Mélange Lavonne facts for kids

Mélange Lavonne is an American rapper. She is known for her hip-hop music that talks about important topics. Her songs often focus on ideas like fairness for everyone, stopping unfair treatment, and faith.

Early Life and Challenges

Mélange Lavonne was born and grew up in Rialto, California. She went to Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, California. When she was twelve years old in 1991, she was diagnosed with a type of cancer called Hodgkin lymphoma. She got special medicine and got better. Later, she was diagnosed with another type of cancer called thyroid cancer. This might have been because of her earlier treatments.

She went to college at Dillard University in New Orleans because she was good at basketball. However, she had to leave the team because of unfair treatment from her coach. At the time, she told her parents it was due to an injury.

"Mélange Lavonne" is her stage name. A stage name is a special name an artist uses when they perform. "Mélange" is a French word that means "mixture," and Lavonne is her middle name.

Music Career

Starting Out: The Movement (2007–2009)

In 2007, Mélange Lavonne released a song called "...". This song told the story of a fictional character named Kevin, who faced violence. The music video for the song was directed by Camrin Pitts. It was even nominated as one of Logo TV's top videos of the year. It was also shown at the 2007 Queens International Film Festival in New York City and the 2008 Outfest Film Festival in Los Angeles. Later that year, she acted in a TV show called Don't Go, playing a character named Jaden.

Her album, The Movement, came out in 2008. Bobby King of Lethal Recordz produced it. The album talked about serious issues like family problems, health challenges, group conflicts, and environmental issues.

Mélange Lavonne also went on tour in 2007 and 2008. This tour was called HomoRevolution, and it was the first hip-hop tour focused on equality. She also appeared on the Southern California version of Showtime at the Apollo.

In 2009, BET named her one of the "Who's Who in the Black LGBT Community," recognizing her impact.

New Music: A Walk in My Shoes (2013)

In 2013, Mélange Lavonne released another album called A Walk in My Shoes. She said in an interview that this album was "a bit more relaxed." She explained that it was more about entertainment and having a good time, while her previous album was more about activism and important causes.

Musical Inspirations

When Mélange Lavonne was growing up, she listened to different kinds of music. Some of her favorite artists included Tears for Fears, Duran Duran, and Michael Bublé. She has also mentioned another hip-hop artist named Deadlee as someone who inspired her. She said that he "definitely paved the way" and that "he wasn't afraid to be himself" and sing about important topics.