BIOGRAPHY OF 3RD FLOW SOUTH PRODUCTIONS

Producer and Founder

Carlos “Roe” Mellanno

3rd Flow South Productions was founded by songwriter, musician and producer Carlos “Roe” Mellanno holds a B.B.A. from Cleveland State University with a major in Accounting.  He also holds a B.B.A in General Studies from Indiana University and has studied music theory, composition and tonal harmony at Baldwin Wallace University’s conservatory of music.  He is certified as an expert in Pro Tools recording software, as well as being proficient in a variety of hard disk and midi recording formats. Having grown up in a musical family, it was probably pre-ordained, the destiny have you, of Mr. Mellanno’s, or “Roe” as he is affectionately called, journey to the world of music as one of its preeminent producers.  Roe’s father was Trumpeter for the Rusty Bryant band that featured as its lead vocalist none other than the world-renowned vocalist Ms. Nancy Wilson.  He remembers as a child growing up of always hearing the sounds of great musicians such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Nat King Cole and Ray Charles around the household, and also of sitting in his den and watching his father practice and runs scales with musicians the likes of Rashaan Roland Kirk.  These early experiences served to peak his interest, fascination and passion for music.  As he states “you had no excuse for not learning an instrument around our house, pops kept one of everything, we had a Baby Grand Piano, Bass and Lead guitars, Saxophones, a Trumpet, Drums, you name it, and we had it”. 

As time went on ultimately Roe settled on the bass guitar as his main instrument.  However, at his father’s urging, he pursued his aforementioned career in business.  Upon graduation, Roe entered the field of internal auditing and worked for a Fortune 500 corporation for several years.  However, the challenges of the accounting field proved to be unfulfilling for him.  Eventually he succumbed to his inner feelings and passions and returned to the field of music.  As he stated, “I went from a generous income to one of zero overnight”.  In efforts to just survive and feed himself, Roe proceeded to play the so called “chittlin’ circuit”.  I played everything from straight ahead jazz to rock, Motown, raggae, blues, hell I even played some Polka and Greek music gigs”.  After a while of this lifestyle, Roe’s boredom of playing so called “cover songs” served to peak his desire for writing and creating his own original compositions and recordings.  Ultimately this led to his metamorphosis into a music producer.  As was the case in his career as a working musician, Roe dedicated himself into becoming proficient in the production of a variety of musical genres.  Because of this fact, he is equally comfortable at the helm of a joint in the Rap, Hip-Hop, R & B, Pop, Adult Contemporary, Club and Alternative genres.

The crowning moment of Roe’s career was the formation of his current music production company, 3rd Flow South/ Shotta Bwoy Entertainment, which was formed in partnership with his nephew, student, collaborator and prodigy, Mr. Veigaz “Shotta Bwoy” Mellanno.  “I am so proud and thrilled with this company because it includes family and Shotta Bwoy and I are like magic in the studio.  I get so pumped because we are so hot together and I think I could go on forever making hot, hot joints with him”.  We’ve chose to adopt and live by the creed of “hot- is -hot and not- is -not.  In other words if it ain’t hot, we ain’t havin’ it in our life.  Like Barry Gordy use to include on all of the labels of his old Motown records, “it’s what’s in the grooves that counts”. The productions the company has been involved with spans over a range of 25 years in the music, writing and performance industries. Together Shotta Bwoy and Roe have worked with a relative who’s who of the music industry and either collaborated, co-wrote and/or co-produced such artists as Gerald Levert, Men-At-Large, Luther Vandross, Joe, Alicia Keyes, Ginuwine, Keke Palmer, Johnny Gill, TLC, Toni Braxton, Damian and Dane, Jermaine Jackson, PussyCat Dolls, Oliva, O Town, Prima J, Lil Wayne, Plies, Lil Webbie, T.I., and culminated in their working with the famed production team of Darrell Simmons and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds of LaFace Records fame; as well as working with a host of local and international entertainers that are too numerous and large to include.  In working with these intelligent, creative artists and producer’s 3rd Flow South Productions has acquired a great reputation and state of the art production throughout the entertainment industry. 3rd Flow South also has a variety collection of music both instrumental, vocals and also can create any genre of music for any artist desires. So, if you need that red hot fire production and joints that’ll take you straight to the top of the industry, look no further because at 3rd Flow South/ Shotta Bwoy Ent., “we got cha”.

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