Mello Buckzz, a rising Chicago drill rapper, was celebrating the release of her latest album, “Hollyhood,” on Wednesday night when tragedy struck at Artis Restaurant and Lounge in River North.
The event turned into chaos as a drive-by shooting occurred outside the venue, resulting in the deaths of four individuals and leaving 14 others injured.
Born Melanie Doyle, the 24-year-old artist has recently gained significant attention in the music industry with her tracks going viral. Notably, her song “Boom Pt. 2,” featuring Grammy-nominated rapper Latto, has amassed 3.5 million streams on Spotify and the accompanying music video has garnered 9 million views on YouTube.
Doyle’s performance of the track at Coachella in 2023 further solidified her status as an emerging talent in hip-hop.
Another one of her hits, “Boom (Mouskatool),” drew acclaim earlier this year, with Pitchfork highlighting it as a “must-hear” track showcasing the electrifying talent from fellow Chicago rappers Amari Blaze, Kashh Mir, and Moni da G.
However, the excitement surrounding Doyle’s music career has been overshadowed by personal turmoil. A year after the release of “Mouskatool,” Amari Blaze pressed charges against her, claiming she was assaulted by Doyle in an incident that left Blaze with severe injuries.
According to court documents from March 2024, Melanie Doyle allegedly attacked Dade, leading to charges of aggravated battery. Doyle’s attorney argued that the incident was an act of self-defense.
After pleading guilty to charges including aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, Doyle received a 30-month probation sentence and was instructed to refrain from contacting Dade.
In light of the latest tragedy, Doyle took to her Instagram stories following the shooting.
She shared her anguish with her followers, expressing anger and sorrow over the loss of her boyfriend, who was among the victims of the shooting.
Compelling messages poured out from her, including calls for prayers and expressing solidarity with her friends and loved ones caught in the turmoil.
“I’m so f***ing angry,” she wrote in one story.
In another, she communicated her desperate need for strength.
“Prayers up for all my sisters god please wrap yo arms around every last one of them. We need u I need u .. feel like everything just weighing down on me … All I can do is talk to god and pray.”
Her outpouring of emotion culminated in a heartfelt message:
“I love all y’all dearly … I don’t wish this typa pain on nobody … dam my f***ing crew.”
Despite the pressures surrounding her personal life, Mello Buckzz released “Hollyhood” on streaming platforms Thursday morning.
The album features collaborations with well-known Chicago artists, including G Herbo, who appears on the track “hmm…BD.” Additionally, emerging talent Star Bandz is featured on the album’s opening track, “Back Up On My Sh*t” and is set to perform at Lollapalooza next month.
Doyle’s affiliation with the No Limit Muskegon Boys gang is reflected in her social media references, which has raised questions about the influence of gang culture in her music and its association with recent violence.
G Herbo’s involvement with the gang has also been scrutinized, particularly following a daylight shooting at a barber shop that claimed the life of one of G Herbo’s friends.
The album release party was initially framed as a “private location” event, with doors opening at 7 p.m.
Unfortunately, the shooting unfolded four hours later, and as of Thursday afternoon, no arrests have been made.
In response to the violence, the venue issued a statement emphasizing its mission to be a safe space for the Black and Queer communities:
“Artis was created as a safe space. A space where Black, Queer, and allied communities could gather, be celebrated, and feel at home in River North. We’ve always led with that mission. And what happened last night disrupted it in the most painful way.”
image source from：chicago
