Ms. Melodie | |
|---|---|
Ms Melodie and KRS One in 1988  | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ramona Scott[1] |
| Born | March 21, 1969[2] |
| Origin | Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | July 17, 2012 (aged 43) |
| Genres | hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | rapper |
| Years active | 1988–1992 |
| Labels | Jive/RCA Records |
| Associated acts | Boogie Down Productions Stop the Violence Movement H.E.A.L. |
Ms. Melodie, the stage name of Ramona Parker (née Scott; March 21, 1969 – July 17, 2012), was an American emcee. She was associated with KRS-One's group Boogie Down Productions (BDP) and was for a time married to KRS-One.[3] She was described by Vibe as "one of the ladies who could sonically spar with the fellas, spit raw lyrics, rhyme from a female's perspective, and hold their own."[4]
Career
She participated in the 1989 "Self Destruction" piece created by the Stop the Violence Movement.[5] AllMusic said that her single, "Hype According to Ms. Melodie", featured an "aggressive style" and was "excellent".[6] Ms. Melodie and the rest of BDP appeared in the Keenen Ivory Wayans film I'm Gonna Git You Sucka.[6] Her only album, Diva, was released the following year by Jive/RCA Records and was largely produced by KRS-One, with contributions from Sam Sever and the Awesome 2's DJ Teddy Tedd.[6] The single "Wake Up, Wake Up" reached the Top 20 of Billboard's Hot Rap Singles chart; the music video to its follow-up single "Live on Stage" was a hit on video stations. She appeared in the music video for Queen Latifah's single "Ladies First," [7]
Discography
- Diva, 1989[8]
Personal life
She was raised in the Flatbush section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn.[6] She was the older sister of former BDP member Harmony.[9]
She was married to KRS One from 1987 to 1992.[3] She had two sons. Parker died on July 17, 2012, at the age of 43 of complications from an undisclosed illness.[10]
References
- ^ Kris Parker, Who Came Home from Life on the Streets to Become Gold Record Rapper KRS-One from People, February 27, 1989
- ^ Discogs: Ms. Melodie from Discogs
- ^ a b Rapper Ms. Melodie has died, Toronto Sun; July 19, 2012
- ^ Emil Wilbecken (November 2003). "Some Things About Mary". Vibe (November 2003 ed.). Vibe Media Group. pp. 38–. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ Stancell, Steven (1996-06-01). Rap Whoz Who: The World of Rap and Hip Hop. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780028645209. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ a b c d Bogdanov, Vladimir (2003). All Music Guide to Hip-Hop: The Definitive Guide to Rap & Hip-Hop. Backbeat Books. pp. 46–. ISBN 9780879307592. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ Forman, Murray; Neal, Mark Anthony (2004). That's the Joint!: The Hip-Hop Studies Reader. Psychology Press. pp. 347–. ISBN 9780415969192. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ "Diva - Ms. Melodie | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
- ^ Henderson, Ashyia N. (July 2002). Contemporary Black biography. Gale Research Inc. ISBN 9780787660499. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ Bill Hutchinson (July 18, 2012). "Rap pioneer Ramona Parker aka Ms. Melodie, member of Boogie Down Productions and ex-wife of KRS-One, dead at 43". Daily News. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
External links
- Ms. Melodie at IMDb
- Ms. Melodie at Allmusic
- Ms. Melodie at Find a Grave