Redrama
Background information
Birth nameLasse Mellberg
Also known asRedrama
Born (1977-10-02) 2 October 1977
Helsinki, Finland
OriginFinland
GenresHip hop
Occupation(s)Rapper
Years active2001–present
LabelsVirgin, Rähinä

Lasse Mellberg (born 2 October 1977), better known by his stage name Redrama, is a Finnish rapper. He made a breakthrough in 2003. Redrama, who performs primarily in English, but also in Swedish and Finnish was part of a hip-hop group Alien Allies which also included the Norwegian Paperboys and Madcon. Redrama won the English-language Finnish championship of rapping in 2001 and he also won the Finnish Grammy (Emma) award for The Best Hip Hop Album in 2005.[1]

His first EP, Redrama EP, was released in 2001.[2] The EP included seven tracks and it was released by Incredible Productions. In 2002, Redrama signed a recording contract with Virgin UK and his debut album, Everyday Soundtrack, was released in 2003. His second studio album, Street Music, was released two years later.

In 2005, Redrama won an EBBA Award.[3] European Border Breakers Awards is presented annually to ten emerging artists or groups who have reached audiences outside their own countries with their first internationally released album in the past year.

After winning the European Border Breakers Award, Redrama joined Gang Starr as a supporting artist on their European Tour. In 2007, Redrama recorded his first duet with another popular Finnish hip hop artist, Paleface. The single "Still In Charge" reached number 4 on the Finnish Single Charts and was the start to the collaboration between these two most successful English-speaking rappers in Finland. In 2008 and 2009, the collaboration expanded when Redrama and Paleface were joined by a reggae musician and singer CapeNape and Swedish hip hop artist Promoe of Looptroop Rockers. The four rappers toured around Finland under the name Conscious Youth.[4][5] The group released one album in Finland.

Redrama's third studio album, The Getaway, was released in June 2009 by the most well-known hip hop label in Finland, Rähinä Records.[1] The first single released from the album was "Music".

After a short stint as a Rähinä Records artist, Redrama established his own production company and label called Non-Genre.[6]

In 2012, the news spread that Redrama was working in Amsterdam together with A.J. McLean of Backstreet Boys. A new single release, "Clouds", featuring McLean, was released in May 2013. Despite the lack of large marketing campaigns, the news about the single were reported widely all over the world mainly through the Backstreet Boys fan websites and blogs. "Clouds" was the first single release for Redrama's studio album Reflection.

Personal life

Redrama grew up in a Finnish-Swedish family.[7]

He follows a straight edge lifestyle and has been sober since 2010.

Discography

Albums

Year Album Peak positions Notes
FIN
[8]
2003 Everyday Soundtrack 8 Track list
  1. Hang It Up
  2. Knuckleheadz (feat. Critical)
  3. If You with That
  4. Stand Strong
  5. A Day at a Time
  6. You
  7. This Is What It Sounds Like
  8. Babylon
  9. Everyday Soundtrack
  10. Kill It with Hip Hop
  11. Average Assholes (feat. Kapricon, Vinnie & Critical)
  12. Raindrops
2005 Street Music 13 Track list
  1. Introduction
  2. Street Music
  3. I Don't Know What to Tell You
  4. Today Just Ain't the Day
  5. Off Your Chest
  6. Let Me Go
  7. I Can't Help Myself
  8. List of Things to Do
  9. Good Woman
  10. Blessed (feat. Elastinen)
  11. Rest of Your Life
  12. Feet to Work
2009 The Getaway 23 Track list
  1. "Rise"
  2. "Piece of the Pie"
  3. "Music"
  4. "Those Days"
  5. "Move It Along"
  6. "For a Day"
  7. "Hold Me Back"
  8. "Slow Down"
  9. "Apologize"
  10. "Way You See It"
  11. "The Getaway"
  12. "Under-Estimators" (feat. Prop Dylan)
  13. "Better Man"
  14. "Right Here"
2014 Reflection 8 Track list
  1. "Now"
  2. "Got This"
  3. "Kickstart"
  4. "Angel"
  5. "Clouds"
  6. "Devil"
  7. "Real" (feat. Lazee)
  8. "Flight Mode"
  9. "Let Go" (explicit version)
  10. "Dumb!"
  11. "Awake"
  12. "Turn Around"

EPs

  • 2001: Redrama EP
  • 2009: Samma på svenska
  • 2011: Pakkå Ruåtsi (with Jesse P)

Mixtapes

  • 2011: Cabin Fever Diaries Vol. 1

Singles

(charting)

Year Single Peak positions Album
FIN
[8]
2003 "If You with That"   Everyday Soundtrack
"Hang It Up" 1
2004 "Knuckleheadz" 18
2005 "Street Music" 6 Street Music
2012 "Kickstart" 5 Reflection
2012 "Dumb!" -
2013 "Clouds" (feat. A. J. McLean) 4
2014 "Let Go" (feat. Kristinia DeBarge) 3

Other releases

  • 2005: "Rest of Your Life"
  • 2005: "Don't Know What to Tell You"
  • 2009: "Music"
  • 2009: "Du"
  • 2011: "Sail On"
  • 2011: "F.R.E.E."
  • 2011: "Måndag till söndag" (with Jesse P)
  • 2012: "Gottabe"

Featured in

  • 2011: "Worst Part Is Over" (Anna Abreu feat. Redrama)
  • 2012: "Same Thing Different" (The Mood feat. Lazee & Redrama)
  • 2012: "Lämpöö" (Brädi feat. Redrama)
  • 2014: "Tuhatta" (Janne Ordén feat. Redrama)

References

  1. 1 2 "Redrama". Rähinä Records. Archived from the original on 6 March 2012.
  2. Leppänen, Janne (13 August 2010). "Redrama, Paleface & DJ Mobster". Elävä arkisto (in Finnish). Yle. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  3. Kotirinta, Pirkko (24 January 2005). "Rap-artisti Redrama pokkasi palkinnon Cannesissa". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  4. Ylimutka, Leena (3 February 2018). "Korsosta kotoisin oleva Narinder Singh, 34, on naimisissa Michael Jacksonin sukulaisen kanssa - näin hän päätyi Vantaalta Hollywoodiin". Iltalehti (in Finnish). Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  5. Römpötti, Janne (22 October 2020). "Conscious Youthsia ja Asaa vinyylille – tiedossa myös ennenjulkaisematonta materiaalia". Klangi (in Finnish). Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  6. Åkman, Erika (31 March 2021). "Vuosi terveiden kirjoissa". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  7. "Redrama on illan vieras 3.5. ja Petter paljastaa Suomi-kytkynsä" (in Finnish). Sveriges Radio. 30 April 2010. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Redrama discography". finnishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  • Media related to Redrama at Wikimedia Commons
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.