Who Is: MFn Melo

“Muhfukin Melo what it look like!??”

Meet Muhfukin (MFn) Melo, the 27-year-old rapper from Chicago. Melo began rapping in his teens back in 2008. He is among many promising rappers coming from Chicago. What is unique about MFn Melo is that his music doesn’t primarily consist of drill beats. His music consists of a variety of great beats. Melo has a distinctive sound that is fitting for different moods and settings. His flow is very versatile and is bound to get listeners amped.

Aside from being his own motivating force, Melo has a great team behind him that is contributing to pushing his music. Melo is one of the founding members of the music group PIVOT Gang which also consists of Saba, Fresh Waters (Jimmy), Joseph Chilliams, DinnerWithJohn, Kevo B SwaySwala and more. After contemplating on the group name for quite a while. Pivot decided on their name after seeing an episode of the Friends sitcom where cast members repeatedly shouted “Pivot”.

Melo has been cooking up numerous hot tracks and has been working on many projects such as MeloDramatics. MFn Melo raps from the perspective of growing up in Chicago and knowing the hardships of the world which makes his music relatable for people everywhere. Melo has had music produced by PIVOT Gang crew members such as Saba, the Chicago rapper commonly known for his hook on Chance the Rapper’s single “Angels”. He alongside Saba, Sylvan Lacue and Joseph Chilliams recently did the Bucket List tour which was as Melo explained “amazing, very inspiring”.

In this Q&A we have the pleasure of finding out exactly what's on MFn Melo’s own bucket list, more about PIVOT Gang, Chicago’s current music scene and much more. We’re looking forward to all the projects that Melo will be releasing. By being one of the members of such an innovative group like PIVOT, MFn Melo is bound to continue rising.

Twitter: @mfnmelo Instagram: @mfnmelo

Angelica: How old are you and at what age did you begin to pursue music?

MFn Melo: Im 27 yrs old and I started to pursue music in 2008.

Angelica: Is there a story behind how you got the name Mfn Melo?

MFn Melo: My nickname has been Melo since high school well before i started to pursue music. It was mostly because of my demeanor and my resemblance to Carmelo Anthony at the time. i don't really favor him any more. throughout the earlier parts of me starting to pursue music i had various things before the Melo in my name to add some sort of difference to it. time goes on and i start to notice that I'm not always so "mellow". There was some aggression there. So it became a play on my moods

Angelica: How does your background and experiences growing up in Chicago influence the kind of music you create today?

MFn Melo: I think that also plays on my two moods as well. Because I've always known about the evils and hardships of the world because its hard to escape them. But I've always been told and in some ways shown there was more to it. So I'm trying to remain calm while dealing with what comes with bettering myself and others around me. The production is relaxing at times but the passion in which I'm delivering my words most times has an aggressive tone to it.

Angelica: You along with Joseph Chilliams, Saba and John Walt are founding members of Pivot. Could you tell us about how PIVOT Gang was started?

MFn Melo: Pivot was started by the merging of two groups of friends. Joseph Chilliams, Saba, DinnerWithJohn and myself were in a group together. Fresh Waters aka Jimmy, Kevo B and SwaySwala were all in a group as well. We all started making songs in the basement as one and needed a name to make everything easier. Joseph came up with Pivot Gang from watching an episode of "Friends"

Angelica: It deeply saddens many people that one of the founding members, John Walt aka DinnerWithJohn, recently passed away. I’m truly sorry for the loss. Is PIVOT Gang going to continue to push his work in a similar manner which Pro Era pushed Capital Steeze's?

MFn Melo: Yeah its sad af what happened. Also I'm unaware exactly how they continued to push his work but i know we will keep Dinner alive. He worked like no other so with his music and our own he with us forever.

Angelica: Besides the members of PIVOT who else is a part of your support team that’s helping you push your music?

MFn Melo: Anybody who enjoys my music enough to write about it or share it are the ones helping push it. appreciate it all

Angelica: Being on the Bucket List tour (along side Saba, Sylvan Lacue and Joseph Chilliams) and traveling to different cities and performing among other talented individuals how has that experience felt thus far? What have you gained or are hoping to gain from the tour?

MFn Melo: The experience of tour was amazing. very inspiring. and the dopest part was meeting all the people and them being inspired by what we were doing. Meeting those people i was just talking about that help spread the music and even putting new people on to my music. most importantly just seeing what the music can do and is doing. Its beautiful

Angelica: What are a few things on your bucket list that you hope to cross off within the next year or two?

MFn Melo:

I hope to be on another tour.

hopefully I’ll be on my third project by then.

and continued growth for me and my people.

Angelica: Are there any artists that you aspire to collaborate with in the future?

MFn Melo: Yeah the’re plenty actually but just off the top Rayvn Lenae and Xavier Omar

MFn Melo - "Pass The El" (Feat. John Walt and Anthony Pavel)

MFn Melo - "Pearl Vision"

Angelica: All your music is full of so much creativity and authenticity! What or who influenced your style of music?

MFn Melo: Pivot gang would have to be my biggest influencers. I've grown allot musically just being around them not to mention creating with them. I'm also just a big fan of all kinds of music so i keep an open mind when creating.

Angelica: Chicago has recently over the past few years become known for it's "drill" music and beat selections. Being as though you are from Chicago how do you find instrumentals that are different from what the average rapper uses? Do you produce them by chance or do you have a friend or someone within PIVOT who is behind making your beats?

MFn Melo: Though drill was the most popular for the time, there's so many layers to the chicago music scene and its starting to really get that light. But i get all of my production from friends within and outside of pivot. I'm not against production from an unfamiliar source but i have allot of options that are close and kind of know the sound that i like at the moment.

Angelica: Any additional comments or shout outs?

MFn Melo: S/O anybody waiting on music from me, on baby i got all! i love anybody supporting this pivot movement. free jimmy!

#ForeverJohnWalt

Sincerely,

Muhfuckin Melo!