Melange Lavonne - Eclectic Melange
Angelica LeMinh’s second interview for the Year of the Lovers puts the lovely and talented Melange Lavonne in the hotseat to chat about who all and what all she loves. The mellow and confident force to be reckoned with knows that she prefers Riley to Huey after only watching one episode of Boondocks, and has a hard time discerning that Mos is the bigger Blackstar, but knows for sure that she prefers him as an emcee to him as an actor (though who knows that he was actually an actor before he was an emcee?) She’s candid and intelligent, able to respond to questions of all realms of experience, so without further adieu…
ALM: Do you think hip hop is dead? Nas shows more than just one mic in that video, what are the dangers of such a high profile emcee running around making claims like this? I read an article in Total Chaos* that states that ”we’ve been saying it’s dead since the first time Puffy picked up a mic” so how do we negotiate working within an artform that has “dead” for almost twelve years?
ML: Hip-Hop never died. We can blame the saturated wackness and dumbed down lyrics on the A&R and executives who make the desicions in signing these particular artists, giving them big budgets, and guaranteeing heavy rotation from local radio stations and national video stations. So is hip hop really dead? No, not at all. It just isn’t in the spotlight. There are plenty of talented MCs who are worth listening to and talking about, but these cats aren’t getting deals because the man behind the desk decides that their content isn’t marketable.
ALM: I heard that a prominent female rapper announced at a show that “God cured her of her bisexuality”, what do you think of that? I’m asking you because you seem to have a complicated relationship with God (which is good because trouble follows absolutes like war follows ignorance), do you care to speak a little more on this topic as it applies to you?
ML: If God cured her of her sexuality, then she wasn’t bisexual in the first place. You can’t be cured if there is no disease. You love who you love regardless who you are. Maybe she isn’t attracted to women anymore like I’m not attracted to the color orange like I was when I was a kid. People like to make statements to be accepted by society, but you cannot live by other people’s morals or values. God loves me, and my relationship with God is stronger than ever, now that I have come out as an openly Lesbian Artist.
ALM: You are very attractive. Do you get grief over that, either from the doods or the girls with the ‘Stone Butch Blues’**? Let’s be real about the importance of cultivating an “image” in this industry, does everyone eventually lose their minds for the cash? (ex. miss thang Monica now resorting to wearing a rope on her album cover, narrowly covering her tits and actually having the audacity to call other girls “ho”, Missy losing all that weight, or Lil’ Kim messin’ with her face- that is the one time I agree with Curtis Jackson)
ML: Thank you, and if I were ugly I would get grief, so either way you can’t please everyone. My image isn’t to follow trends, I am who I am, and I try to look good for my own personal cause. I love to wear my pants baggy, but a sistah could put on some stilettos and a dress and pimp it, not because I want to sell records, but because damnit, a girl gotta look good to feel good!
ALM: Please do tell me what you think of Lady Sovereign?
ML: I think she is tight, she has a style and flow that is original, and it is awesome that she’s so young and spittin’ such fire. Outside of her music, I don’t know too much about her.
ALM: Bigups for bringing up AIDS, what do you think about the view that only gay artists are responsible for making sure it gets talked about? Especially because the reality is that AIDS is actually transmitted most from men to women right now?
ML: AIDS is a topic everyone should address because it is that crucial to our communities. The fact that Gay rappers might bring it up is good, because it shows an awareness and commitment to educating those who might not grab a pamphlet at a local clinic, but will listen to a song and gain some knowledge that way.
ALM: Some folks have said that Me’shell ain’t hip hop, but one listen of Plantation Lullabies should squash that right quick. Have you found her to be an inspiraton?
ML: She is a great inspiration, my favorite song on that LP was “Outside Your Door”***. She made music that Lesbian and Bi women could relate too and actually place themselves in songs with same sex themes, so kudos to her.
ALM: Do you have a comment on military? The ties between guns and the state? The discourse on gays in the military?
ML: I keep getting calls, they want to recruit me, ha! ha! If they only knew! I considered going once, only because my Dad and Step Dad served and I wanted to make them proud. After reading and getting opinions from friends, I think we have a lot of work to do with our country before we try to fight other Countries. I am not surprised with their stance on Gays, just like I wouldn’t have been surprised years ago with their stance on Blacks.
ALM: I’ve been thinking that women have been the ghostwriters of history, we’ve always had our ideas stolen and used by dudes who have more clout and resources who are eager to take all the credit. How does this relate to you as a woman and as an emcee, are you afraid of ghost(writers) and do you think the standards are different when it comes to judging men and women who use them?
ML: I am not afraid of credit being taken because I do believe in Karma and when you work hard for something God will bless you regardless.
And that’s that. There’s something to be said about a woman who is able to live life lucid and not fall prey to Hip Hop Drama so we could all be so lucky to catch this girl running past us in her DCS’ rocking out to 80’s alternative, sipping a milkshake, or watching Leno in her moments away from the hip hop. It’s also nice to know that the ones who have the most to risk are the ones who are most dedicated to the craft, never taking the easy way out to accept silly notions like “hip hop is dead” at face value. She is an example of the living proof that the genre and the potential of the art will be eternal. Bless.
* the full article is “Got Next-A Roundtable on Identity and Aesthetics after Multiculturalism” featuring Greg Tate,Vijay Prashad, Mark Anthony Neal, and Brian Cross. Bigup to editor Jeff Chang (”Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop” as well as one we can thank for the birth of Quannum) to ensuring that this gem made it to my mailbox, it is definitely a reference to be consulted
**I knew that Women’s Studies degree would come in handy, Leslie Feinberg is the author on this one, if you don’t know, now you know, nuckas!
***Ok, the interviewer is completely impressed by homegirl’s knowledge of the record. It’s also one of my personal favorites, and at the time, I was upset that Brian McKnight basically jacked the piano riff completely for “Anytime”, but yet another example of women being the ghostwriters of history….
