Melissa Providence
New York City, New York, United States
Music
Press
"Providence's voice consistently elicits response via her heart wrenching yells, chillingly emotive whispers, and the warm yet challenging quaility of everything in between...keep an eye on this one, Melissa Providence carries on a long tradition, which Aretha Franklin and Mary J. Blidge so gracefully embodied--get familiar"
"it is clear that this artist has the "it" factor that cannot be taught nor aquired. The fact that she also has an insane amount of friends on her myspace page (www.myspace.com/melissaprovidence) is also a testament to the fact of how much fans relate and attach themselves to her music. Wih undeniable talent, charm and a fierce will to succeed, Melissa Providence is set to simultaneously reaffirm and redefine the standard of finer womanhood in rhythm and blues" - Ballerstatus.net
"Nobody follows Chaka Khan and Mary J. on the mic unless they can blow. Melissa can do just that. If you don’t know, then you better get ready...(If You Don't Know is) a powerful blend of rich lyrics and head-nodding tracks, with Melissa’s smooth delivery shining through. Her voice is a unique mesh of raspiness and honey... She’s got the total package, and she knows it. If you didn’t know, you will soon enough" - B. Peterson/Okayplayer.com
"New York Hip Hop Soul meets the Sound of Philadelphia. Imagine
Mary J. Blige, Sadé, and Patti Labelle rolled into one. A mix of
the playful and the somber, while always substantive: it's that
next-generation R&B with an old soul...the talent of Melissa
Providence is heaven sent."
- S. Meghelli, Tha Cipha
"I know why Melissa Providence sings...because she can. Melissa gets four stars and a thumbs up for the single 'Breathe"
"WE have been going back and forth ALL week attempting to determine if WE should simply dedicate our entire page to this gifted recording artist or "dedicate our entire page to this gifted recording artist." Let's face it, Melissa Providence is first rate talented... and she knows it, performs it and wants others to know it as well. Very sexy, alluring and provocative, Melissa Providence is too smooth... Flowing through the lyrics of her single Breathe' with true reflection and bonafide emotion, Melissa Providence is our "Must Listen To" choice of the week. Do check her out! You'll be glad you did" - RahRadio
Discography
"If You Don't Know" 13 Track Debut Album
"Don't You Remember" Single, availalbe on I Tunes (U.S./Japan/Canada/U.K.)
Melissa Providence's Music has been featured on ABC, BET and E! Entertainment, in feature films like "Loaded"(2008) and has recieved radio airplay on .1 FM Jamz, XM, College and Internet Radio Worldwide.
Photos
Bio
"The Return of R&B"
Palms Out Sounds
"The Best and Realest Artist Out There"
Sigma Sound
"It is clear this artist has the "it" factor" Ballerstatus.net
"If You Don't Know, You Will Soon Enough!" Okayplayer.com
Major Shows and Performances:
2007 Billboard Hip Hop & R&B Awards (featured artist)
CMJ Music Festival
Fashion Week NY
The Electric Factory PA
LIVE Network Performances:
ABC
BET
106 and Park Live
106 and Park All Stars
Featured Music On:
E Entertainment
Style
MTV
ABC
BET
Loaded (2008) Soundtrack
Other Awards and Performances:
MTV College Video Awards Finalist
MyAWOL Featured Artist
Billboard Featured Artist
FMFB Featuerd Artist
Biography
Melissa Providence couldn’t have a more fitting last name. Once you bear witness to this young beauty tearing down a stage, or hear her infectious voice, it’s evident that her emergence into music is just that…Providence. Born to Guyanese parents in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, Melissa knew from an early age that music was her calling. From the hip hop filled streets of her Brooklyn, and later, Queens neighborhoods, to the reggae music spinning on her father’s turntables, Melissa’s childhood was defined by music. "I've always been in love with Hip Hop, R&B, and Reggae. I was that little girl who knew every word to Legal Drug Money and What's the 411, and spent my evenings in the house playing old records, making tapes off of the radio, and singing for hours in the bathroom mirror." It's no wonder that years later, Melissa is being compared to the very artists she spent her childhood emulating. As one writer praised, “Melissa Providence is what R&B is missing…she carries on the tradition of Aretha Franklin and Mary J Blige, and does so with a grace and confidence that is undeniable.”
And Melissa is well on her way to following in their footsteps. From the Billboard Hip Hop and R&B Awards, to packed shows at both the CMJ Music Festival and New York’s Fashion Week, this 23 year old has been making believers one at a time. She has already opened up for the likes of Keyshia Cole and Common and this MTV College Video Award Finalist has no plans of stopping. With recent performances on both ABC and BET, writing credits on a number of upcoming projects, and dozens of song placements with major networks and films, the future promises to be a bright one for Ms. Providence, as it does for her debut album, “If You Don’t Know”
12 tracks deep, the album is a perfect blend of hip hop, soul and classic R&B. It’s tough yet vulnerable, raw, powerful, and emotional…New York hip hop with a side of cocoa bread, classic R&B/soul with an occasional attitude. Whether she's enticing you to "breathe on [her] neck," assuring you that "we can take it slow, if you let me," or asserting that "It's alright, Ima' do my thing," it's clear that Melissa Providence is doing just that. In the words of Okayplayer.com writer Brian Peterson, " ‘If you don't know,’ you will soon enough!”
WWW.MELISSAPROVIDENCE.COM
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/MELISSAPROVIDENCE
Links
