Mélange Lavonne
| CJ Lavonne formerly Mélange Lavonne | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rialto, California |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper |
| Years active | 2007–present |
CJ Lavonne formerly known as Mélange Lavonne is an American rapper. She is an openly gay rapper, whose music is inspired by her sexual orientation. In 2007, she toured with the first LGBT tour group. Her first album, The Movement, was released in 2008.
Early life
Lavonne was born and raised in Rialto, California[1] and attended high school at Eisenhower H.S..[2] She was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease at age 12, but recovered to play basketball in high school.[3]
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.
As of 2013, she is in the studio working on her new album which is untitled. 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.
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. 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".[2] It was also 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 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.
Tours
Lavonne toured as part of HomoRevolution, the first LBGT hip-hop tour, in 2007 and 2008.[2]
References
- ↑ "Video Lunch: Melange Lavonne - "Gay Bash"". NewNowNext.com. Logo. June 29, 2007. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-24.
|first1=missing|last1=in Authors list (help) - 1 2 3 Dennis Ayers (21 January 2009). "Singer/Songwriters Burning Down The Closet". AfterElton.com. Retrieved January 24, 2009.
- ↑ Rule, Doug (5 June 2008). "Melange Lavonne offers positive, gay-affirming messages in hip hop". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 24 January 2009.