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MC Mell'O' hails from Battersea south London. He is one of the original movers in the Hip-Hop explosion that rocked London in the early 80's.
Mell'O' was known originally for his popping skills than rapping ability & went under the tag of Moomin. He was a member of various crews such as The 52 Flash Kru, the S.A.S. (Strawberry All-Stars) and Truly Unique, before getting involved in the fledgling rap scene emerging in the late 1980s.
The mid to late 80's saw his rise to prominence in the global rap & MC'ing fraternity. His first release was the single "Free Style / Proud" (Tuff Groove, 1988), which he recorded under the name "MC Mellow" as part of the Jus Bad crew, which featured Monie Love, Sparki and DJ Pogo. This was quickly followed by a guest spot on D2 The K's "Slow Jam" (BMP, 1988), changing his name to the more familiar spelling that he has used ever since.
Mell'O' signed to Republic Records in the late 1980s, where he continued to work with DJ Pogo. The first fruit of this collaboration was the "Comin' Correct/Wize/Bizzie Rhymin' EP" (Republic Records - 1989), which was followed by his only solo album Thoughts Released [Revelation I] (Republic Records - 1990). This album is now considered to be one of the true classics of the British hip hop scene's early years, and is widely sought after amongst fans of the genre.
Unfortunately, following the release of this album and its single "Open Up Your Mind" (Republic Records, 1990), Mell'O' and his record company had a dispute over the terms of his contract, which kept a follow up album from being released. Eventually, Mell'O' left Republic, and moved to Jazzie B's Funky Dred label for the 1992 single "Mello's Gone Crazy".
In the following years, Mell'O' had trouble settling with any one record company - in 1994 he released an EP with BMG and an EP with the Stereo MCs' company Natural Response. He later worked with producer Mark B on "Melloizdaman" (Jazz Fudge, 1999).
Mell'O' has featured & collaborated on tracks with many artists such as African Jazz Legend Manu Dibango, Karen Wheeler, Courtney Pine, Urban Species, Gunshot, Mark B, London Electricity.
Mell'O' has also toured with many hip hop legends such as Jeru the Damaga, Gangstarr, Cypress Hill, Public Enemy, Queen Latifah, KRS1, NWA, Jungle Brothers and many more.
After a long period of being away from solo work, Mell'O' released "Give Them What They Want" (Sleeping Giants, 2005).
MC Mell'O' is one of the great names in the UK scene, remaining underground but failing to get the widescale success that his talent and respect in the scene should deserve.
