Pinoy Pride: Proud Filipino-Norwegian Rapper Karin Melon Drops New Singles Ahead Of Album Debut

Filipino hip hop lovers out there, better gear up because Filipino-Norwegian hip hop singer Karin Melon is getting ready to show off some Filipino pride and show the world what she’s got. Melon who was raised by her Filipino mom in Norway is an independent rapper, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Through the years, she has been making a name for herself in the local Norway hip hop scene with highly relatable tracks. And now, she is back with two new singles “Nobody” and “Alone” in preparation for her upcoming debut album “Ups & Downs.”

Karin Melon’s “Nobody” dishes on how it’s the people closest to you, the so-called friends, that bring you down. It features some pretty feisty lyrics that really make you feel Melon’s frustrations. As one line goes, “You gotta admit, you want to make me quit. You feel better when you’re acting like a hater. You will never let anyone enter your true soul. so you’re acting like an asshole!” Behind the lyrics, Melon explains that there are just some people who just seem to feed off of other’s misery. “Sometimes it also takes you a while to see that.” Melon says. “I’ve gotten rid of the people in my life that brought me down.”

“Nobody” was released in September. It was produced by Melon and recorded by fellow Filipino-Norwegian Leif Inge Fosen. Her next single “Alone” will drop on November 15.

Karin Melon Celebrates Her Filipino Roots

Karin Melon was raised by her Filipino mom in the small town of Haugesund. And with the extra money they had, her mom forced her to take piano lessons. She became a classical pianist. Later on, in college, she also became a drum major. This background helped her find her unique sound which combines live instrumental music and synthetic sounds that draw from R&B, gospel, and Filipino music.

As for her lyrics, Melon draws a lot from her personal experiences living in a foreign country. She also visited the Philippines a lot when she was younger and drew inspiration from the Filipino culture. Reflecting on her music style, Melon says that authenticity and relatability are important. “I think it’s important to make good, likable music that is relatable while staying true to myself and my message,” she explains.

Melon’s work goes years back. Some of her latest works include a summer track titled “Serious” and the Latino tune inspired “You Try” and “I Said Yes.” She also made a track dedicated entirely to the Philippines titled “Back to the Philippines.” Aside from that, she was also part of a provocative collaboration track with five other female hip hop artists titled “Sug Meg (Suck Me).” Her other tracks include “Drama,” “Insomnia,” and “I Don’t Wanna.”

In her upcoming album, Karin Melon is baring her story to the world. Her debut album “Ups & Downs” is an emotionally charged autobiographical set that will be featuring nine tracks. And it will be released on March 6, 2020.