MixedByAli

Stormzy Drops The Powerful Single ‘Mel Made Me Do It’ Along With A Star-Studded Video

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Stormzy released Heavy Is The Head, his sophomore album, in December 2019. With his first solo single in three years, the UK grime pioneer is putting everyone on notice that he still wears the crown. Produced by Knox Brown and mixed by MixedByAli, “Mel Made Me Do It” arrived Friday (September 23). “I been the GOAT so long, I guess it’s not exciting when I win,” Stormzy spits in the opening line. And the flex only gets stronger from there.

The cinematic KLVDR-directed music video spans nearly 11 minutes and packs in over 30 cameos, including Dave, Ian Wright, Jose Mourinho, Stylo G, and Usain Bolt. 90 seconds in, we’re transported to a fictional talk show aptly titled Mel Made Me Do It hosted by Jonathan Ross and Zeze Mills. Stormzy is their guest alongside British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith and journalist Louis Theroux (aka the “My Money Don’t Jiggle Jiggle” guy). Ross asks Stormzy what’s on his mind, which launches him back into his braggadocios bars: “Any time I do a big flex, just ignore me / N****s wanna hear my side of the story / N****s wanna hear a n**** chat like it’s Maury / F*ck that, you n****s better bask in my glory.”

Midway through, Stormzy is flanked by Mourinho. He delivers the line, “I prefer not to speak like I’m Jose.” The former Chelsea and Manchester United manager puts his finger over his mouth famous as audio cuts in of his famous quote, “I prefer not to speak. If I speak, I am in big trouble.”

Despite all the clever references and name-drops, the song’s inspiration is singular and simple. According to press release, “Mel Made Me Do It” is “a direct reference to the influence of his long-time personal stylist, Melissa’s Wardrobe.” Her appearance in the video comes roughly one minute before a soul-stirring monologue about Black excellence written by Wretch 32 is narrated off-camera by Michaela Coel, the Emmy-winning creator and star of I May Destroy You.

Over the summer, Stormzy received an honorary doctorate from the University Of Exeter for “outstanding achievements in the field of higher education philanthropy and widening participation.” If anything, “Mel Made Me Do It” reaffirms that he’s more locked into his greater purpose than ever.

Watch the powerful video above.

Stormzy is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

TDE’s MixedByAli Launched His Own Record Label And Said His First Artist Reminds Him Of Kendrick Lamar

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At the end of last year, TDE’s in-house engineer Derek “MixedByAli” Ali announced that he purchased Death Row Records, the iconic studio where rap legends like Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Tupac Shakur recorded classic records. He renamed it NoName Studios, after his newly-launched label, NoName Recordings, and quickly signed his first artist: Malik Moses, who recently released his new single, “Show Me Something” with Bas. Fresh off the singing, Ali explained what he liked most about his new artist.

“The way he was able to really catch my attention with his selection of beats, the way his production was laid out, the way his songwriting and just how he carried himself sonically, that reminded me of working with Kendrick [Lamar] and working with Thundercat and Terrace Martin,” Ali told Rolling Stone. “It gave me that same feeling instantly as soon as I heard the first four bars of his music, and that’s rare nowadays.”

Ali also spoke about his overall vision for NoName Recordings. “We just want our label to be that safe place where artists can create, artists can have that creative freedom,” he said. “I don’t hear of too many audio engineers starting ventures like this, so it’s a different perspective to bring into the industry, the perspective from somebody who’s in the trenches understanding how it works and the grind that it takes to really be successful.”

You can listen to Morris’ new single and read the full Ali’s full interview with Rolling Stone here.

Kendrick Lamar’s Engineer, MixedByAli, Sheds Some Light On The Rapper’s Upcoming Album

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Today is the fourth anniversary of Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer Prize-winning fourth album, DAMN. which went on to win big at the 2018 Grammys, taking home five awards including Best Rap Album and Best Music Video. However, the anniversary of DAMN. also means it’s been four years since he dropped a solo album. As his fans continue to wait for his next release, TDE’s in-house engineer, MixedByAli, who has worked on all of Lamar’s albums, spoke a little bit about the rapper’s forthcoming project.

“I would say, every album that he has dropped since Good Kid has come with a different feeling so just look forward to Kendrick obviously expressing himself in the most creative way– the most highest of the creative way,” he said during an interview with Complex. “How he works, I’ve never seen it before. The recording process, the thought process of piecing an album together and sequencing it. Things like that is what keeps guys like me great. Watching his work ethic… You would expect someone like Kendrick to be at home and sitting back– nah, he still comes in on time and is punctual.”

MixedByAli was later asked if Lamar’s album would arrive this year, and he replied, “It might, it might, you never know.”

You can watch his conversation, which includes discussion of his work with SZA and Baby Keem, in the video above.