MC Melodee has been active in the music industry for over 15 years. Next to being writer, performer and leader of her band La Melodia with whom she performed all over the globe, she leads a Peer Education Project and is director of a platform for female hip hop artists Dam Dutchess in her home base Amsterdam.
MC Melodee, whom you might have met in the past while working at Fatbeats record store and Kindred Spirits Records Amsterdam, can be found MC-ing in Hollands club circuit in venues like Bitterzoet, Paradiso and Jimmy Woo or on Dutch festivals including North Sea Jazz festival, Appelsap, Mysteryland, Latin Village and Valtifest amongst others. Or you might hear her dropping by occasionally on Future Vintage Radio, a weekly radio show that she weekly hosted up till 2010 on Holland’s radio program ’3 voor 12′ on 3FM radio.
In 2012 Cookin’ Soul sets up a collaboration between Melodee and Billboard #1 artist Mac Miller. This song called Genius is like the other songs one of the singles of the mixtape Check Out Melodee produced by Cookin’ Soul, hosted by DJ Whoo Kid which was released spring 2012. The mixtape which was released on Dat Piff featured respectable international artists like Mac Miller, Smiff n Wessum, Chuck Inglish (Cool Kids), Ohno, Mucho Muchacho, Griffi and DJ Whoo Kid. More European shows followed that year for MC Melodee, especially in Spain where she reached a lot of new fans after doing an interview for MTV Spain and a covershoot for HipHopLife Magazine with her new partners in music Cookin’ Soul.
After the succes of “Check Out Melodee“, MC Melodee starts to work on a new project with Cookin’ Soul late 2012. The first two videosingles of this album called Ain’t My Style and Exhale which were released early 2013, introduce MC Melodee & Cookin Souls first official album together: My Tape Deck. This album which was released digitally & on limited vinyl April 2013 on Jakarta Records (DE) is a 90s inspired hip hop album with features by Bootie Brown (The Pharcyde), Jet Life Records rapper Fiend and Hollands upcoming singer Feliciana. The third video Think Twice which was shot in Melodee’s homeland Curacao, was released late May 2013.
Think Twice is the third single of MC Melodee’s new album My Tape Deck and is entirely produced by Cookin Soul’, released April 1st on Jakarta Records (DE).
In a blossoming hip-hop hotbed of talent, Malcolm “Mac Miller” McCormick is next up out of Pittsburgh, PA. A graduate of Taylor Allderdice High School, Mac caught the eyes and ears of Rostrum Records, inking a deal in July 2010.
A multi-talented musician who can play numerous instruments and a young novice of the freestyle/cipher/battle circuit of his hometown, Mac has been paving his way to superstardom in his blue-collar hometown for years. 2011 also showcased Mac’s selling potential as his debut Rostrum EP, On and On and Beyond, sold over 60,000 copies digitally alone. Mac has also sold over a million singles total with little to no radio airplay. His debut LP Blue Slide Park was the first Independent album to go No 1 in the USA since 1995 (selling nearly 150,000 copies in the first week). We caught up with Mac Miller fresh off a plane from the States, as he gets ready for his first ever Australian tour.
aahh: How was the flight out from the states? Mac: It was long, but it wasn’t that bad actually, flying first class on Qantas was heavenly.
aahh: You hail from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, tell us a bit about the city of Pittsburgh? Mac: It’s a great place man. The best thing about Pittsburgh is that it kind of has a bit of everything, its one very chill place. There’s not a lot of stuff to do, so there’s a lot of kids running around. It’s a very imagination brewing city.
aahh: This is your first time out here in Australia. Did you have any perceptions about what Australia would be like leading in to the tour? Mac: All my friends told me great things, so it was all positive expectations. So far they are right, it’s a beautiful place, and the people are really friendly. I can’t wait to see more.
aahh: You have been travelling quite a lot lately, you’ve recently performed in Japan and Austria, how were those shows? Mac: They were great, you know to perform in japan and see that the people over there know who you are, it’s a crazy experience and it’s definitely a special moment. Same with the shows Austria. The crowds were great, you know I’m not pulling 70,000 or anything, but it’s great for where I am at the moment.
aahh: What should the australian crowds be expecting from a Mac Miller show? Mac: A lot of energy. It’s basically like hanging out with me for an hour. I want the crowd to get to know me a little bit better.
aahh: Your debut LP, Blue Side Park reached number 1 on the US Billboard200 chart and was the 1st independently distributed album to do so in the last decade. How did you feel about that? Mac: It was cool. I don’t think initially I freaked out as much as I should have. Some of my friends were like ‘hey man, this is a big deal’. It was cool to see a lot of people get behind the album and show their support.
aahh: We hear you’ve been working hard on the new album Watching Movies With The Sound Off. How’s that process going? Mac: It’s great, it’s been a very creative process. I have a studio at my house now, so there’s no limitations. I can do whatever I want. It’s fun and exciting to go on a little musical journey.
aahh: I guess that provides you with a lot of freedom, having the studio in your house? Mac: Yeah for sure, you can wake up in the morning, play 3 notes on the piano, take a shower play another 3 notes, have some breakfast, play another 3 notes. It’s hard to get out of the studio sometimes, which is a good thing.
aahh: The title of the album Watching Movies With The Sound Off, is an interesting title can you explain the concept behind the name? Mac: It all stems from… well, it’s a literal title in that it’s what kind of goes on in the studio. We watch movies with the sound off, and we lay over new soundtracks. It’s deals with a lot of stuff, it’s very complicated but basically it’s a visual experience through music.
