Melodownz kicks off the new year with new single “Broke.”
The song follows his long-awaited and critically acclaimed debut album LONE WOLF, which earned him the 2023 Pacific Music Award for Best Pacific Album.
“I was broke on the dole and wanted to give it a try,” the West Auckland artist gushed in “Broke,” reflecting on his struggle to survive on gourmet noodles, scrambling to get by.
While this is familiar lyrical territory for the New Zealand rap star, his smooth and fiery rap style will never go out of style, which means a lot to his loyal fan base. Melo Downz’s message about chasing your dreams while scraping by is hitting home for many.
Produced by Tāmaki Makaurau duo DUSTY and GHOS (known for MOKOMOKAI and Avantdale Bowling Club), the song taps into the raw energy of ’90s Southern rap and Houston’s chopped and twisted soundscape. With a low, dizzy beat of 140 BPM, it ramps up the intensity and delivers a punchy, up-tempo vibe that’s hard to put down.
“When I was writing ‘Broke,’ I was listening to a lot of Southern rap. I started recording and jamming — chanting, and eventually I got hooked,” Melodownz said. “Ghos and I were just practicing the rhythm in the studio and he originally had a BPM of 80 BPM, but because I’d been listening to a lot of Southern music, I asked him to bring it up to around 140-145 BPM. That’s what this song was about. origin.”
The accompanying video (see below), directed by long-time collaborator Connor Pritchard, brings the heat to Melo’s home suburb of Avondale. It follows him and his team through familiar places like supermarkets, laundromats and buses, capturing the essence of his upbringing, Featuring the iconic Avondale Spider statue.
The rapper and performer’s new single follows a stellar 2023 as he heads to SXSW Sydney alongside some of New Zealand’s best emerging artists. Ahead of their performance at Sydney’s SXSW, Melo and MOHI got together for a fun chat for Rolling Stone AU/NZ.
