Bronson Price,[1] known professionally as Melodownz, is a New Zealand rapper, poet and singer from Avondale, Auckland. Debuting in 2013, Melodownz has released solo projects including Beginners Luck (2014), Avontales (2017) and Melo & Blues (2018), as well as collaborative extended plays with Angelo King, IllBaz and Raiza Biza.
Bronson Price | |
---|---|
Born | Avondale, Auckland, New Zealand |
Genres | Hip hop |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 2013–present |
Labels | Liiightside |
Biography
editMelodownz was raised in Avondale by his Samoan Catholic grandmother, English grandfather and his mother.[2][3] He has Samoan, Pākehā and Ngāpuhi heritage.[4] Melodownz debuted as a musician in 2013,[5] composing reggae/hip-hop songs inspired by his upbringing.[4] He released his debut album Beginners Luck in 2014,[6] and followed this with an extended play as half of the Young Gifted and Broke hip-hop duo Third3ye alongside Angelo King, 3P (2016).[6]
In 2017, Melodownz released the hip hop EP Avontales,[7] and in 2018 released two projects: a collaboration EP High Beams with IllBaz and Raiza Biza, featuring musicians including Teeks and Che Fu,[8] and the double-EP Melo & Blues.[9] Melodownz won the award for Most Promising Artist at the 2019 Pacific Music Awards.[4]
In 2020, Melodownz began Kava Corner, a YouTube interview series where Melodownz interviews New Zealand media personalities and celebrities such as broadcaster John Campbell, boxer Joseph Parker and musician Benee while sharing kava.[10][11] He was nominated for the Breakthrough Artist of the Year award at the 2020 Aotearoa Music Awards.[12]
Discography
editStudio albums
editTitle | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NZ [13] | |||||||
Beginners Luck |
|
— | |||||
Lone Wolf |
|
21 | |||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart. |
Extended plays
editTitle | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NZ Artist [15] | |||||||
3P (among Third3ye) |
|
10 | |||||
Avontales |
|
— | |||||
High Beams (IllBaz + Melodownz + Raiza Biza) |
|
13 | |||||
Melo & Blues |
|
17 | |||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart. |
Singles
editAs lead artist
editTitle | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NZ Hot [20] |
NZ Hot Artist [21] | ||||||
"8Ight 2Wenty 8Ight"[22] | 2016 | — | — | Avontales | |||
"The Anthem (Intro)"[1] (featuring Bailey Wiley) |
2017 | — | — | ||||
"One More"[6] (featuring Israel Starr) |
— | — | |||||
"$on of a Queen"[4] | — | — | |||||
"Live Stream"[8] (IllBaz + Melodownz + Raiza Biza featuring Teeks) |
2018 | — | 16 | High Beams | |||
"Outchea"[23] (IllBaz + Melodownz + Raiza Biza featuring Dirty) |
— | 20 | |||||
"Red Wine"[24] (IllBaz + Melodownz + Raiza Biza featuring High Høøps) |
— | 11 | |||||
"Peace $igns, Gang $igns"[25] | — | 15 | Melo & Blues | ||||
"$moke"[26] (featuring Villette) |
— | 8 | |||||
"No Mercy"[27] (featuring Denzel Curry) |
2019 | 19 | 6 | Non-album singles | |||
"Fine"[28] | 2020 | 16 | 1 | ||||
"Big Deals"[29] (featuring Diggy Dupé) |
35 | 8 | |||||
"Money"[5] | 2021 | 11 | 1 | Lone Wolf | |||
"Pray for More"[30] (featuring Lisi & Mikey Dam) |
2022 | 21 | 1 | ||||
"Slow Jamz"[31] | — | 11 | |||||
"Loot"[32] (featuring Maxo Kream) |
— | 9 | |||||
"Bad"[32] | — | 14 | |||||
"Lingo" (featuring Bleu and Ant Clemons) |
30 | 8 | |||||
"MeloDub (828)" | 2024 | — | — | ||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart. |
As featured artist
editTitle | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NZ Hot [20] |
NZ Hot Artist [21] | ||||||
"Indigenius"[33] (Jono Das and Angelo King featuring Melowdownz) |
2014 | — | — | The Lion & the Lotus | |||
"Bad Luck & Handcuffs"[33] (Jono Das featuring Melodownz & Badcrop) |
2015 | — | — | Non-album single | |||
"Pull Up"[34] (K+Lab featuring Melodownz & Mustafa Akbar) |
2016 | — | — | The Worldly's | |||
"Lips"[35] (Noah Slee featuring Melodownz) |
— | — | Otherland | ||||
"Under the Sun"[36] (Latinaotearoa featuring Melodownz) |
2018 | — | 17 | Influencis Et Collabis | |||
"Good Juju"[37] (K+Lab featuring Melodownz) |
— | — | The Booty Galactic | ||||
"Let's Kick It"[38] (Poetik featuring Melodownz) |
— | 15 | Hamofied | ||||
"Take Me to Your Leader"[39] (Yoko-Zuna featuring Melodownz) |
— | — | Voyager | ||||
"Out Here Alive"[40] (Kings featuring Melodownz) |
37 | 5 | Two | ||||
"Sugar"[41] (Bailey Wiley featuring Melodownz) |
— | 6 | Bailey Wiley EP | ||||
"Spend It"[42] (TY featuring Melodownz) |
38 | 4 | Non-album single | ||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart. |
Promotional singles
editTitle | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NZ Hot [20] |
NZ Hot Artist [21] | ||||||
"Let Me Loose"[43] (Rizván and Melodownz) |
2013 | — | — | Non-album singles | |||
"Cool Like Dat"[44] (Rizván, Melodownz and Diggy Dupé) |
2016 | — | — | ||||
"Hot $auce"[45] | 2017 | — | 14 | ||||
"Infinite"[9] (featuring Coops) |
2018 | — | 12 | Melo & Blues | |||
"To Live and Die in AD"[46] (Choicevaughan featuring Melodownz) |
2019 | 30 | 4 | Deuce | |||
"Pai / Fine"[47] | 2021 | — | — | Non-album single | |||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart. |
Guest appearances
editTitle | Year | Other artists | Album |
---|---|---|---|
"Run" | 2014 | Rizván, Tom Scott, Yané | Tō E La'ā (Sunset) |
"Light Side" | Jay Knight, Raiza Biza | 1/8/94 | |
"Stick Up Kid II" | Jay Knight, Bailey Wiley | ||
