Mélange Lavonne

Mélange Lavonne (born c.1978)^[1] is an openly gay hip hop artist whose music addresses political themes including homophobia, racism, exploitation, and discrimination within hip hop culture.

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, a producer who has also worked with rap artists Snoop Dogg and Kokane. 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]

Personal life

Lavonne comes from Rialto, California^[3] 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.^[1] She lost an athletics scholarship to Dillard University after her basketball coach discovered that she was gay, and concentrated instead on music and on studying graphic design.^[2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Rule, Doug (5 June 2008). "Melange Lavonne offers positive, gay-affirming messages in hip hop". Metro Weekly. http://www.metroweekly.com/prideguide/index2.php?ak=3517. Retrieved 24 January 2009. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Dennis Ayers (21 January 2009). "Singer/Songwriters Burning Down The Closet". AfterElton.com. http://www.afterelton.com/music/2009/1/outgaysongwriters?page=0%2C0. Retrieved January 24, 2009. 
3. ^ "Video Lunch: Melange Lavonne - "Gay Bash"". NewNowNext.com. Logo. June 29, 2007. http://www.newnownext.com/2007/06/video-lunch-mel.html. Retrieved 2009-01-24. ^{[dead link]}

External links

• Official website

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Name	Lavonne, Melange
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