Music Maven: How Melissa Darby is Changing Business as Usual

Darby and other hip-hop enthusiasts (such as Marc Matsui and both members of Blue Scholars, a highly-touted local group) formed the Student Hip-hop Organziation of Washington (SHOW) to make live hip-hop performances accessible for the under-21 crowd

Hip-hop has traditionally been a Boys Club. Generally speaking, there are a lack of notable female musicians making headlines. Even concert promotion is a male-dominated game, a tough and often ruthless business where the weak are exploited and tossed aside whenever “the next big thing” comes along.

However, one Seattle woman is holding her own. Melissa Darby has become the go-to girl for booking hip-hop shows of all sizes in the city. Better known as the ubiquitous “Meli,” Darby is a true power-player in the hip-hop scene. Her motivation lies more in shaping hip-hop culture than pocketing a quick buck. As head of Reign City (formerly Obese Productions), Meli produces a substantial percentage of all the hip-hop shows that come through Seattle. In addition, she is the talent buyer for the Nectar Lounge, a Fremont venue that has quickly established itself as one of the city's premiere clubs, in large part due to the national and locally recognized acts Meli brings in.

Darby's business ventures stem from a love of music she developed at a young age. She was involved with the Old Fire House, an underage Redmond venue famous for debuting some of the Northwest's most notable musicians including Modest Mouse and Elliot Smith. In Seattle, underage shows were few and far between because of the ‘90s Teen Dance Ordinance, which greatly restricted the availability of all ages shows. Meli and other like-minded individuals felt that the ordinace unfairly targeted hip-hop shows in particular, greatly stifling the growth of the burgeoning culture.

Darby and other hip-hop enthusiasts (such as Marc Matsui and both members of Blue Scholars, a highly-touted local group) formed the Student Hip-hop Organziation of Washington (SHOW) to make live hip-hop performances accessible for the under-21 crowd. Over a span of five years, SHOW put on many successful underground hip-hop shows, every single one of them all-ages.

Eventually, members of the group disbanded to pursue their own respective interests, and Darby started Obese Productions, whose signature logo could be found on the promotional flyers for almost all the notable shows in Seattle until very recently. Booking gigs for nationally-touring groups gave Obese the opportunity to showcase local acts as openers, helping to foster the burgeoning local scene that would eventually draw the eye of mainstream media moguls. Obese did all the shows, big and small, with Meli occasionally booking shows she knew would lose money—just to give deserving artists the spotlight and a shot at an attracting an audience.

This kind of grassroots promotion is Darby's mission; helping artists grow and reach new fans, by teaching them how to promote themselves and become well-rounded entrepreneurs. Darby's business values should inspire businesswoman in all industries, big and small. With plenty of heart, hustle and authenticity, she has risen to the top ranks in a male-dominated scene. She remains untarnished in a music culture prone to artifice and greed, putting hip-hop culture first and her own financial success second.

Edward Stern is a guest blogger for Pounding the Pavement and a writer on electrician school for the Guide to Career Education.