YNW Melly

Coming from the often-dangerous streets of Gifford, Florida, rapper YNW Melly makes raw, emotive songs about his turbulent life experiences. After he began releasing tracks during the mid-2010s, he broke through in 2018 with I Am You, his RIAA-certified debut mixtape. Shortly after the arrival of We All Shine, his similarly successful 2019 follow-up, Melly turned himself in for the murders of close associates YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser. Although he remained incarcerated (with a retrial set for 2027), Melly hit the upper reaches of the Billboard 200 with Melly vs. Melvin (2019) and Just a Matter of Slime (2021), followed by projects like Young New Wave (2024) and Collect Call II (2026). Born Jamell Demons in 1999, YNW Melly began uploading original songs to SoundCloud when he was just 15, cultivating a style that laced together melodically sung vocals with raw raps about violence, crime, sex, money, and the challenging environment the teen was growing up in. Melly was living the life he portrayed in his music, eventually being incarcerated for a stretch in 2017 on weapons charges for a shooting he was involved with at age 16. Once released from jail, he became more active than ever, issuing multiple singles, videos, and other projects, including tracks like "Murder on My Mind" and "Catching Feelings." The Collect Call EP appeared in 2017 and boasted features from many better-known artists, including Lil B and John Wicks. In 2018, Melly was constantly active, releasing the singles "Melly the Menace," "Virtual," and "Slang That Iron" one after another before issuing the full-length I Am You. He also made a guest appearance on the late-2018 hit "Just Woke Up" by Supreme Patty. In early 2019, Melly released We All Shine, with Kanye West making a guest appearance on the song "Mixed Personalities." In August of that year, he charted with the non-album single "223's," which featured 9lokkNine. During this time, the rapper was also facing significant legal issues. In addition to other lesser charges, Melly was charged in February 2019 with two counts of first-degree murder in connection to the October deaths of his friends and collaborators YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser. Melly was incarcerated and awaiting trial when his debut studio album, Melly vs. Melvin, arrived in November 2019 and entered the Billboard 200 at number eight. The single "Thugged Out," which featured Kodak Black, appeared in 2021 -- shortly followed by a second studio album, Just a Matter of Slime. The album, featuring vocals Melly recorded before his incarceration, along with guest verses from the likes of Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Tjay, Lil Baby, and Lil Durk, entered the Billboard 200 at number 11. Melly's double-murder trial was delayed multiple times before it began in 2023. The jury were unable to reach a unanimous verdict, resulting in a mistrial. As Melly remained in custody while awaiting a retrial, additional projects saw release. Young New Wave, his third album, was issued in 2024 and was led by "772 Love, Pt. 3," on which Melly was assisted by YNW BSlime and Ynw4L. The concise Collect Call II followed two years later, with Melly's retrial set for 2027. ~ Fred Thomas, Rovi