LONE WOLF MELODOWNZ

• 1 Lone Wolf (Intro) 01:51
• 2 Money 03:24
• 3 Loot 02:47
• 4 Beautiful 03:11
• 5 Season$ 04:04
• 6 Pray For More 03:08
• 7 Hibiki Freestyle 03:16
• 8 How It Be 03:45
• 9 No Mercy 03:00
• 10 Slow Jamz 02:45
• 11 BAD 02:44
• 12 Lingo 03:18
• 13 Heart Chakra 03:49
• 14 That Love 03:45
• Total Runtime 44:47

Info for LONE WOLF

Pacific-Music Awards winning, New Zealand street poet and rapper MELODOWNZ has released his long-awaited debut album, 'LONE WOLF', out now via Def Jam ANZ and SNIFFERS Records.

LONE WOLF arrives as MELODOWNZ first full-length project since the rapper's 2018 EP Melo & Blues, and 2017’s breakout mixtape, Avontales, which found the rapper painting a graphic portrait of events based in his cultural melting pot hometown of Avondale, West Auckland. While his Auckland community and Polynesian heritage is always centred at the heart of his art, 'LONE WOLF' finds MELODOWNZ renewing his wairua (energy) by breaking away from the status quo, experimenting with the bounds of his sound, and embarking on a new era of spiritual independence symbolized by the metaphorical lone wolf.

Taking his Aotearoa street storytelling to the world on 'LONE WOLF', the album follows a versatile rollout of singles, including ‘No Mercy’ featuring Denzel Curry, ‘Pray For More’ ft. Mikey Dam & Lisi, ‘Slow Jamz’, ‘BAD’, ‘Loot’ featuring Maxo Kream, and ‘How It Be’ featuring Bootsy Collins. The 14-track album takes listeners on a multidimensional journey portraying the many sides to MELODOWNZ gemini identity, from his upbringing raised on traditional, timeless 90’s hip-hop, raw gangster rap and early days of falling in love with the artform of freestyling (‘Hibiki Freestyle’), to modern contemporary elements woven between hard-hitting trap (‘No Mercy’), 70’s funk-pop (How It Be), R&B slow burners (‘Slow Jamz’), gospel (‘Pray For More’), dance music (‘BAD’), and much more.

The album also features new collaborations with Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter INK, American rapper/singer-songwriter Bleu, and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and Kanye West collaborator Ant Clemons. Balanced between star-studded international collaborations and his local ecosystem of the thriving New Zealand music scene, 'LONE WOLF' also features multi-award winning Māori musician Troy Kingi and an appearance from Avondale Intermediate Choir, who close the album with full circle, personal spirit extremely close to the artists heart.

"This album was such a journey - from writing it in my makeshift Auckland studio to linking up with Dj Khalil, Bizness Boi and Denzel Curry in LA. It really opened my eyes musically. I’m a brother from Avondale that started rapping in my bros carport over a few drinks as a teen, so to be making music with some of the genres most iconic rappers and producers - even funk godfather Bootsy Collins, I’m beyond grateful."

Portraying personal themes of wisdom, maturity, and independence by way of his vivid storytelling and razor-sharp lyrical prowess, on his debut album, 'LONE WOLF', MELODOWNZ undergoes immense growth as both an artist and as a man. (Joel Woods, holidayrecords.com)

MELODOWNZ

MELODOWNZ
has been at the forefront Aotearoa hip-hop for more than a decade now, with cult-favourite projects including Avontales, Melo & Blues, MELO & BASS, and his 2022 debut album LONE WOLF establishing him as one of the most respected wordsmiths in New Zealand and beyond. Now, the Avondale MC has shared his anticipated sophomore album, BRON.

BRON marks a creative reset for MELODOWNZ. After finding himself in a rut post the release of his debut album LONE WOLF, he returned to the roots of what made him first fall in love with hip-hop during the artists early days of carpark freestyles and writing bars with his boys, his artistry rooted in raw lyricism, poetic penmanship, introspective lyrical revelations, and soulful yet equally heavy-hitting beats. The result is an album as laidback as it is intentional, chronicling raw tales of MELODOWNZ West Auckland home, identity, fatherhood, and community kaupapa over 11 tracks.

The album features production from a masterclass of prestigious Aotearoa producers including YGB's Haz Beats, MOKOMOKAI's Ghos, Yegr, Tony Douglas, Next Wavez, and more, aa well as guest appearances from Letoa, Revus, BIGGs 685, Coops, Troy Kingi, LILA JNR, and Ezra McKay.

This album contains no booklet.