Ms. Melodie
{{short description|American rapper}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Ms. Melodie
| image = Ms Melodie and KRS One in 2000.JPG
| caption = Ms Melodie and KRS One in 1988
| image_size =
| background = solo_singer
| birth_name = Ramona Scott[http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20119663,00.html Kris Parker, Who Came Home from Life on the Streets to Become Gold Record Rapper KRS-One] from People, February 27, 1989
| birth_date = March 21, 1969[http://www.discogs.com/artist/Ms.+Melodie Discogs: Ms. Melodie] from Discogs
| death_date = July 17, 2012 (aged 43)
| origin = Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
| genre = Hip hop
| occupation = Rapper
| years_active = 1988–1992
| past_member_of = Boogie Down Productions
| associated_acts = Boogie Down Productions
Stop the Violence Movement
H.E.A.L.
}}
Ms. Melodie, the stage name of Ramona Parker (née Scott; March 21, 1969 – July 17, 2012), was an American emcee. She was associated with KRS-One's group Boogie Down Productions (BDP) and was for a time married to KRS-One.{{r|ts}} She was described by Vibe as "one of the ladies who could sonically spar with the fellas, spit raw lyrics, rhyme from a female's perspective, and hold their own."{{cite book|last=Emil Wilbecken|title=Vibe|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4iYEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA38|access-date=30 December 2012|edition=November 2003|date=November 2003|publisher=Vibe Media Group|pages=38–|chapter=Some Things About Mary}}
Career
Scott participated in the 1989 "Self Destruction" piece created by the Stop the Violence Movement.{{cite book|last=Stancell|first=Steven|title=Rap Whoz Who: The World of Rap and Hip Hop|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UWyfAAAAMAAJ|access-date=30 December 2012|date=1996-06-01|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=9780028645209}} AllMusic said that her single, "Hype According to Ms. Melodie", featured an "aggressive style" and was "excellent". Ms. Melodie and the rest of BDP appeared in the Keenen Ivory Wayans film I'm Gonna Git You Sucka. Her only album, Diva, was released the following year by Jive/RCA Records and was largely produced by KRS-One, with contributions from Sam Sever and the Awesome 2's DJ Teddy Tedd. The single "Wake Up, Wake Up" reached the Top 20 of Billboard's Hot Rap Singles chart; the music video to its follow-up single "Live on Stage" was a hit on video stations. She appeared in the music video for Queen Latifah's single "Ladies First".{{cite book|last1=Forman|first1=Murray|last2=Neal|first2=Mark Anthony|title=That's the Joint!: The Hip-Hop Studies Reader|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K4yDAOL07ugC&pg=PA347|access-date=30 December 2012|year=2004|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=9780415969192|pages=347–}}
Personal life
Scott was raised in the Flatbush section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn.{{r|Bogdanov2003}} She was the younger sister of former BDP member Harmony (Harmony, born Pamela (Scott) Pettway went on to sing gospel as a lead vocalist for Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir - winning six Grammy awards, the most of any gospel choir).{{cite journal |last1=Scott |first1=Joel |title=Brother of Ms. Melodie |journal=DNA |date=June 8, 1991}}
She was married to KRS-One from 1987 to 1992.{{r|ts}} She had two sons.
Scott died on July 17, 2012, at the age of 43 due to complications from an undisclosed illness.
Discography
- Diva (1989){{r|allmusic}}
References
{{Reflist|refs=
{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/rap-pioneer-ramona-parker-aka-ms-melodie-member-boogie-productions-ex-wife-krs-one-dead-43-article-1.1117356|title=Rap pioneer Ramona Parker aka Ms. Melodie, member of Boogie Down Productions and ex-wife of KRS-One, dead at 43|last=Bill Hutchinson|date=July 18, 2012|work=Daily News|access-date=30 December 2012}}
{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/diva-mw0000200447|title=Diva - Ms. Melodie | Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=AllMusic|access-date=2020-03-06}}
[http://www.torontosun.com/2012/07/18/rapper-ms-melodie-has-died Rapper Ms. Melodie has died], Toronto Sun; July 19, 2012
}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0578284}}
- [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p76/biography|pure_url=yes}} Ms. Melodie] at AllMusic
- {{Find a Grave|94000305}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Melodie, Ms.}}
Category:African-American women rappers
Category:Rappers from Brooklyn
Category:Place of death missing
Category:Place of birth missing
Category:20th-century African-American musicians
Category:21st-century African-American musicians
Category:20th-century African-American women
Category:21st-century African-American women
{{US-hiphop-bio-stub}}