Ms. Melodie

Born Ramona Parker in Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood, Ms. Melodie once belonged to the extended Boogie Down Productions circle and was married to its leading figure, KRS-One. Though she released only a single solo album, her commanding presence surfaced on multiple BDP tracks and on two KRS-One-initiated collective efforts: the Stop the Violence Movement’s “Self Destruction” and the various H.E.A.L. (Human Education Against Lies) recordings. That lone album, Diva, appeared on Jive in 1989 and carried beats from KRS-One, the Awesome 2, and Sam Sever. She also made a brief screen appearance in Keenan Ivory Wayans’ 1988 comedy I’m Gonna Git You Sucka. Ms. Melodie died in July 2012 at age 43.