"Stick Up Kid III" | Jay Knight, Bailey Wiley | — | |
"Splended Tears" | 2015 | Yoko-Zuna | This Place Here |
"Idfwu" | 2017 | Yayne | Simple Pleasure |
"Attenchun" | Rizván, Freddie Bish | Neverland | |
"One More" | 2018 | Israel Starr, NRG Siring | Israel Starr presents The Producers Chair, Vol. 2 (Neo90sfunkadelicsouldub) |
"Ride Out" | JessB | Bloom | |
"Off the Top" | SWIDT, Diggy Dupé, JessB, Rizván | Stoneyhunga: The Bootleg EP | |
"How Much Fruit?" | 2019 | Troy Kingi | Holy Colony Burning Acres |
"Heart on Fire" | Louis Baker | Open | |
"Trust (Remix)" | Diggy Dupé, Rizván, Poetik, Redd x Rozay, Church & AP | — | |
"Vailima Bottle." | 2021 | Poetik, Lucky Lance | Poetik Justice. |
"Ain't the Same" | Diggy Dupé, Choicevaughan, P. Smith, Summer Vaha'akolo | The Panthers | |
"Kong" | Diggy Dupé, Choicevaughan, P. Smith |
References
edit- ^ a b Bulletproof, Jay (3 May 2017). "The Profile, Ep 1: MeloDownz - The Anthem (Intro)". George FM. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ Wicks, Sam (13 July 2017). "MeloDownz Is About To Become Every NZ Rapper's Favourite Rapper". Vice. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ McInnes, Laura (3 April 2020). "MELODOWNZ Guide to Liiightside (INTERVIEW)". Sniffers. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Melodownz [Ngāpuhi, Samoa, Pākehā]". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ a b Herbert, Conor (15 March 2021). "Why We Like It: Melodownz's "Money"". CentralSauce. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ a b c Kelly, Roisin (3 May 2017). "Is this the NZ hip-hop album of the year right here?". George FM. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ Kunin, Abraham (2017). "Melodownz: Avontales". NZ Musician. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ a b "IllBaz + MELODOWNZ + Raiza Biza Drop Single 'Live Stream' Ft. TEEKS". Under the Radar. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ a b McInnes, Laura (14 December 2018). "Avondale meets North London in Melodownz 'Infinite' music video featuring Coops". Sniffers. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ Brooks, Sam (23 April 2021). "Bottoms up! The best moments from Melodownz's Kava Corner". The Spinoff. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ Southon, Delilah Pārore (5 October 2021). "CARETAKER — The quiet power of rapper, poet and YouTube talkshow host MELODOWNZ". Metro. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "BENEE and the Beths win big at the Aotearoa Music Awards". Radio New Zealand. 13 November 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
- ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 24 October 2022. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- ^ "Beginners Luck LP". Bandcamp. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ Peak positions for Melodownz's albums on the NZ artists top 20 albums chart:
- For 3P: "Official Top 20 NZ Albums". Recorded Music NZ. 1 August 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For High Beams: "Official Top 20 NZ Albums". Recorded Music NZ. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For Melo & Blues: "Official Top 20 NZ Albums". Recorded Music NZ. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "3P". iTunes. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "Avontales". iTunes. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "High Beams". iTunes. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "Melo & Blues". iTunes. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ a b c Peak positions for Melodownz's singles on the NZ hot singles chart:
- For "Out Here Alive": "Hot 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 12 November 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "Spend It": "Hot 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 31 December 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "No Mercy": "Hot 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "To Live and Die in AD": "Hot 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "Fine": "Hot 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 20 April 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "Big Deals": "Hot 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 21 December 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "Money": "Hot 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 15 February 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2022.* * For "Pray for More": "Hot 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 16 April 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- For "Lingo": "Hot 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 28 November 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ^ a b c Peak positions for Melodownz's singles on the NZ artist hot singles chart:
