the internet or
mp3’s, his popularity was based initially on the worldwide circulation of underground tapes and later
records. In the communication age it is incredible to think about how massively popular he became
internationally without any of the means that we take for granted today.
From his early appearances in the formative years of the culture, Mele Mel has had the ability to make jaws
hit the deck whenever he has picked up a mic. Before there were records, samplers, drum machines and
pro-tools, he had to rely upon his writing, his lyrical ability and his skill at weaving multi-layered three
dimensional stories that put the listener right into the middle of whatever subject he chose to discuss. This
rapidly catapulted him into fame and recognition, since nobody else had the combination of aggressive,
focussed delivery, timing and lyrical repertoire to compete with Mele Mel. Very soon after first making the
scene, Mele Mel was quickly becoming a legend.
Being incredibly successful worldwide at a relatively early stage in his career, Mele had the opportunity to
travel the world and understand the diversity of music, human nature and culture. This is the key aspect
that characterizes everything about him to this day, and allows him insights that wannabe superstars could
never comprehend. He speaks on a higher level that could only be perceived by a person with his
experiences and knowledge of both the artistry of music and the world in general.
Over the course of his long career, Mele has been constantly sought after by luminaries such as Chaka
Khan, U2, Quincy Jones, Duran Duran, the late 2Pac, Funkadelic, The Last Poets and many others. His
records have been covered by major artists such as Ice Cube and The Dogg Pound all the way to having
entire verses of his quoted verbatim by underground NYC legend Mr Voodoo. This ability to appeal to
every single level of the musical spectrum and maintain his credibility and fan base consistently is the key
to what makes Mele Mel so revered, not just in Hip-Hop but in music. While he is a powerful battle MC, with
the physique to match his verbal firepower, he is also a very humble and respectful individual, rare
attributes that make major international superstars some of his biggest fans and regular collaborators.
Mele Mel has won three Grammy Awards.
In 2007 the King steps up to the plate with a new album of material that is completely contemporary but
retains the same drive and focus he has always had. Not a comeback by any means, since he has always
been working, touring and constantly been in demand for guest appearances on records, prominent as
both an ambassador and articulate spokesperson for the Hip-Hop nation, and a source of inspiration to
many artists.
For those expecting 70’s flavored throwback jams or an attempt to redo his classics over, there will be a
major surprise when they hear the new record. As Mele says, he is “The A to Z of music”..important word,
music. The album is completely up to date, indeed ahead of the game, and allows Mele to show not just that
he is a lover of music but a student of the game with varied influences and he is anxious to illustrate his
diversity rather than just be considered an old school MC. At the same time, his lyrical skill and distinctive
delivery are all present and correct and as on point as always. He brings his usual style and confidence to
his lyrics, something that has been lacking in the game for several years.
The majority of the new album is produced by Black Solaris Productions “Harlem’s Realest” who deliver
heavyweight sonic soundscapes which perfectly complement Mel’s delivery. Black Solaris is Hen Rockk
and Joey Mekkah (a Hip-Hop legend in his own right, better known to many as Romeo JD of the Boogie
Boys).
Featuring powerful socio-economic commentary with cleverly observed analyses of how the world
operates today, to wryly observed points such as the McDonalds plan to make America obese, all the way
across the board to straight up MC braggadocio, Mele Mel plays the whole map as far as his range. From
the man who created the all time classic ‘The Message’, to this day the template for so called ‘reality rap’
expect nothing less than the truth, hardcore and undiluted. A particular highlight is the trilogy of songs
which through cleverly interwoven use of allegorical references and metaphors document the journey of
people from actual slavery to the present day mental slavery and economic prisons in a so called free
society.
All delivered with cutting and devastatingly on point critiques on issues such as the war, the drug situation
and society.
