On February 13, Florida hip-hop artist YNW Melly was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Police stated he and one other rapper, YNW Bortlen, killed two of their mates and staged the crime scene to seem like a drive-by taking pictures. The gravely severe prison case got here as Melly (actual identify: Jamell Demons) was within the midst of an upward profession trajectory. Last month, the 19-year-old from the small South Florida neighborhood of Gifford launched We All Shine, an album-length mission that includes Kanye West, and his greatest hit, the chilling 2017 single “Murder on My Mind,” lately went gold. (It appears well on its way to platinum, in mild of Melly’s present authorized scenario.)
Here’s a quick rundown of how Melly went from sharing freestyles on SoundCloud to working with Kanye and Young Thug to being held in jail with out bond, charged with the murders of his mates.
May 1, 1999
Jamell Maurice Demons is born. His mom was 14 years outdated when she acquired pregnant with him, she recollects in an official YNW Melly documentary posted on-line final December; she was in ninth grade when she gave start.
Demons had an early love of music. In interviews in addition to within the doc, he describes a childhood fascination with Chris Brown and Michael Jackson. He additionally recounts an all too precocious curiosity in weapons, saying he discovered a revolver beneath his uncle’s sofa in fourth grade and took it “everywhere,” together with faculty.
October 19, 2015
Melly has a run-in with the regulation that may turn out to be a recurring part of his media protection. According to a neighborhood Florida newspaper, the 16-year-old was charged with three counts of aggravated assault and one rely of discharging a firearm in public. He allegedly fired a gun towards three different college students close to their highschool. It was after this incident, Melly has said, when he “was locked up,” that he acquired the inspiration for “Murder on My Mind”: “I woke up and I had that chorus.”
March 4, 2017
“Murder on My Mind,” a piano-based hip-hop homicide ballad that’s putting in its almost-diaristic intimacy, is uploaded to SoundCloud. “His body dropped down to the floor and he had teardrops in his eyes/He grabbed me by my hands and said he was afraid to die,” Melly sings. He was already posting tough freestyles to SoundCloud beneath his birth name when he was round 15; by 2016, he had started using his present rap identify. The YNW crew (brief for “Young N***a World,” he has said, until he’s on TV or someplace the place he can’t cuss—then it’s “Young New Wave”) includes his longtime mates Anthony Williams (YNW Sakchaser), Chris Thomas Jr. (YNW Juvy), and Cortlen Henry (YNW Bortlen).
May 1, 2017
Melly’s troubles with the court docket system proceed. The particulars aren’t solely clear, however on April 15, 2017, he posted on Facebook that he was “on home detention.” On May 1, his 18th birthday, he wrote: “I apologize to all my fans … I’ll be locked up in level 6 program for 6 months I was sentenced on my 18th birthday MAY 1st 2017 due to negative music 🖤 Just know I did it for y’all I’ll be back shortly 🏆💰🌎” He added, on June 23, “Turning myself in today.”
In an interview shortly earlier than Melly’s 2019 arrest, he claimed to Billboard that prosecutors had used “Murder on My Mind” in opposition to him. “Basically, I was on probation [in 2017],” he stated. “I’m off that now. I put out ‘Murder on My Mind.’ It was out for about seven months, but I was in and out of jail at that point. I probably went to jail at least six or seven times then. It was just for little shit too.”
December 25, 2017
Melly’s hip-hop profession goes on regardless of his authorized points. He signs with a manager, and on Christmas Day of 2017 releases the Collect Call EP, with company together with Kodak Black’s older brother John Wicks and Northern California cloud-rap progenitor Lil B. (The report was available every week early on Spotify). By January 7, 2018, “Murder on My Mind” has been streamed greater than 1 million occasions on YouTube.
February 25, 2018
Melly gets out of jail again. He quickly strikes to Miami, in line with the documentary and interviews. In the meantime, Melly performs a string of sold-out shows, and a brand new video, “Melly the Menace,” premieres on World Star Hip Hop. Another of his most-streamed songs, “Virtual (Blue Balenciagas),” debuts by way of World Star in April.
