Mello Music Group
- For other meanings of MMG, see MMG (disambiguation)
| Mello Music Group | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Michael Tolle |
| Status | Active |
| Distributor(s) | The Orchard[1] |
| Genre | Hip hop |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Tucson, Arizona |
| Official website | MelloMusicGroup.com |
Mello Music Group, also referred to as MMG, is an American independent record label based in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 2007 by Michael Tolle, it has released hip hop compilations and albums by producers and emcees such as Oddisee, Apollo Brown, yU, Open Mike Eagle, L'Orange, and Rapper Big Pooh.[2] In 2012 MTV Hive described MMG as having a "dedication to intelligent, street-wise boom bap,"[3] though the label has released a number of purely instrumental albums as well.[4]
History
2007-10: Founding, first releases
An early form of the label, Mello Mixtapes, was founded by Arizona hip hop fan Michael Tolle in 2004.[5] As a college deejay Tolle releases a series of hip hop mixtapes, also avidly collecting vinyl.[4]
| "After a year of working 80 hour weeks, I was missing the days when I dug through records all night, helped throw after hours events, and lived for music. I had continued listening, but now I had some extra money and didn’t know shit about flipping houses or the market, so I invested in what I knew about, what I wanted to support – beats, rhymes, and cuts." |
| — Founder Michael Tolle[6] |
Tolle graduated from the University of Arizona in 2006, and afterwards had founded an educational company that catered to international professors and teachers on sabbatical. After working with the company for a year, he decided he'd prefer working with music.[6] He first founded Mello Music Group in the fall of 2007, using his laptop and cell phone to organize the business from his home in Tucson, Arizona.[5]
According to Tolle, "I started with making one song. I spent every penny I had to get a Kev Brown beat, a Kenn Starr verse, and Rob Swift on the cuts."[6] Tolle has quoted the Barely Breaking Even Beat Generation Series of albums as an important stylistic influence on Mello Music Group,[6] and he also studied labels such as Blue Note,[4] Motown, also paying attention to Stones Throw Records and Roc-A-Fella Records.[6] Rap artist Dudley Perkins and the producer Oddisee were also involved in the early business affairs of the label, and were later joined by producer Apollo Brown.[5]
The label started with putting out only a few albums a year; one in 2008 and four in 2009[6] Tolle has stated that In the Ruff by Diamond District in 2009 was the label's breakthrough album.[6] MTV Hive called the album "Arguably the best hip-hop album ever released in D.C."[3] Singer Georgia Anne Muldrow produced and is featured with Dudley Perkins on an album for Mello Music Group titled SomeOthaShip: Connect Game.[7]
2011-12: Increased output
The label released nine album in 2010, and in 2011, the label worked on several dozen projects.[6] Unlike many independent labels, MMG as of 2011 offered regular paychecks to their signed artists as compared to advances, with Tolle stating "we try to provide stability, regular paychecks instead of chunk advances. This gives a little more peace of mind, and means that everyone is free to work on music... it’s also about making people feel like they have an entire career to develop, not just a fiscal quarter to show results."[6] The company continues to be based in Tucson as of 2011.[4] Oddisee as of 2011 was working as the company's Assistant Director of Operations, while Tolle continued to serve as the company's Director of Operations.[6]
Trophies is the debut collaboration album by D.I.T.C. member O.C. and Detroit, Michigan producer Apollo Brown. It was released on May 1, 2012 by Mello Music Group. The first single was "Prove Me Wrong."[8] Dice Game is a collaborative studio album by Brown and rapper Guilty Simpson. It was released online by Mello Music Group on November 6, 2012 in digital format,[9] and physical copies were made available on November 13, 2012.[10] The record was entirely produced and arranged by Apollo Brown, and features guest appearances from Torae and Planet Asia.[11][12]
2013-14: Recent releases
As of 2014 Oddisee continues to produce for the label,[13] often working closely with artists such as rapper Substantial.[14] In early 2014 MMG released the compilation Mandala Vol. 1, Polysonic Flows, which featured a wide variety of their signed artists.[15]
In January 2014 Virginia artist Rapper Big Pooh signed a two album deal with the label.[16] The first release will be an album produced entirely by Virginia producer Nottz, while the second project will be an EP produced by the label's production roster.[17] In February 2014 it was announced that Chicago rapper Open Mike Eagle, who had been named 2013 Rapper of the Year by Impose Magazine, had signed a three album deal with Mello Music. The deal led to the release of his album Dark Comedy several months later.[18] Kenn Starr's upcoming album will be titled Square One, slated to be released through Mello Music Group in 2014.
Releases for this fall include a new album from Diamond District (Oddisee, Uptown XO and yU the 78er) called March on Washington and a collaboration album between rapper Ras Kass and producer Apollo Brown called Blasphemy.
