Mello Mello

The calendar is empty.

Hey yall, it’s not your imagination that things are definitely getting
cooler these days in red-hot Phoenix. That exciting new neo-soul vibe
you hear chilling out the desert is coming straight from the hearts of
Vocalist Rich Reddy and Emcee Xtravagentways, whose love for everyone
from Marvin Gaye to Outkast inspired their irresistible easy grooving
duo Mello Mello.



Creating a unique sound they say you can be “grown and sexy to, or
young, hip and still maturing” to enjoy, the duo on their debut album
tells An Abstract Love Story destined to touch hearts and minds
everywhere. They were each experiencing their own up and down issues
with romantic relationships while they were writing and recording the
album; this leads to some deep, refreshing honesty that everyone can
relate to as they sing and rap along with the fresh beats and melodies.
Fifteen of the sixteen tracks on An Abstract Love Story (which features
13 songs and three interludes) were produced by Raycean, one of the
city’s hottest R&B/Hip-Hop producers whose sound blends the shape
of Kanye West and the energy of Swizz Beatz.



Before Xtravagentways met Reddy, when the two were working in
telemarketing for MCI in 2003, he was performing and recording with the
popular five man local hip-hop group Phat Richard. A “military brat”
born in Georgia, he moved to Arizona as a teenager and got his first
turntable and mic while growing up in Sierra Vista. Xtravagentways was
a big fan of D’Angelo, Erykah Badu and Musiq Soulchild and was looking
to move in a more mellow direction, away from “the sky is falling” vibe
of his band.



Reddy, a Long Beach, California native who grew up singing in church
and moved to Phoenix in his teens, had been singing in a group called
Blaq Kaddy when he and Xtravagant hooked up. The singer and his musical
partner Bobkatt did some early recordings using Xtravagentways' Yamaha
RS7000 drum machine; while nothing came of those sessions commercially,
it was clear from the start that Reddy and Xtravagentways had an
exciting musical chemistry and a mutual love for neo-soul that would
grow into something bigger and more Mello Mello than they could have
imagined.



“An Abstract Love Story completely reflects who we are simply by
blending Xtravagant’s hip-hop with my R&B background,” says Reddy,
who does all the vocal melodies and harmonies while his partner does
the rapping. “We’re both very smooth, laid back individuals, grownups
who have been through a lot relationship wise and have strong stories
to tell.”



Xtravagentways adds, “What’s most comfortable and natural for us is
describing how we feel towards a woman. With me, it’s about
communicating in a different way and expressing myself without getting
too mushy. We like to get inside a person’s mind and get them to see
where we’re coming from. The way I deliver my rap parts is designed to
make people think. On the surface, it seems easy to follow, but then it
goes deeper. The cool thing about Mello Mello is that both musically
and lyrically, we’re not limiting ourselves to one audience. Grown
folks and kids alike can find joy in the conversation we’re having with
them.”



Though Mello Mello is releasing An Abstract Love Story as a whole
project—and to really go deep into the experience of their musical
narrative, it must be listened to in its entirety—an obvious first
single would be “I Just Wanna Love U,” which has a sexy, subliminal
groove under the duo’s desire to do whatever it takes to make a woman
know how they feel. They’re likewise direct and romantic on “Dedicate
the Night,” the slow grooving ballad that came together the fastest of
any on the collection. “Movin’ On,” which reminds the duo of “the
evening sunset on a nice summer day, when you’re ready to go out and
hit the clubs,” takes a different approach, with Xtravagantways doing
more straight spoken word than rap. The dreamy “Angel,” “Come Home” and
“Foxy L’il Thang” are pure spotlights for Reddy’s extraordinary vocal
talents. The two-minute interlude “Bah-Dah-Dah” explores more exotic
and improvisational territory with its jazzy feel with a touch of Miami
meringue/salsa.



Before forming Mello Mello, both Reddy and Xtravagentways performed at
some of Phoenix’s best-known venues. Reddy has sung at the Celebrity
Theatre, The Venue in Scottsdale and The Marquee Theatre.
Xtravagentways played everywhere with Phat Richard and also did a solo
gig at the intimate Hollywood Alley in Tempe. As a duo, they have so
far lit up crowds at Famous Sam’s, The Loft and Party’s. Now that An
Abstract Love Story is out there, Mello Mello is ready to roll beyond
the desert and groove people everywhere.



“We’re trying to create a spark and then an explosion of neo-soul music
here, and then take it to the bigger cities as more people get to know
us,” says Reddy. “We don’t care about being superduperstars, but we’d
love to be known for making music that feels good and has integrity. We
want people everywhere around the world to hear Mello Mello and
appreciate the results of the love and craft that goes into what we do.
My favorite part of this is when that first note that comes out of my
mouth captivates every woman in the audience. I want the guys to use it
to play to their woman, but I want to have the eyes of every woman on
me.”



In line with his colorful stage name, Xtravagentways wants to take the
whole experience to the extreme. “For us, making this music is who we
are and it’s so much fun. If we’re able to have the freedom to do it
all the time, the experience would only get better. I love performing
and interacting with the crowd. Some artists stay in one place but
we’re all about exploding in people’s faces. The music we make as Mello
Mello is personal but we enjoy getting it up in someone’s face and
making them feel what we feel.”

I Just Wanna LovU...HD Music Video Posted by MelloMello on February 26, 2008