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I remember sitting in History class on the first day of 7th grade when my teacher Mr. Funk instilled a very important bacroynm in us: T.E.A.M.—together everyone achieves more. My 12-year old mind immediately dismissed that lesson and dubbed it corny and lame. I could just picture him saying with a half-chub “Teamwork makes the dream work!” the night prior to that first day—loser! But, slowly, my stubborn mentality matured and I realized that maybe Mr. Funk was on to something.
Playing sports in high school and working with people in various settings throughout my adolescence made me realize the importance of teamwork; having a support network can prove to be incredibly fruitful and allow goal realization. Sports and Mr. Funk might have opened my eyes to the team concept, but Da MVPz brought it home.
Comprised of Melo, Keylow and Vett, Da MVPz are a Bronx-based production/writing collective who don’t operate within the confines of genres. While their sound typically aligns better with Hip hop, they infuse their transcendent production into all music categories; they are the antithesis of type-casted producers. They can put out an eerie, ominous trap beat tailored to Bodega Bamz and they can produce songs that belong better at a Creed concert than Rap show. After meeting in junior high, the three developed a formidable bond which matured into the music team that they are today.
I’m a sucker for humble beginnings—they’re so relatable. It’s like that Powerade campaign: “We’re all just a kid from somewhere.” Da MVPz started making beats around 10-years ago with the help of a nostalgic piece of equipment: PlayStation One. No, they weren’t playing Crash Bandicoot, but they were honing their skills through the game, MTV Music Generator— humble beginnings. Growing up around poly-cultural music thanks to family and friends also aided their development and all-encompassing music framework. What started as a curiosity grew into a passion that is now their livelihood. 
Anyone can say that they love something and that they’re willing to devote their all. But when obstacles inevitably present themselves, more often than not, that total devotion dissipates into future regret. Not Da MVPz though. When something completely consumes you, you can’t hide from it, ever. The production collective has conventional sources of influence (Timbaland, Swizzbeats, The Neptunes), but they rely on everyday situations to mold their music. Vett told us that he will stop a movie in its tracks if the score catches his ear and believes that it would be a dope sample. They can hear a Johnny Cash song and know his voice would pair perfectly with a beat. Da MVPz will even sample portions of speeches from figures like Stanley “Tookie” Williams, co-founder of the Crips gang. No matter what, no matter where, their ears are always open to inspiration. Sampling is just part of the process though.
Organic production has a special quality: It’s fresh. Da MVPz will go into the studio with a blank canvas and throw sounds together like a Jackson Pollock painting. They’ll bounce ideas off each other and meticulously analyze every element of the song until their ideas gestate into a finished product. These polished songs are strong enough to afford them very impressive production credits, including: Smoke DZA, Bodega Bamz and Styles P to name some. But in order to facilitate this type of creative process, two things are essential: Checking egos at the door and working as a cohesive unit.
Da MVPz’ chemistry is palpable—I knew it within the first five-minutes of meeting them based off their mutual adoration and respect. Melo sounded like a proud father describing Vett and Keylow in the studio: “I would call Vett a Dr. Dre…he’ll fall back and just really listen…Keylow has the switch in his head and he’ll hear a melody and just flip it up!” These three guys genuinely champion each other not only to ensure the group’s success, but their individual success as well. Support is one of Da MVPz’ pillars of success and they will do anything for each other—they’re brothers. It’s like Mr. Funk said, “T.E.A.M.—together everyone achieves more.”