Artist Bio
Melii has the natural ability to ride any beat and a voice that sets her apart. The bilingual rapper first went viral in 2017, when she covered Cardi B’s "Bodak Yellow," and delivered bars in Spanish and English, shocking music lovers and putting herself on the map. That same year, Melii’s debut single “No Simple Chick” went viral on SoundCloud.
Melii’s 2018 single, “Icey,” kept the momentum going for her, after her viral year in 2017. She later cracked the Billboard Hot 100 in April 2019 with her single “HML” featuring fellow New York artist A Boogie Wit da Hoodie.
Melii was born in Manhattan, New York, but moved to the projects in East Harlem at an early age. She developed a strong love for J. Cole’s music which eventually led to the discovery of her own musical talents. While developing as an artist, Melii looked up to Nicki Minaj, Lil Kim, and the late Amy Winehouse. Melii is of Dominican descent, and proud of it, often showcasing her bilingual abilities in her music, both in lyrics and in production.
While she's certainly carved out her own lane in an area that straddles rnb and rap, her music career hasn't necessarily been smooth sailing. The New Yorker sparked controversy after dropping her debut album phAses on March 27, 2019 under Tory Lanez's record label One Umbrella. She had been previously associated with Meek Mill, opening up for the rapper on his "Motivation" tour-- and it was presumed she would be signing to his label. However, it did not turn out that way and Meek Mill accused Tory Lanez of "stealing his artist" in a brief online spat. Melii has also previously spoken publicly on being mismanaged, and taken advantage of, by older male management.
Nonetheless, Melii moved on, quickly following up phAses with the EP MOTIONS, also in 2019. Since then, Melii has avoided any and all forms of public drama, clearly focusing on her music and her music alone.
Photo credit: Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images
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