Change is an essential aspect of any artist’s life, that much we all know to be true. And it is perhaps that artist’s ability to face and survive this change that determines the level of success they will have in their career. And it is the fate of an artist to walk a very delicate line between remaining the same and changing with the times. If one changes too much, then he risks being accused by his fans of betrayal, of forgetting his roots. On the other hand, if an artist changes too little, he starts seeming boring and uninteresting. No one wants to hear the same song ten times in different variants.
Luckily, the artist we spoke to today seems to adapt to change admirably. Jerome Melo is a young rapper and hip hopper out of Miami, Florida, who has recently launched his own brand – The Cool Era.
An exciting and frankly refreshing project, The Cool Era proposes to shift perspective on the local music scene, and that will help both Melo and other up-and-coming, similarly minded artists grow and take the music world by storm.
Now, Jerome Melo is a man who is experienced plenty of change in his career. Having moved from Nuremberg, Germany to his present location Miami, Florida, he is also seen a great deal of tension around his decision to pursue a musical career. A difficult choice, in a world that expects you to fail, and on a music scene that is over-saturated.
On an abrupt shift of priorities, Melo decided to quit his previous work and life and give everything in the search for musical success and creative satisfaction. And it was perhaps this devotion and ability to live through change that earned him his present success.
In 2019, he was voted by the people of Florida as Cosign Artist of the Month on Miami’s top R&B and Hip-Hop radio station, 99Jamz. His music has been played heavily on all the major radio stations in his area, and he is rapidly establishing a name and a following for himself online.
And yet, as we have already said, an artist needs to retain something essential of his true nature, in order to keep his art unique and appealing to his audience. Which Melo has also succeeded in doing.
“People always told me to never change as well and thought that was very important for everyone to know that being yourself can open a lot more doors for you than anything else,” he says.
We thought this was an exceptionally good lesson, both for already established artists, as well as those just struggling and dreaming of someday making it in the music world.
Jerome Melo is living proof that you can stay true to yourself, and still achieve something monumental. That you can be an artist, but retain that unique something that makes you, you.