Marian Azeb Mereba, known
mononymously as Mereba, is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer.
Early life and education
Mereba was born in
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Alabama. Named for Continental Army major general Richard Montgomery, it stands beside the Alabama River on the Gulf Coastal Plain. The population was 2 ...
, and raised in Pennsylvania. Her father is from Ethiopia.
Her mother is African American and was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her family moved frequently because of her parents' jobs as university professors.
Mereba first developed an interest in music at age four.
She began writing songs in elementary school and learned to play the piano and guitar.
She went to high school in
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the List of municipalitie ...
.
Mereba attended
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institu ...
before transferring to
Spelman College
Spelman College is a Private college, private, Historically black colleges and universities, historically black, Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia ...
.
She graduated from Spelman in 2011 with an English degree and a music minor.
Career
2013–2017: ''Room For Living'', ''Radio Flyer'', and Spillage Village
After several years performing in the indie music scene in Atlanta, Mereba self-released her debut project ''Room For Living'' EP, under her full name, on February 14, 2013.
2018–2019, 2021: ''The Jungle is the Only Way Out'' & "Glock Peaceful"
In 2018, Mereba signed to
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture ...
, releasing the singles "Black Truck" and "Planet U", which went on to appear on her debut album, ''The Jungle Is The Only Way Out'', released February 27, 2019. The album, often acronymed as ''TJITOWO'', was written and produced by Mereba with co-production by Samuel Hoffman, excluding the 9th Wonder-produced track, "Black Truck".
On December 13, 2021, Mereba released "Glock Peaceful", which envisions a country free of gun violence and police brutality. The song was featured on season 5 of the show ''
Insecure
Insecure may refer to:
* Lack of security, in an objective sense:
** Risk
** Data security
** Computer security
* Food insecurity
* Insecurity (emotion), lack of confidence or self esteem
Media
* ''Insecure'' (TV series), a television series on ...
'' produced by
Issa Rae on HBO Max.
2024-present: ''The Breeze Grew a Fire''
In October 2024, it was announced Mereba signed a deal with
Secretly Canadian
Secretly Canadian is an American independent record label based in Bloomington, Indiana, part of the Secretly Group. The Secretly Group includes record labels Dead Oceans and Jagjaguwar as well as a music publisher known as Secretly Publis ...
, releasing the single "Counterfeit", which served as the lead single to her second album ''
The Breeze Grew a Fire,'' which was released on February 14, 2025.
Influences
Mereba has cited
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...
as a mentor and musical influence. In 2017, she performed alongside Wonder in Malibu.
Discography
Studio albums
Extended plays
Singles
Guest appearances
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mereba, Marian
Living people
African-American women singers
American rhythm and blues musicians
Musicians from Montgomery, Alabama
American people of Ethiopian descent
Spelman College alumni
Interscope Records artists
Dreamville Records artists