Assertive rapper, singer, and songwriter Melii made significant commercial headway in 2017 with a bilingual remake of Cardi B's "Bodak Yellow," but she promptly made it known that she had more to offer than creative twists on the work of other artists. Raised on an assortment of Dominican and Latin fusion sounds in her Harlem household, Melii had her head turned in another direction when a cousin played her J. Cole's "College Boy." At the time, Melii was only nine years old, but the track pointed her toward rap as a viable creative outlet beyond writing. She made her official recorded debut in August 2017 with the mellow but assured "No Simple Chick," followed it two months later with "Bodak Yellow," and by the end of the year had released a third single, the tougher "Balling." The atmospheric "Bk Woe" and pouty yet swaggering "Icey" were issued in early 2018 as Melii prepared the release of her first album. Additional singles followed throughout the year including "Sh*t Talk," "La Envidia Mata," and "Como Si Na." Her debut, PhAses, landed in 2019 and featured appearances by Tory Lanez, Odalys, and A Boogie Wit da Hoodie. ~ Andy Kellman