- For "Live Stream": "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 9 July 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "Outchea": "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "Red Wine": "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "Under the Sun": "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 27 August 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "Let's Kick It": "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "Hot $auce": "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 17 September 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "Peace $igns, Gang $igns": "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 29 October 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "Out Here Alive": "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 12 November 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "Sugar": "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 26 November 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "$moke", "Infinite": "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "Spend It": "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 28 January 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "No Mercy": "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 16 December 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "To Live and Die in AD": "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 27 January 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "Fine": "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 13 April 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "Big Deals": "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "Money": "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 15 February 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- For "Pray for More": "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 16 April 2022. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
- For "Slow Jamz": "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 4 June 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- For "Loot": "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 11 July 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
- For "Bad": "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 5 September 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
- For "Lingo": "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 26 November 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ^ McInnes, Laura (31 March 2018). "Melodownz marks spider-town territory on 8ight 2wenty 8ight". Sniffers. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "IllBaz, Melodownz & Raiza Biza release second single from High Beams - 'Outchea' ft. Dirty". muzic.net.nz. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "IllBaz, Melodownz and Raiza Biza share video for 'Red Wine' ft. High Hoops". muzic.net.nz. 31 July 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ McInnes, Laura (18 October 2018). "Peace Sign$, Gang Sign$: The Gemini duality complex of MELODOWNZ". Sniffers. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "Melodownz shares second single from 'Melo & Blues' - '$moke' ft. Villette". muzic.net.nz. 26 November 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ C.C. (6 December 2019). "Melodownz Drops Single 'No Mercy' Feat. Denzel Curry". Under the Radar. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "Melodownz - Fine". Flava. New Zealand Media and Entertainment. 3 April 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ McInnes, Laura (10 December 2020). "MELODOWNZ shares hood anthem 'Big Deals' featuring Diggy Dupés". Sniffers. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ Johnson, Jacob (9 April 2022). "Kiwi MC Melodownz releasing gospel rap". 1 News. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
- ^ McInnes, Laura (26 May 2022). "MELODOWNZ teases debut album with moody new single, 'Slow Jamz'". Sniffers. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- ^ a b McInnes, Laura (25 August 2022). "MELODOWNZ teases debut album with the release of latest single, 'BAD'". Sniffers. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
- ^ a b "Jono Das Releases 'Bad Luck & Handcuffs' Featuring Melowdownz & Bad Crop". New Zealand Music Commission. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "K+LAB 'Pull Up' ft. MELODOWNZ & MUSTAFA AKBAR". Base FM. 24 August 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ Odutola, Tayo (28 June 2017). "Noah Slee & Melodownz seal the deal with "Lips"". Earmilk. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "Latinaotearoa share new single 'Under The Sun' feat. Melodownz". Libel Music. 21 July 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "Good Juju feat. Melodownz". Stereofox. 7 August 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "LET's KICK IT - Poetik ft Melodownz". thecoconet.tv. 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
- ^ "Yoko-Zuna + MeloDownz Share Sizzling Single 'Take Me To Your Leader'". Under the Radar. 2 November 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ Moses, Hussein (15 May 2018). "Kings Won't Stop Until He's the Best Artist Alive". Vice. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "BAILEY WILEY 'Sugar' (feat. MELODOWNZ)". Base FM. 5 November 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "TY - Spend It (feat. MELODOWNZ)". Empire Records. 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "Let Me Loose - Single". iTunes. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "Cool Like Dat - Single". iTunes. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ "HOT $AUCE - Single". iTunes. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ Adams, Josie (29 November 2019). "Tom Scott just leaked his own album on WeTransfer". The Spinoff. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
- ^ Woolston, Dan (23 April 2021). "Waiata Anthems return for 2021, Melodownz shares te reo rendition of 'Pai/Fine'". Sniffers. Retrieved 19 March 2022.