Melii
Please don't play, you know I value time
I ain't fishin' out here, on the grind
Assertive rapper, singer, and songwriter Melii made significant commercial headway in 2017 with a bilingual remake of Cardi B's "Bodak Yellow," but she promptly made it known that she had more to offer than creative twists on the work of other artists. Raised on an assortment of Dominican and Latin fusion sounds in her Harlem household, Melii had her head turned in another direction when a cousin played her J. Cole's "College Boy." At the time, Melii was only nine years old, but the track pointed her toward rap as a viable creative outlet beyond writing. She made her official recorded debut in August 2017 with the mellow but assured "No Simple Chick," followed it two months later with "Bodak Yellow," and by the end of the year had released a third single, the tougher "Balling." The atmospheric "Bk Woe" and pouty yet swaggering "Icey" were issued in early 2018 as Melii prepared the release of her first album. - Andy Kellman
Every so often you stumble upon a music video and ask yourself, “Why isn’t everyone talking about this song, about this artist?” Enter: 20-year-old rapper Melii and the music video for her explosive single, “Icey.” On camera, Melii appears indomitable. Her confidence is chilling and empowering, and her delivery is shattering. Over blown-out bass, Melii situates herself on top of the world, and with the world in her hands. - DJBOOTH
20-year-old Harlem artist Melii just released the second single from her upcoming debut project Phases, and it follows Icey which already has close to a million views. Melii is definitely showing us that the New York native can alter between singing and rapping flawlessly. Fans of Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX will love the hybrid songstress. Definitely having the potential to be a summer anthem, “Charlie’s Line” is a gem. Listen below! - The Plug Society