Style and genres
| "We’re giving a real picture of what’s happening within American culture today. I don’t think we’re trying to mimic anything from the past. I don’t think we’re trying to live a fantasy. I think all of our artists really have their finger lyrically on what’s going on right now, and so they’re kind of like poets." |
| — Michael Tolle[4] |
Mello Music Group has released a number of purely instrumental albums, many of which are the side projects of hip hop producers associated with the label.[4] The label also focuses on the hip hop music of various scenes, including Detroit hip hop. In 2012 MTV Hive described MMG as having "dedication to intelligent, street-wise boom bap... these artists make attainable music that doesn’t find them praising their jewelry or stunting on private jets. Instead, they talk about real-life issues that relate to everyday listeners — paying bills, raising children, and finding inner peace."[3]
Artists
Current
|
|
Past and rotating
- This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
- O.C.
- Guilty Simpson
- Kenn Starr
- Substantial
- Diamond District
- The Black Opera
Discography
Main CD series
| Yr | Cat# | Release title | Artist(s) | CD release date[19] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | MMG001 | 101 | Oddisee | Dec 9, 2008 |
| 2009 | MMG002 | Mental Liberation | Oddisee | May 5, 2009 |
| MMG003 | New Money | Trek Life, Oddisee | May 5, 2009 | |
| MMG004 | Black & Read All Over | Sareem Poems | Jul 28, 2009 | |
| MMG005 | In The Ruff | Diamond District | Oct 27, 2009 | |
| 2010 | MMG006 | Someothaship | Georgia Anne Muldrow, Declaime | Feb 23, 2010 |
| MMG007 | Traveling Man | Oddisee | Mar 2, 2010 | |
| MMG008 | Before Taxes | YU | Apr 13, 2010 | |
| MMG009 | The Reset | Apollo Brown | May 18, 2010 | |
| MMG010 | Everything Changed Nothing | Trek Life | Aug 10, 2010 | |
| MMG011 | Gas Mask | The Left | Oct 26, 2010 | |
| MMG012 | The Brown Study | Boog Brown / Apollo Brown | Sep 28, 2010 | |
| 2011 | MMG012B | The Brown Study Remixes | Boog Brown / Apollo Brown | Dec 20, 2011 |
| 2010 | MMG013 | Vweto | Georgia Anne Muldrow | Dec 14, 2010 |
| 2011 | MMG014 | Wouldn't Change Nothing | Trek Life | Aug 23, 2011 |
| MMG015 | Clouds | Apollo Brown | Mar 1, 2011 | |
| MMG016 | In Case I Don't Make It | Has-Lo | Mar 29, 2011 | |
| MMG017 | Odd Seasons | Oddisee | May 17, 2011 | |
| MMG018 | Rock Creek Park | Oddisee | Sep 6, 2011 | |
| MMG019 | Daily Bread | Hassaan Mackey & Apollo Brown | Aug 2, 2011 | |
| MMG020 | Makin' Dollas | DTMD | Sep 27, 2011 | |
| MMG021 | the EARN | YU | Dec 13, 2011 | |
| 2012 | MMG022 | Behind The Scale | Sean Born | Feb 14, 2012 |
| MMG023 | Lo-Fi Fingahz | Gensu Dean | Feb 28, 2012 | |
| MMG024 | A Friendly Game Of KT | 14KT | Mar 6, 2012 | |
| MMG025 | Self Sacrifice | Various | Mar 27, 2012 | |
| MMG026 | Trophies | O.C., Apollo Brown | May 1, 2012 | |
| MMG027 | As Himself | Stik Figa | Apr 17, 2012 | |
| MMG028 | People Hear What They See | Oddisee | Jun 12, 2012 | |
| MMG029 | Home Is Where The Art Is | Substantial | Sep 4, 2012 | |
| MMG030 | Heaven's Computer | 7even Thirty | Sep 25, 2012 | |
| MMG031 | Libretto: Of King Legend | The Black Opera | Oct 30, 2012 | |
| MMG032 | Dice Game | Guilty Simpson | Nov 13, 2012 | |
| 2013 | MMG033 | Colour de Grey | Uptown XO | Feb 5, 2013 |
| MMG034 | Abrasions | Gensu Dean & Planet Asia | Mar 5, 2013 | |
| MMG035 | Hometown Foreigner | Trek Life | Apr 16, 2013 | |
| MMG036 | Ugly Heroes EP | Verbal Kent, Apollo Brown, Red Pill | May 28, 2013 | |
| MMG | Re.Turn | Duke Westlake | Jul 30, 2013 | |
| MMG038 | Gasface | Castle | Jul 30, 2013 | |
| MMG039 | The Cognac Tape | Hus Kingpin (ft. Roc Marciano) | Oct 1, 2013 | |
| MMG040 | The City Under The City | L'Orange & Stik Figa | Oct 15, 2013 | |
| MMG041 | Ghost At The Finish Line | Quelle Chris | Oct 29, 2013 | |
| MMG042 | Dr. Stokley | Dudley Perkins | Dec 3, 2013 | |
| MMG043 | Tangible Dream | Oddisee | Dec 10, 2013 | |
| MMG044 | Victim Of A Modern Age | Apollo Brown & Planet Asia | Dec 10, 2013 | |
| 2014 | MMG045 | Mandala, Vol. 1: Polysonic Flows | Various[20] | Feb 4, 2014 |
| MMG046 | Mandala Vol. 2 Today's Mathematics | Various | Feb 4, 2014 | |
