MELODOWNZ Announces The Lone _Wolf Tour

Live Nation are thrilled to announce New Zealand street poet and rapper MELODOWNZ is touring New Zealand, bringing his powerful live performance to the Auckland’s Powerstation and Wellington’s San Fran in October 2022. The dates will see the artist grace his home country stages with a host of new songs from his highly anticipated upcoming album Lone_Wolf. ⁠

Tickets for all shows go on sale at 12pm, Friday September 2nd.

Live Nation members can secure tickets first during an exclusive pre-sale beginning at 12pm, Thursday 1st September.

For complete tour and ticket information, visit livenation.co.nz.

MELODOWNZ is proof that thought-provoking, lyrical hip-hop is alive and here to stay. Since emerging in the early 2010s, the Maori/Samoan artist has become heavily decorated in his native New Zealand; but with tracks alongside Denzel Curry and co-signs from Brockhampton, Melodownz stands firmly on the frontlines of Kiwi creativity that’s gaining unprecedented global recognition.

Raised in the cultural melting pot of Avondale in West Auckland, Melodownz’ hip-hop journey began at the age of 10, when some older cousins played Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Eventually, he began recording his own music in a makeshift studio set up in the dining room, composed of equipment stolen from a nearby Internet cafe. “I would record raps over famous beats and post them on Bebo,” Melodownz says. “It was a buzz, and I’ve been going hard ever since.” After losing childhood friends to suicide and violence, he put even more energy into creating hip-hop. “At first, I was absolute trash but I kept at it,” he says. “Music was my therapy to combat all the hectic shit that I was going through as a teen.”

In 2017, Melodownz released his mixtape Avontales, named after the suburb, that played a pivotal role in his upbringing. Filled with piercing lyricism, vivid storytelling, and soothing moments of soul, Avontales showed Melodownz’ dedication to both traditional and contemporary schools of hip-hop. “The memories and experiences that I had in Avondale – both good and bad – are what made me the artist and human that I am today,” he says. “My intention is to give back to where I’ve come from, and paint that unique picture globally.” Melodownz’ unwavering dedication to his community led to placements at charities like Youthline and Toi Ora Trust, as well as a collaboration with sporting giant Puma where he acted as a mentor for aspiring musicians. Melodownz also became the first New Zealand artist on European series Colors, where he performed a stirring rendition of Avontales song $on Of A Queen, gaining over 1.5 million views on YouTube. He later toured across the continent, playing multiple shows to new audiences.

What followed was even more international praise for Melodownz: He received online nods from T-Pain, Brockhampton and the Dreamville collective, and placements on trend-setting publications including XXL and HotNewHipHop. On top of his own jam-packed touring schedule, he shared stages with Anderson.Paak, YG and Joey Bada$$, while also working with world-renowned producers like DJ Khalil (50 Cent, Dr. Dre) and FNZ (Kanye West, Baby Keem, G-Eazy). In 2018, he teamed up with Raiza Biza and Illbaz to release High Beams, which saw him place a heavier emphasis on pressing global issues, with reference to his Maori heritage. “Colonisation, discrimination, gentrification and mistreatment have been happening for many years and generations,” he says. “My music represents resilience, struggle, and Indigenous people worldwide.” That same year, he took a more experimental approach with his double EP Melo & Blues, where he switched effortlessly between rap and more melodic singing.

In 2019, Melodownz became the first New Zealand artist signed to the local arm of legendary hip-hop label, Def Jam. His first release under the imprint was No Mercy, a hyperactive collaboration with Denzel Curry. He also won the award for ‘Most Promising Artist’ at the Pacific Music Awards 2019, and two years later, he took out the titles of ‘Best Male Artist’ and ‘Best Hip-Hop Artist’ at the same event. It’s indicative of Melodownz’ rising trajectory, one that will continue with the release of his debut album in 2022. The first single from the highly anticipated release, Pray For More features Lisi and MIkey Dam in a pensive, spiritual collaboration. “The song is about being judged, letting family down, losing my good friends, having malice for my haters, feeling like God isn’t there when you need guidance – and then realising that God’s been there the whole time,” he says. “I feel a lot of Polynesian kids will relate to this one.”

With a career that’s decorated with accolades well before the release of his debut album, Melodownz is ready to take Avondale to the world – and he’s bringing his whole community with him.

MELODOWNZ
The Lone_Wolf Tour

POWERSTATION, AUCKLAND
SATURDAY 15TH OCTOBER, 2022

SAN FRAN, WELLINGTON
FRIDAY 28TH OCTOBER, 2022

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER, 12pm
Live Nation presale: Thursday 1st September 12pm

For complete tour and ticket information, visit: livenation.co.nz