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Courageous roots<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Melione’s mother arrived in America with no English, no job, and no money, having crossed the ocean to escape communism. Just weeks before she boarded, her sister was murdered along with Melione’s cousins while trying to flee on their own boat. Then came a choice that would shape generations. A few weeks after that loss, Melione’s mother took the risk anyway, betting everything on hope. “My mom means everything to me,” she said. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my mom and her bravery.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her big brother Jimmy introduced Melione to music at an early age. By age 9 or 10, Melione was writing, starting with poetry and then setting words to instrumentals. In seventh grade, although she was the shy new girl at school, she knew she could rap and took a chance by signing up for the talent show. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Backstage, minutes from showtime, she learned her CD was scratched. “They say, ‘fake it till you make it,'” Melione recalled, “and if you wait till you’re ready, you’ll always be waiting.”The curtains opened, and she didn’t hold back. Before long, the audience was rapping right along with her. From that moment, a love of performing was solidified. “It’s just a moment I will never forget,” she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Perseverance and passion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Years later, Melione moved to Los Angeles to chase her dreams, but the pursuit began to blur. Her job began pulling her attention away from the very reason she’d come. Then, while hanging out with the three people she was set to live with, one of the men drugged her. She spent five days in intensive care. Doctors found bleeding in her head and warned that she could be bedridden for six to nine months. Melione needed to move back in with her family in Orange County to recover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That painful detour opened a door, though. The recovery gave her time to pour herself into her first album, titled “Me.” What followed was a leap of faith, and it wasn’t easy. For a stretch, she slept in her car, worked in the studio, and showered at a 24 Hour Fitness. Both of her parents were out of work, so any extra income she earned went to helping them. Reflecting on this, Melione said, “But I’m very grateful for the journey; it makes me appreciate where I am today.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The lessons of that road trace back to the woman who raised her. “From my mom, I’ve learned to be resilient,” she shared. “I’ve learned to be strong and hardworking.” Asked to name her proudest accomplishment, Melione doesn’t point to a single song or performance but to staying the course. “My most important accomplishment would probably be me still pursuing my dreams,” she said. “I think it’s very hard to make a living doing what I love, and I’m very proud of it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n