| MMG047 | Sound of the Weapon | Verbal Kent | Feb 11, 2014 | |
| MMG048 | Return Of The Gasface | Castle | Apr 1, 2014 | |
| MMG | Stitched Up | Gensu Dean & Guilty Simpson | Jan 11, 2014 | |
| MMG050 | The Orchid Days | L'Orange | Apr 15, 2014 | |
| MMG051 | Thirty Eight | Apollo Brown | May 13, 2014 | |
| MMG052 | Dark Comedy | Open Mike Eagle | Jun 10, 2014 | |
| MMG053 | The Problem | 7evenThirty & Gensu Dean | Jul 8, 2014 | |
| MMG054 | Live Like You're Dead | Has-Lo & Castle | Aug 5, 2014 | |
| MMG055 | The Great Year | The Black Opera | Sep 30, 2014 | |
| MMG056 | March on Washington | Diamond District | Oct 14, 2014 | |
| MMG057 | Blasphemy | Ras Kass & Apollo Brown | Oct 28, 2014 | |
| MMG058 | People Of Today | The 1978ers | Nov 11, 2014 | |
| March on Washington (Redux) | Diamond District | Dec 16, 2014 | ||
| 2015 | Square One | Kenn Starr | Jan 27, 2015 | |
| Look What This World Did To Us | Red Pill | April 8, 2015 | ||
Further reading
- Interviews
- "Interview: @MelloMusicGroup Michael Tolle". Allindstrom.com. May 24, 2011.
- "Read the Label: Mello Music Group". Praverb.net. April 2011.
- "Label Profile: Mello Music". WonderingSound.com. October 24, 2011.
- "Mello Music Group Interview". Praverb.net. June 2014.
- Articles
- List of Mello Music Articles at AllHipHop
- "Five Must-Have Mello Music Group Releases". MTV Hive. October 17, 2012.
- "Top 12 Mellow Music Group Albums" by New Noise Hip Hop. October 19, 2013.
See also
- List of independent record labels
References
- ↑ "The Orchard and IODA Combine to Create New Global Distribution Leader". theorchard.com. The Orchard. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Home". Mello Music Group. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 J. Moore, Marcus (October 17, 2012). "Five Must-Have Mello Music Group Releases". MTV Hive. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Lee, Christina (October 24, 2011). "Label Profile: Mello Music". WonderingSound.com. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Read the Label: Mello Music Group". Praverb.net. April 2011. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
|first1=missing|last1=in Authors list (help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 Moss, Chris (May 24, 2011). "Interview: @MelloMusicGroup Michael Tolle". Allindstrom.com. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
- ↑ Cowie. F, Del."Georgia Anne Muldrow's Family Ties", Exclaim!, June 2009.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Mello Music Group Discography at Discogs
- ↑ "iTunes - Music - Dice Game by Guilty Simpson & Apollo Brown". iTunes. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
- ↑ "Apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson "DICE GAME" (CD)". Mello Music Group. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
- ↑ Dice Game (Media notes). Apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson. Mello Music Group. 2012.
- ↑ "Apollo Brown / Guilty Simpson - Dice Game CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved 4 Nov 2013.
- ↑ "Oddisee". Mello Music Group. Retrieved 6 December 2011.
- ↑ Interview with Substantial - RapReviews.com
- ↑ James, Nicolas (December 19, 2013). "Invisible Walls". HotNewHipHop.com. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
- ↑ Kyles, Yohance. "Rapper Big Pooh Signs New Deal With Mello Music Group". article. allhiphop.com. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
- ↑ Baker, Soren. "Big Pooh Signs With Mello Music Group & Set To Release Project With Nottz". article. hiphopdx.com. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
- ↑ Gillespie, Blake (February 26, 2014). "Open Mike Eagle inks three album deal with Mello Music Group". Impose Magazine. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
- ↑ MMG Discography at Underground Hip Hop
- ↑ Jones, Grant (March 18, 2014). "Mello Music Group: Mandala Volume 1 - Polysonic Flows". RapReviews.com. Retrieved 2014-07-29.
External links
- Video and audio
- Mello Music Group on YouTube
- Mello Music Group on Bandcamp
- Mello Music Group on Soundcloud
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