Melissa Czarnik

Melissa Czarnik (Zarnik) is a songwriter, poet and emcee that fuses elements of jazz, poetry and hip hop into an eclectic sound that has earned her recognition from NPR, Bitch Magazine, and Bust Magazine among others. A recent transplant to Brooklyn, she has already garnered the title of one of NYC's #1 Emerging Artists from the Deli Magazine NYC.

Czarnik performs live with pianist Eric Mire and percussionist Meredith Butterworth. Her live show has captivated audiences from as far as France to New York, California to Brussels. Her most recent album, Non Merci (Hyperdrive Motivator Productions, 2012), was written and recorded at an artist residency in the French countryside, 90 miles southeast of Paris. An ultimately personal and reflective album, "It's as surprising a pairing as it is effective…Hard-hitting and smooth at once," says Mike Levine (Deli Magazine). Czarnik's DIY attitude and lovingly karmic heart can be heard and felt on Non Merci and similarly on her first two albums, Strawberry Cadillac (2008) and Raspberry Jesus (2010), self released by the DIY artist on her own label, Hyperdrive Motivator Productions. To hear Czarnik's recordings and then to see her live is like putting air to fire, fuel to the already powerful emotion that lies within her lyrics and brings them to life.

You can find Czarnik playing around New York City. She is currently working on her fourth studio album and writing a libretto for an opera with composer Eric Joseph Meyer.

	Press Quotes: "It's as surprising a pairing as it is effective…Hard-hitting and smooth at once." - Mike Levine, Deli Magazine NYC "A class slice of socially-conscious hip hop that bodes well for the LP [Non Merci]." - Amy Bell, The Girls Are

"Czarnik is a soulful, fluid rapper, backed by the five-piece Eric Mire Band. Together, they've produced a surprising, potent and thoughtful mix of funk, jazz, soul and hip-hop."
- Robin Hilton, NPR, All Songs Considered

“This incredible young rapper from Milwaukee had me under her spell from the first to last moments of her album… This girl is going all the way.”
- Chloe Veltman, VoiceBox, KALW 91.7FM

"With slammin’ poetry, precise beats, and DIY authenticity, Czarnik is an inspiration to young MC’s everywhere."
- Claire Ashton, Bitch Magazine

"Her unique style is a powerful mix of singer songwriter Hip Hop combined with jazzy instrumentation by the Eric Mire Band. 'Strawberry Cadillac' is really one of my favorites."
- Jeannette Petri, Anattitude Magazine