Rising Stars: Meet Melvin Ayala

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melvin Ayala.

Hi Melvin, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I go by the name of 94mel$, formerly known as Melrose. I was born and raised in South Los Angeles; Leimert Park to be exact. Here’s how I got started and how I got where I’m at today. I was born in 94′. I’m a 90’s baby. It’s different compared to this new generation. The earliest signs I showed my interest in rap was learning Bone Thugz n’ Harmony lyrics due to my infatuation of their cadence. Prior to that, one of the first rappers I ever heard was Latin reggaeton singer, Vico C because of my Dad and thought it was the coolest thing ever. I remember being glued to an old-school television whenever my older siblings would put MTV on any time we could afford cable. Rappers like Ice Cube and his classic “Today Was a Good Day” left me struck with their smooth player sensation and gangster tone in his visuals. Long story short, anything that ranges from 90’s-early 2000’s hip-hop, r&b, and reggaeton, I’m a sucker for. As I got a little older, I found myself heavily influenced by The Game, as he was formerly known, ever since he came out in the infamous “How We Do” with 50cent and G-Unit.

However, it wasn’t until they started beefing and he came out with his diss tapes that got me hooked. I even went as far as calling myself “Hurricane” after purchasing his sneakers and repping Bloods when I was never introduced. It’s funny… the things you are moved by as a kid. Fast-forward ’round 2011-2012, a new age of rap was rising with your Kanye’s, T-Pain’s and Lil’ Wayne’s. I love Pain and Ye’, but who really induced me to started writing was Wayne. I became a Wayne-head at the age of the 13 and wanted to rap as ill as him with all of his wit and grit — you know, the crazy metaphors, clever-rhymes and all. I’m not going to lie; I wasn’t any good when I started. But, my big brother, Chris from Twain, one of the dopest white boys I know, encouraged me to never give up. Sure enough, I took his advice which ultimately has brought me here, I believe. Shortly after Wayne’s impact came Drake, J-Cole, and Kendrick. And that’s where I’d say my foundation began. Today, I continue drawing inspiration from other artists and new sounds, but that’s just extra. You gotta’ understand… if I didn’t mention none of the legends like 2pac, Biggie, and Nas, that’s only because rappers like Game have most of their influence which makes up for it. Although I improved on my craft throughout my journey, I’ve always felt like I struggled finding my own voice. There was a time though where my raps became Christ-centered due to my conversion at the age of 16. I come from a Christian crib so I know what the church life is like. It’s still very embedded in me today and you could hear that in some of my raps.

At this stage of my life, I fell off the grid for a good minute and missed the whole era of trap rappers like Future and Young Thug. I know, crazy right. So by the time I got back into the game, it was like learning to ride a bike again. I found it even more challenging adjusting but eventually, I made it click again. When I really took it serious was when my cousin Kat became my manager and connected me with my first producer. I started paying for studio time and working on my first album called “Bittersweet”. This was back in my SoundCloud days. The rest is history. Overall, I’ve gone through a lot of motions in this journey, but I’m a lot more mature with my music and approach with trying to make it out. You can find some of my newer projects on all platforms. I still don’t feel like I’m there, but I know I will be. It’s just a matter of time. I understand it will take more consistency than I ever had before to really make something happen. That has been my only flaw. But trust me, I’m on the way. Just wait on it.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Yes and no. There’s been times where I feel unstoppable after dropping a track and running with it. But it’s only so long I do it for and lose consistency due to either my work life, disinterest, and money struggle. No matter what though, I was always finding myself back on the grind, doing what I love to do. So I just had to learn that it will always be a part of me whether I make it or not.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I work with kids! I’m a classified LAUSD employee positioned as an Instructional Aide for Literacy. If there’s something that helps sleep better at night is knowing that I’m making a positive impact in these kids lives. I think that sets me apart from others. I also just started working graveyard as a Housekeeper for Waldorf Astoria to make a little more money.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Big-time! First I’m gonna’ tell you what my boy told me, “Never give up!” Stick to the script by finding your routine and staying consistent. Constantly drop as many as singles as you can. Don’t go and try to drop an album like I did and later find yourself discouraged when you don’t get the results you expected. When you feel discouraged, take a step back and remind yourself why you first started and why you do it. Doing something physical as little as going for walks or more rigorously, hitting the gym works for me. Most importantly, just hit the booth whenever you get the chance and start spazzing. If you got something on your chest, you need to let out, go! You got a stroke of inspiration, go! Or at least try to take record of it so you can come back to it later. Don’t be passive and waste that opportunity of making it come to life. Seek council from good people you trust that will help you take your music to the next level. But always listen to your own gut as well. Don’t care what others think. Just do what you wanna do and the rest will take care of itself. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Find what works and doesn’t work and keep it pushing. Don’t undermine yourself with impatience, just keep it pushing. Don’t limit yourself with thinking you need things to make production happen, it will only make the process even longer. Do what you can with what you have. Last but not least, don’t allow yourself to take anything down just because it didn’t play out the way you thought it would.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/poprosay
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/poprosay/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOTa16vVURAnpLNEQCNTpFw
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/poprosay

Image Credits
IG: @geyepro, @fujiidom