MFnMelo Borrows Too Much For Everybody Eats
MFnMelo wears his influences on his sleeve. As a member of Saba’s Pivot Gang, his sound, flow, and tone all pull heavily from Saba and the other constituents of Pivot Gang. This both works for and against him; on one hand, MFnMelo puts his own spin on the Pivot Gang formula, incorporating clever wordplay and catchy hooks into songs. However, the majority of other aspects feel contrived and recycled, primarily from Saba’s discography.
His new album, Everybody Eats, starts on a strong note. “Weight Lift” opens and snares snap into the listener’s ears; MFnMelo rides over rumbling percussion, pulling the listener in with an earworm of a chorus. The final 40 seconds breaks for an instrumental, layering two separate electric guitar tracks to provide a brief but intriguing departure from the initial beat. This song sets the stage for a potentially excellent project, but instead comes off as a half-baked mix of original and borrowed sounds.
One of the stronger tracks, “Qari’s Interlude”, doesn’t even feature MFnMelo. An acoustic guitar leads the melody, and Qari repeats a refrain about social anxiety. The repetition works to great effect, emphasizing the weight the verse carries rather than wearing it out. It’s a little over two minutes long, so the song doesn’t overstay its welcome either.
Particular songs make great use of sampling, unique to MFnMelo’s catalogue. “New York” samples a sitar, using it as the melody and distorting its sound throughout. It becomes muted over verses and retakes the lead during the chorus, creating a satisfying balance that allows both MFnMelo and the instrumental to thrive.
Despite MFnMelo’s consistency on Everybody Eats, the listener can’t help but feel like each song is biting Saba’s sound. It’s up for debate who developed the sound first, since both artists’ music goes back 5 years on SoundCloud. They collaborate frequently together, since they’re members of the same group and have been friends for a long time. Nonetheless, Saba’s commercial albums and success precede MFnMelo’s, so unfortunately listening to this album merely leaves desire to listen to a Saba album. The lyrical depth is not as moving, the production is devoid of Saba’s unpredictability and versatility, and every other aspect sounds nearly identical to something Saba would do. MFnMelo can’t help it; as a member of Pivot Gang and one of Saba’s closest collaborators, it’s impossible for the influence not to rub off. Other members of the group have, however, been able to craft their own sound despite their closeness to their leader. Joseph Chilliams, Saba’s brother, has successfully found his own path; for proof, check out “Powerpuff.”
MFnMelo isn’t a bad rapper or by any means untalented, he just needs to find a way to distance himself from a sound Saba has already claimed for himself. It’s as if he’s copying Saba’s homework, but it’s still riddled with errors and minor mistakes still visible-and hearable-to the listener. Everybody Eats is a great listen for those curious about Saba’s influence, and for those looking for an artist that’s almost Saba, but isn’t.
