Bronson Price, known professionally as Melodownz, is a New Zealand rapper, poet and singer from Avondale, Auckland. Debuting in 2013, Melodownz has released solo projects including Beginners Luck (2014), Avontales (2017) and Melo & Blues (2018), as well as collaborative extended plays with Angelo King, IllBaz and Raiza Biza.
Biography
Melodownz was raised in Avondale by his Samoan Catholic grandmother, English grandfather and his mother. He has Samoan, Pākehā and Ngāpuhi heritage. Melodownz debuted as a musician in 2013, composing reggae/hip-hop songs inspired by his upbringing. He released his debut album Beginners Luck in 2014, and followed this with an extended play as half of the Young Gifted and Broke hip-hop duo Third3ye alongside Angelo King, 3P (2016).
In 2017, Melodownz released the hip hop EP Avontales, and in 2018 released two projects: a collaboration EP High Beams with IllBaz and Raiza Biza, featuring musicians including Teeks and Che Fu, and the double-EP Melo & Blues. Melodownz won the award for Most Promising Artist at the 2019 Pacific Music Awards.
In 2020, Melodownz began Kava Corner, a YouTube interview series where Melodownz interviews New Zealand media personalities and celebrities such as broadcaster John Campbell, boxer Joseph Parker, rapper Scribe and musician Benee while sharing kava. He was nominated for the Breakthrough Artist of the Year award at the 2020 Aotearoa Music Awards.
Discography Studio albums Title Album details Peak chart positions NZ Beginners Luck Released: 22 November 2014 Label: Self-released Format: Digital download — Lone Wolf Released: 13 October 2022 Label: Universal Format: Digital download, streaming 21 "—" denotes a recording that did not chart.
Extended plays Title Album details Peak chart positions NZArtistPeak positions for Melodownz's albums on the NZ artists top 20 albums chart: For 3P: For High Beams: For Melo & Blues: 3P Released: 27 July 2016 Label: Loop Recordings Aot(ear)oa Format: Digital download, streaming 10 Avontales Released: 7 July 2017 Label: Liiightside Format: Digital download, streaming — High Beams Released: 20 July 2018 Label: Sony Music New Zealand Format: Digital download, streaming 13 Melo & Blues Released: 23 November 2018 Label: Liiightside Format: Digital download, streaming 17 "—" denotes a recording that did not chart.
Singles As lead artist Title Year Peak chart positions Album NZHotPeak positions for Melodownz's singles on the NZ hot singles chart: For "Out Here Alive": For "Spend It": For "No Mercy": For "To Live and Die in AD": For "Fine": For "Big Deals": For "Money": * * For "Pray for More": For "Lingo": NZHotArtistPeak positions for Melodownz's singles on the NZ artist hot singles chart: For "Live Stream": For "Outchea": For "Red Wine": For "Under the Sun": For "Let's Kick It": For "Hot $auce": For "Peace $igns, Gang $igns": For "Out Here Alive": For "Sugar": For "$moke", "Infinite": For "Spend It": For "No Mercy": For "To Live and Die in AD": For "Fine": For "Big Deals": For "Money": For "Pray for More": For "Slow Jamz": For "Loot": For "Bad": For "Lingo": "8Ight 2Wenty 8Ight" 2016 — —Avontales "The Anthem (Intro)"2017 — — "One More" — — "$on of a Queen" — — "Live Stream"2018 — 16High Beams "Outchea" — 20 "Red Wine" — 11 "Peace $igns, Gang $igns" — 15Melo & Blues "$moke" — 8 "No Mercy" 2019 19 6 rowspan="3" "Fine"2020 16 1 "Big Deals" 35 8 "Money" 2021 11 1Lone Wolf "Pray for More"2022 21 1 "Slow Jamz" — 11 "Loot" — 9 "Bad" — 14 "Lingo" 30 8 "MeloDub (828)" 2024 — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart.
As featured artist Title Year Peak chart positions Album NZHot NZHotArtist "Indigenius" 2014 — — The Lion & the Lotus "Bad Luck & Handcuffs" 2015 — — "Pull Up" 2016 — — The Worldly's "Lips" — — Otherland "Under the Sun" 2018 — 17 Influencis Et Collabis "Good Juju" — — The Booty Galactic "Let's Kick It" — 15 Hamofied "Take Me to Your Leader" — — Voyager "Out Here Alive" 37 5 Two "Sugar" — 6 Bailey Wiley EP "Spend It" 38 4 "—" denotes a recording that did not chart.
Promotional singles Title Year Peak chart positions Album NZHot NZHotArtist "Let Me Loose" 2013 — — rowspan="3" "Cool Like Dat" 2016 — — "Hot $auce" 2017 — 14 "Infinite" 2018 — 12 Melo & Blues "To Live and Die in AD" 2019 30 4 Deuce "Pai / Fine" 2021 — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart.
Guest appearances Title Year Other artists Album "Run"2014 Rizván, Tom Scott, Yané Tō E La'ā (Sunset) "Light Side" Jay Knight, Raiza Biza1/8/94 "Stick Up Kid II" Jay Knight, Bailey Wiley "Stick Up Kid III" Jay Knight, Bailey Wiley "Splended Tears" 2015 Yoko-Zuna This Place Here "Idfwu"2017 Yayne Simple Pleasure "Attenchun" Rizván, Freddie Bish Neverland "One More"2018 Israel Starr, NRG Siring Israel Starr presents The Producers Chair, Vol. 2 (Neo90sfunkadelicsouldub) "Ride Out" JessB Bloom "Off the Top" SWIDT, Diggy Dupé, JessB, Rizván Stoneyhunga: The Bootleg EP "How Much Fruit?"2019 Troy Kingi Holy Colony Burning Acres "Heart on Fire" Louis Baker Open "Trust (Remix)" Diggy Dupé, Rizván, Poetik, Redd x Rozay, Church & AP "Vailima Bottle."2021 Poetik, Lucky Lance Poetik Justice. "Ain't the Same" Diggy Dupé, Choicevaughan, P. Smith, Summer Vaha'akoloThe Panthers "Kong" Diggy Dupé, Choicevaughan, P. Smith
References