June 30, 2018
Melly returns to jail. Police records present he was arrested in Lee County, Florida, on June 30, 2018, for one rely of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and one other rely for possession of lower than 20 grams of marijuana. (Fellow rapper Cortlen Henry, aka YNW Bortlen, was arrested here, too.) According to court docket data seen by Pitchfork, the state legal professional’s workplace concluded there was inadequate proof to show the weapon cost past an inexpensive doubt and downgraded the medication fees to misdemeanors.
August 3, 2018
Melly releases his first album-length mission, I Am You. It contains “Murder on My Mind” and a tune from the other perspective, “Mind on My Murder,” plus “Virtual (Blue Balenciagas),” maternal ode “Mama Cry,” and Chris Brown-interpolating “Slang That Iron.” Later that month, he tells Billboard he’s engaged on “a whole project of songs” with Detroit rapper Tee Grizzley (in November 2018 they’d share collaborative monitor “Freddy Krueger”).
October 26, 2018
YNW Juvy, aka 19-year-old Christopher Thomas Jr., and YNW Sakchaser, aka 21-year-old Anthony Williams, are shot and killed. Miramar, Florida police say the 2 have been final seen round 3:20 a.m. in Fort Lauderdale, arriving at Memorial Hospital Miramar round 4:35 a.m. “with multiple gunshot wounds.” A police spokesperson said, “They were dead already.” Melly mourned on his social media accounts. “They took my brothers from me over jealousy,” he wrote. Melly added that the killers “want to see me break down and stop or in jail or a box.”
December 4, 2018
Melly’s official documentary arrives on YouTube. Thomas and Williams are featured prominently. At the tip of the 21-minute video, textual content reads, “Four days after the completion of this film, YNW Melly and his friends were the targets of a drive-by shooting in Miami, Florida. YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser were killed.” The documentary additionally reveals Melly and his mom are transferring from Florida to Atlanta.
The identical day, Melly shares a photo of himself with Kanye West on Instagram. Rumors follow that the 2 are recording in Miami collectively for what is perhaps West’s long-delayed album Yandhi.
December 12, 2019
A Genius video of Melly breaking down the lyrics to “Murder on My Mind” is posted on YouTube. “I’m a pussy murderer,” he says across the 4:40 mark. “I murder the vagina. And I murder the beat. I am not no hu—human murderer.” As he pauses on the phrase “human murderer,” Melly’s eye catches the digital camera, in a second that may later go viral.
January 3, 2019
Melly is arrested again in Lee County in connection along with his June 2018 fees. In his mugshot, he may be seen smiling. According to court docket data seen by Pitchfork, Melly pleaded no contest to misdemeanors for possession of paraphernalia and possession of lower than 20 grams of marijuana. He is dominated responsible and sentenced to jail time, with credit score for time served.
January 18, 2019
Melly releases We All Shine, his second mission. West trades vocals with Melly on single “Mixed Personalities” and appears in the video.
January 25, 2019
Melly is launched from Lee County jail, police data present.
February 5, 2019
In a Billboard interview, Melly says of Sak and Juvy, “They were my brothers—they were my day one brothers.” Asked if he was focused within the incident as properly, he says, “Nah, I can’t really speak on that.” He additionally says he has recorded “like six songs” with Young Thug and is engaged on a “project” with Juice WRLD. His mission with Tee Grizzley is completed, too, he says: “My year’s finna be crazy.”
February 12, 2019
Melly talks Kanye with Power 106. “He heard my music in Paris,” Melly says. “He flew me to L.A. and then I just showed him some of my music.” Melly says West is naming a Yeezy sneaker after him, too: the Mellys.
February 13, 2019
Melly is arrested on homicide fees. Police allege that he shot and killed Williams and Thomas whereas Cortlen Henry, aka YNW Bortlen, tried to stage the deaths as a drive-by taking pictures. Under Florida regulation, Melly might face life imprisonment or the demise penalty. He maintains his innocence on Instagram: “Unfortunately, a lot of rumors and lies are being said but no worries god is with me.”
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