Mello D & The Rados Antitainment CD

Washington, D.C.-area rapper Mello-D, aka Darnley Hodge, is one of the more positive hip-hop artists out there, as displayed in "Cool Witchu," the leadoff single from his third album, Antitainment. The rap displays a remarkable degree of tolerance for everyone from atheists to fans of football teams other than the Redskins. No matter what you're into, Mello-D assures the listener, "I'm cool witchu." Elsewhere, the rapper at first seems to be indulging in a seduction fantasy in "The Ride: Bonita 2004," only to reveal at the end that he and his girlfriend have simply been role-playing. In "The Square Dance," he takes on a subject not much discussed among rappers, the working world in which an employee must deal with middle management (now there's a phrase you don't hear much in rap) in seeking a raise. Mello-D isn't above expressing himself in common ethnic vulgarities and obscenities (although the album does not contain a parental advisory), and, despite his name, he isn't entirely mellow. He gets angry and frustrated here and there, but even when he does, as on "Find a Why," his problems are those of a conventional man in conventional social and business situations, not the usual outsider rage heard in rap: he's worried about his blood pressure, his girlfriend wants him to be more communicative, BET thinks his video doesn't have good enough production values. (Well, OK, most of us don't have that last problem.) If rap is supposed to be about real life, Mello-D nevertheless presents a real life actually rarely discussed in rap, the life of paying bills, working for a living, and maintaining a relationship. This is one rapper who isn't celebrating drug-taking, misogyny, and violence, and it's also one who is not dependent on musical samples; he's perfectly capable of writing his own music and playing a mean saxophone, too. ~ William Ruhlmann

He is a visionary whose goal is to take live hip-hop bands out of the "novelty" section of the music industry and to make real instruments and live bands the standard for hip-hop music. "Live musicians and relevant content are the future of hip-hop music", says Mello-D. And he is determined to see his movement spread worldwide.In the 7 years the band has been touring, Mello-D & the Rados have gotten a lot of national attention. The 1998 debut of Mello-D's first album, Backsliding, recieved high praise from within the music industry, introducing this multi-talented artist to the world in a big way. The 2002 release of The Ultimate Truth built on that momentum producing the blazing lead single, "Keep On", which dominated college radio nationwide and debuted in the top 20 on most major national music charts. The single climbed all the way to #2 on the HITS Radio charts! Along with the success of "Keep On", MDR also released a video for the second single "Stupid Jerk" which features comedian T.L . Fitz (Comic View, Apollo) and was televised on BET, MHZ Networks and other national video programs. Now, for 2004, Mello-D & the Rados have taken another giant leap forward with the risky new album Antitainment. "This album represents a deviation from the empty, lifeless music called 'hip-hop' by the mainstream." Says Mello-D. " It's an appeal to the conciousness and humor of the listener without being silly, preachy or redundant. This is relevant music." The title Antitainment is an adaptation of BDP's classic hip-hop album, Edutainment, an album that helped further solidify hip-hop music as a viable means with which to spread a positive message to the world. Mello-D & the Rados has graced the stage with such popular acts as Jill Scott, Cocoa Brovas, Poor Righteous Teachers, and jazz legends like Charlie Hampton, Herb Smith, Barry Harris, George Coleman and Clark Terry. They have even gotten down with rock bands like Carbon Leaf and Weekend Excursion. Mello-D's primary mission is to bring back the real talent and creativity that was exemplified by the many great artists of the past. He ha