Melange Lavonne
Encyclopedia
Mélange Lavonne is an openly gay hip hop artist whose music addresses political themes including homophobia
, racism, exploitation, and discrimination within hip hop culture.
TV's Click List, a showcase for LBGT short films. "Gay Bash" tells the story of Kevin, a fictional gay man murdered by gay bash
ers. It was directed by Little Red Pictures, with Lavonne as executive producer. As well as performing well on the Click List, the song was in January 2009 listed on AfterEllen.com
s sampler of "songs from the new breed of out artists who are blazing a trail for a whole new generation, who aren’t afraid to be overtly political or sexual". It was also played at the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
as a short before the Queen Latifah
movie Life Support.
and Kokane
. 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 and homophobic, saying "the music industry is a pimp and they see you as a ho."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
.
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. She lost an athletics scholarship to Dillard University
after her basketball coach discovered that she was gay, and concentrated instead on music and on studying graphic design.
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
, racism, exploitation, and discrimination within hip hop culture.
Gay Bash
Lavonne's 2008 song "Gay Bash" featured on LogoLogo (TV channel)
Logo is an American digital cable television channel owned by Viacom's MTV Networks division. Launched in June 2005, the channel's programs are geared towards the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community...
TV's Click List, a showcase for LBGT short films. "Gay Bash" tells the story of Kevin, a fictional gay man murdered by gay bash
Gay bashing
Gay bashing and gay bullying is verbal or physical abuse against a person who is perceived to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender . Such abuse is used also to bully heterosexual persons and persons of non-specific or unknown sexual orientation.A "bashing" may be a specific incident, and one...
ers. It was directed by Little Red Pictures, with Lavonne as executive producer. As well as performing well on the Click List, the song was in January 2009 listed on AfterEllen.com
AfterEllen.com
AfterEllen.com, founded in April 2002, is a website that focuses on the portrayal of lesbian and bisexual women in the media. AfterElton.com, its brother site for gay and bisexual men, was launched in January 2005. The websites were founded by Sarah Warn, who initially served as the editor in...
s sampler of "songs from the new breed of out artists who are blazing a trail for a whole new generation, who aren’t afraid to be overtly political or sexual". It was also played at the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
The London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival takes place every spring in London, England. It began as a season of gay and lesbian films at the National Film Theatre in 1986 and 1987 under the title "Gay's Own Pictures", curated by Peter Packer of the Tyneside Cinema, and was renamed the London...
as a short before the Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
movie Life Support.
Studio albums
Lavonne's first album, The Movement, was released in 2008. The album was produced by King Beats, a producer who has also worked with rap artists Snoop DoggSnoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
and Kokane
Kokane
Kokane, also known as Jerry B. Long, Jr. , is a rapper from Pomona, California best known for his co-appearances on Dr. Dre's album 2001 and the work on G-funk album Funk Upon A Rhyme and his backup work with Snoop Dogg in Tha Last Meal album, who signed him to Dogghouse Records, bringing a renewed...
. 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 and homophobic, saying "the music industry is a pimp and they see you as a ho."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
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
, AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, gang culture, and climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
.
Tours
Lavonne toured as part of HomoRevolution, the first LBGT hip-hop tour, in 2007 and 2008.Personal life
Lavonne comes from Rialto, CaliforniaRialto, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Rialto had a population of 99,171. The population density was 4,434.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Rialto was 43,592 White, 16,236 African American, 1,062 Native American, 2,258 Asian, 361 Pacific Islander, 30,993 from other...
and attended high school at Eisenhower H.S.
Rialto, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Rialto had a population of 99,171. The population density was 4,434.1 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Rialto was 43,592 White, 16,236 African American, 1,062 Native American, 2,258 Asian, 361 Pacific Islander, 30,993 from other...
. She was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease at age 12, but recovered to play basketball in high school. She lost an athletics scholarship to Dillard University
Dillard University
Dillard University is a private, historically black liberal arts college in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded in 1930 incorporating earlier institutions that went back to 1869, it is affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church....
after her basketball coach discovered that she was gay, and concentrated instead on music and on studying graphic design.