The music industry is a lot like the NFL. The average life span of a rapper is just under three years. To be honest, three years is generous given today’s changing sounds and landscape. We all know the rappers that were here in 2016 and gone by this January. However, there are those few that are able to string together a few hits and remain somewhat relevant. Then, there are the artists who are able to put together bodies of work and build a fan base. Above all, there are the musicians who can produce music for themselves and those around them. This is the best way to describe Harlem’s own, Melii.
Melii is not new to those who know. She’s put together remixes of the biggest hits of recent memories, had her music featured on The Joe Budden Podcast “sleepers” segment, and earned new fans with her break out hit, “Icey.” However, her music entered new ears when she scored a major co-sign from Rihanna.
A few months after dropping her smash hit, Rihanna featured the song on a Fenty Beauty Product Review video. As you can imagine, Melii went from being the next big thing in New York to being the next big thing worldwide. Since then, she’s collaborated with Tory Lanez, Meek Mill, and A Boogie. In addition, she’s dropped her debut project and gone on tour with Meek Mill.
The New York artist stands out because she does everything and checks all the boxes. Melii can sing, rap, write, speak two languages, and control a crowd. In an age where artists go from streaming sites to stages too quickly, it appears that Melii can’t get to the big stage quick enough. When asked when she realized music was her passion, Melii told Billboard, “I never had another path.” That’s probably for the best. With records like “HML” and “Bk Woe,” she is destined to be a part of the next crop of Grammy-nominated artists.
Melii is prepping for the release of her next major project next year. In the meantime, she’ll be traveling down to the nation’s capital to perform at Midnite BBQ alongside Saweetie and AlunaGeorge. Def Pen will be on site to tell you everything about the rising star.
