Biography
Who is YNW Melly?
Early life and real name
Jamell Maurice Demons was born in Gifford, United States, on May 1, 1999. His mother was fourteen years old when she gave birth to him in the ninth grade, and she struggled to pay for housing and basic necessities while raising him in a poorer part of Gifford. He attended Vero Beach High School during his youth.
As a teenager, he joined the Bloods gang and started posting his music on SoundCloud when he was fifteen. In late 2015, he was arrested for shooting at three students near Vero Beach High School. He was convicted of aggravated battery, discharging a firearm in public, and two counts of aggravated assault, serving a year in juvenile detention.
Rise to fame
Jamell adopted the stage name YNW Melly in 2016, taking the initials from the YNW hip-hop collective. He released his first project, an EP titled Collect Call, in late 2017 while still incarcerated. The project featured guest appearances from artists such as Lil B and John Wicks.
He achieved a commercial breakthrough with his single Murder on My Mind, a trap song that peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. The success of the track led him to sign with 300 Entertainment, which released his debut commercial mixtape, I Am You, in 2018.
Career highlights
Following his debut mixtape, YNW Melly released his second commercial mixtape, We All Shine, in January 2019. The project included the double platinum-certified song Mixed Personalities featuring Kanye West. Both of his early mixtapes entered the Billboard 200 chart and received gold certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America.
His debut studio album, Melly vs. Melvin, was released in November 2019 and peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200. The album featured the top 40 singles 223's and Suicidal, the latter of which featured a remix with Juice Wrld. He later released his sophomore studio album, Just a Matter of Slime, in 2021.
Legal issues
In February 2019, YNW Melly was arrested and charged with two counts of premeditated murder in connection with the deaths of two fellow YNW collective members, Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr. He pleaded not guilty to the double-murder charges in March 2019 and was also investigated in connection with another shooting incident in Gifford.
His first trial ended in a hung jury, and subsequent court proceedings faced multiple delays and legal battles regarding capital punishment and digital evidence. He remained incarcerated while continuing to release music through pre-recorded vocals.
Birthday and age
YNW Melly was born on May 1, 1999, which makes YNW 27 years old today. That birthday falls under the Taurus sign. YNW shares the date with 60 other famous people.
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