Another thing that shines through is his sense of wanting to inject some standards and provoke thought
through his lyrics. The song ‘Blow’ works on many levels and needs several listens to fully appreciate just
how clever and intricately detailed the verses are. Powerful, hard hitting and to the point, while musically
and lyrically captivating. Produced by Dame Grease, the tough production complements the flow perfectly.
Other songs such as ‘Muscles’ define where Mele is at both physically and verbally, balancing club appeal
with straight up Mele Mel lyrics. Likewise ‘Clapper’ will take people by surprise, illustrating Mel’s diversity
as an artist and his ability to do a ‘dirty south’ track that kicks just as hard as any. Underground New York
sensation Lynx provides a hook on ‘Dime Lo’ which is guaranteed to blow up the Spanish community from
East LA to the Lower East Side. ‘Hit List’ is pure Mele Mel, uncut and raw.
This is Mele Mel’s first ever solo album in his illustrious career, and as such there are deliberately no guest
rappers. The only additional appearances on the record are spoken parts by Ice Cube and Joey Mekkah
(formerly Romeo JD of the Boogie Boys). The album was recorded entirely in New York over a period of
almost 18 months.
While being exactly the sort of catchy, well engineered record that is guaranteed to blow up radio, Mele
still brings a lot of lyrical dexterity and his trademark delivery, which elevates the record way above the
level of slick over engineered radio songs into the realm of something with a lot more substance.
Further showing diversity, songs such as ‘One More’ slide across the whole range from the hilarious intro
to balancing the humor with a strong positive message all cooked up in a pot with some banging
production from Heatmakerz. Standing up next to any major club banger out at the moment, Mele again
shows that far from being outdated, he is in fact setting trends and experimenting with styles. For someone
who created so many of the popular styles (often uncredited) used today, it is only expected that he would
push the bar further and in new directions. Complacency, creative or otherwise, is not a word in Mele Mel’s
vocabulary.
Coupled to his extraordinary physical presence, being a world class professional bodybuilder who
competes regularly, Mele Mel drops an album that raises the whole standard for music in 2007. Never one
just to sit back and be content with the immense amount of respect and love shown to him by the Hip-Hop
nation, being the first Hip-Hop inductee to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in March 2007, Mele Mel is clearly
just as hungry and fired up as he was when he first grabbed the mic.
As a further example of his diversity, as well as reflecting his love of motivating people in a positive
manner, Mele also releases a children’s audio book in October 2006 “The Portal In The Park”. Written and
performed by Mele in collaboration with renowned New York psychiatrist M. Casey, it allows Mele to
showcase his skills in another arena while still bringing his trademark style, performance and incredible
writing ability to the table. The book is endorsed by Mele Mel’s friend, collaborator, and entertainment
industry godfather Quincy Jones. Mele Mel’s previously published writing was a chapter in Quincy Jones’
autobiography “Q”.
Grandmaster Melle Mel´s Solo Album: Muscles
1. "Ice Cube Intro/Blow" feat. Ice Cube- 2:17
2. "The Clapper"- 4:01
3. "New Truck"- 4:52
4. "M-3: The New Message"- 4:11
5. "Left, Right, Left"- 4:40
6. "Muscles"- 4:12
7. "One More"- 4:17
8. "Dimelo"- 4:06
9. "Hit List"- 4:11
10."Move"- 4:22
11."Another Hot Track"- 4:02
12."Oh! What a Night"- 3:56
13."Tha Bushes"- 6:31
14."Cotton"- 4:30
15."Crossfire"- 5:15
16."Sellin' Those Things"- 4:09
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| NEWS |
| 30th Anniversary Breaks Tour feat Kurtis Blow & Kurtis Blow Jr.
Europen Tour 2010
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| 30th Anniversary Breaks Tour |
| Kurtis Blow with Kurtis Blow Jr, will be touring in Europe between the months of Sept & Oct of 2010! Performing classic Hip Hop Songs such The Breaks, Basketball, Christmas Rappn, Tough, If I Ruled the World, and many more. This Hip Hop Classic Rap show is guranteed to be a winner. |
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