Mélange Lavonne facts for kids

Mélange Lavonne is an American rapper.

Early life

Lavonne was born and raised in Rialto, California and attended high school at Eisenhower H.S. She was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease at age 12, but recovered to play basketball in high school, and her experience led her into writing which inspired her to become a hip-hop artist writing about her experiences. She was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in her mid-twenties. In her late thirties she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Career

Her song, "Gay Bash", delved into the death of her fictional best friend Kevin at the hands of gay bashers. A compelling music video (directed by Camrin Pitts) of the song was made which made it onto MTV LOGO in 2007, where it received frequent rotation, making it a staple on their Top Ten list called "The Click List" throughout the summer of 2007-08 and the year end Top Ten for their New Now Next music show.

Her video "Gay Parenting" also known as "I've Got You" was in heavy rotation on MTV LOGO climbing the charts from 2008 into 2009 on their Top Ten Click List. Her 2008 Album "The Movement" establishes Lavonne's blend of conscious and intelligent hip hop rap, taking on the foes of equality and justice. Her songs tackle issues such as Gay Parenting, Domestic Abuse, AIDS, the Presidential campaigns, discrimination, Global Warming, and hip hop hypocrisy, to name a few.

Audiences may have recently seen her at Dinah Shore, and the winner for the Dinah Idol competition winning the opportunity to open up for Katy Perry & the band Uh Huh Her. She has also toured nationwide including Portland, OR. Pride, NYC Pride Rally, San Francisco Pride, Washington DC Pride, Long Beach Pride, Boston Pride, and Palm Springs Pride where she currently resides. She made her Tri-State area debut in 2009 in New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark as part of OUT LOUD PROUD II at NJPAC. She was named "Who's Who in Gay Black America" by BET.COM in 2009 along with elected officials, mayors, athletes and directors and political commentators.

She finished up filming in 2010 for UCLA Research Center in Partnership with Nokia for an interactive music video and short film application for their new phone app. Rachel Powell, a well-known writer in the entertainment industry, brought her friend Ms. Lavonne in on the project and Nokia fell in love with Ms. Lavonne's song, "Haterz". They constructed the music video and the film around Ms. Lavonne's on-stage persona.

In 2013, she worked on her studio album A Walk in My Shoes. She has done work in acting starring in a Pilot Series called "Don't Go" where she plays the butch character Jaden, directed by Amber Sharp. Melange Lavonne states, "Working with Amber and the entire crew was an amazing experience, I felt like a fish out of water because I'm a terrible actress realizing this after watching the pilot. But I'm thankful the cast a crew at least gave me an opportunity and I got a chance to see the professionalism of making a film and the hard work behind it what Amber and crew accomplished. I Guess it's one more thing I can check off my bucket list."

Gay Bash

Lavonne's 2008 song "Gay Bash" featured on Logo TV's Click List, a showcase for LBGT short films. "Gay Bash" tells the story of Kevin, a fictional gay man murdered by gay bashers. It was directed by Little Red Pictures, with Lavonne as executive producer. It was played at the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival as a short before the Queen Latifah movie Life Support.

Studio albums

Lavonne's first album, The Movement, was released in 2008. The album was produced by King Beats-based out of La Quinta, CA. The album's lyrics manifest Lavonne's political views: the track "Sick Sad World" decries racism, abuse, poverty, anorexia and prejudice. "The Game" attacks hip-hop culture itself as misogynistic. "I Got You" addresses gay parenting and "Future President" considers the political future of the United States. The album addresses further themes of domestic violence, AIDS, gang culture, and climate change. She has released singles every year independently on spotify and is currently working on a full album in 2023.

Tours

Lavonne toured as part of HomoRevolution Tour, the first LBGT hip-hop tour in 2007 and 2008. Performed Pride SF, Long Beach Pride, Portland Pride, DC pride, NY pride, Connecticut University, LA Pride, Palm Springs Pride, won an online video voting competition for a chance to perform at Dinah Shore Weekend, and Melange Lavonne opened up for "uh huh her" and Katy Perry "NJ conference, several University panel's talking of lgbt in music

Personal life

Melange is still active in the music industry as a writer and producer, and also works in the Healthcare field. She enjoys the sunshine and life in Palm Springs and is involved in the Palm Springs LGBT community. She also loves sport bikes, loves riding her Kawasaki Ninja around the desert. Melange Lavonne states,"Before I die, I'd like to do everything on my bucket list and even the things not listed on it. They say life is short but Life is actually the longest thing we'll ever do."