On “$on of a Queen,” Auckland rapper MELODOWNZ–aka Bronson Price–calls himself a “hippie-living hypocrite.” It’s a reference to the fact that he’ll be rapping about peace and love one minute, and the next will be delivering tales from the hardside inspired by his upbringing in the central Auckland suburb of Avondale. (His 2017 EP, Avontales, is informed by the characters and stories of the area.) That same contrast could be applied to his music, a melange of hip-hop, reggae, G-funk, and soul that moves from the ominous (the pulsing “$on of a Queen”) to the uplifting and cruisy (the trap-infused “Fine”). A member of the spiritually conscious NZ hip-hop crew Third3ye, MELODOWNZ is clearly at home collaborating with others even in solo mode–his High Beams project with rapper RAIZA BIZA and producer IllBAZ finds the MC luxuriating in chilled-out beats and jazz samples (“Red Wine” feat. High Hoops), yet another side of this multi-faceted performer’s musical personality.