aahh: You’re currently working on a number of projects, one of which is under your production moniker Larry Fisherman, producing Odd Future affiliate Vince Staples’ upcoming EP, Tales of A Stolen Youth. How did you become involved in this project? Mac: Vince came over with Earl one day to the house, he is a very very talented rapper, he is incredible. I was getting really serious with beats and production and this idea came up to do this EP, and its exceeded both our expectations with the level of quality on the record. We are both really excited to put this out.
aahh: At the end of last year you were announced as Complex’s ‘Man of Next Year’, does recognition from outlets such as Complex mean a lot to you as an artist? Mac: It’s really nice you know. You sometimes see this thing from artists who say ‘I don’t give a fuck what some magazine or journalist writes about me’ or ‘I don’t care’ but at the end of the day, it’s nice to have that acknowledgement and respect from people whose job is to write about music is cool. You can say what you want but at the end of the day it’s great to see your work being appreciated.
aahh: You made music news headlines here in Australia mid to late last year when you became involved in a lawsuit with Lord Finesse. Is that situation close to resolution?
Mac: It’s all resolved now man, and it’s something we’ve both moved on from. Now it’s just a thing of the past.
aahh: We’ve just heard that film clip for the track ‘Donald Trump’ recently cracked over 75 million views. Looking back to when you did the track, did you ever predict this kind of success? Mac: I didn’t, but my friend Q did. He said oh yeah, this records was going to be my first records that was going to go platinum. In the next couple of weeks, with how sales are going at the moment this should be my first platinum record in the states.
aahh: Another project we want to ask you about is the mixtape ’92 Til Infinity’ with DJ Jazzy Jeff, is that project still happening? Mac: Yeah man it is, it’s all about timing and not throwing too much at people too fast. Me and Jazzy have been talking about that for while now and we both agree. It’s been in the works for a couple of years now, but we both have had a couple of records that we’re working on. This project means a lot to me and it’s an inspiring project and deals a lot with where I came from as an artist.
aahh: The last thing we want to asks you about is the new tv show that’s about to air titled Mac Miller & The Most Dope Family, can you tell us a bit about the show? Mac: It’s a reality show and it’s just about me and my friends in California, hanging out and just having a good time. I’m really interested to see how it’s received. It was a lot of fun and something different, that at the time I was so focussed on my music that I needed something that I could focus energy on outside that, so it was. California is great, I love it out there.
Mac Miller & The Most Dope Family, premiers next week. Watching Movies With The Sound Off is due early this year.
Widely regarded as one of the country’s most imaginative MCs—with a natural charisma that sets him apart from the horde of anonymous rappers vying for your attention. In the past year he’s performed everywhere from parties in Phnom Penh to the iconic Sydney Opera House (he stole the show in the much lauded Dr Seuss meets Elefant Traks events).
Drums packs major punch with The Tongue’s trademark sharp flows and cheeky wordplay. The sophisticated new-school production comes courtesy of Cam Bluff (Vegas Aces), showing why peers rate him as one of local hip hop’s most exciting producers. The pair have a dynamic chemistry, re-sulting in Cam Bluff producing The Tongue’s entire album.
The Tongue joins US star Mac Miller on his debut Australian tour (East Coast dates only). Tickets are available from Ticketek & selling fast. Surrender to Victory is out March 29 on Elefant Traks.
Having toured with the Hilltop Hoods and hailing out of Vancouver, British Columbia by way of London, Ontario the hip-hop duo Okay City is the always hard-working, always entertaining collaborative effort of Ray Black and Bill Maka. Armed with an unquestionably good sense of music and a hip-hop swagger all their own, the two young emcees have been steadily building a name for themselves writing and performing across southwestern Ontario since mid-2006.
Sharing a similar vision, Bill Maka, 23, and Ray Black, 22, bring to their audience two distinct styles. This blend of Maka’s explosive and edgy delivery and Black’s laid-back smooth flow, along with their eclectic soundscapes, are what make Okay City unique and places them among the brightest of the new generation of Canadian music acts.Bill Maka, born William Makrigaini, was raised in Kitchener, Ontario on a musical diet of rock spanning from the early days of rock n’ roll to the classic rock of the 1980s. It wasn’t until his late teens that Bill discovered his talent as a rapper. Through his skill, performances, tireless efforts and self-promotion Bill quickly garnered local success and notoriety as Kitchener’s premier rap act.
Ray Black, born Raymond Anthony Black, similarly came of age in one of Ontario’s small townships. Growing up listening to his parent’s jazz, reggae and Motown records in Oakville, Ontario Black developed a desire to write lyrics at an early age. Like many in his generation, hip-hop had left an indelible mark on his life and Black soon began writing rhymes. After honing his skill and deciding on a career in music, Ray left Oakville for London, Ontario, where he would cross paths with his future rhyming partner.The fall of 2005 found both emcees independently releasing solo debuts while also pursuing a seat in the nationally renowned Music Industry Arts program at Fanshawe College. After hearing each other’s music Maka and Black quickly developed a bond and found common ground not in rap-style but in a desire to entertain and a love for the live show. Shortly thereafter the two began performing together and within a year Okay City was born.
Fast forward to the present and we’ll find Okay City residing in Vancouver, BC. Having toured with Mac Miller, Talib Kweli, Hilltop Hoods, Sweatshop Union and Swollen Members.Okay City are in for a huge 2011.
From Okay City’s most recent tours with The Hilltop Hoods and Sweatshop Union
