While Carmelo Anthony is best known as a professional basketball player, there are many dimensions to the star. In recent years, Carmelo has been hard at work launching his STAYME7O clothing brand, which culminated with the release of the label's first collection in December.
But in addition to being a legendary hooper and fashion entrepreneur, he can now add playlist curator to his accomplishments. As part of our Black History Month celebration, we tapped Carmelo to create a Spotify playlist of the songs that inspire him every day.
Drawing from a blend of hip-hop, Afropop, and R&B from the likes of Future, Lil Baby, Tems, Wizkid, H.E.R., and more, the STAYME7O playlist strikes the perfect balance between high-energy bangers and mellow jams.
For the Record talked to Carmelo about his approach to the playlist, the role music plays in various aspects of his life, and the importance of supporting Black creatives.
Can you tell us a little bit about your playlist? The mood that I tried to create with this playlist revolved around the question, what do I want the STAYME7O tribe to vibe to? So I give you songs that bounce, and I give you the trap music, and the songs with the big, big drums. But I also mellow it out for listeners and take them on a spiritual journey a little. I've sat and really listened to the playlist a few times now, and it's just a vibe. I also tried it out in different environments, too, like when I was watching the game last weekend with people. I like to look and listen to see who's nodding their head and who's not. So I took all of that into consideration.
What is it about music that inspires you? I just love the art of music, and the craft that goes into it. I love the way that music can make a person-or a group of people-feel. And I love to see artists and creatives in their element. I love how they take their worlds, their feelings, their stories, and shape them into a rhythmic flow.
What role does music play in reflecting your own identity and place in culture? Well, music is a way of actually telling the story. I think everybody can identify with different genres of music or different artists or different sounds and different ways of digesting music. For me, it's a way of telling my story. I find music that I can relate to. I find music that uplifts me. I find music that I enjoy. But also I get a chance to learn about the artist, go through their journey, and understand what they're actually feeling. So if I can connect with artists on that level, that's a plus.
How does music factor into the message and mission of your brand, STAYME7O? STAYME7O is a mindset. Everything is based off of a mindset. The mantra of the STAYME7O community is When in doubt, stay mellow. And music ties into that because music feeds the soul. It is food for the soul. It's a mix of vibrations and sounds that have the power to change our mood, whether it uplifts us or makes us feel sad. And ultimately, that's what the STAYME7O community is also about . . . vibrations and sounds coming from people in real time. So you get a chance to get into that mindset and put this rhythmic sound together, and you have a community there. You get a chance to survive, you get a chance to tell your story, you get a chance to be confident in what you're speaking about. And so it offers some of the same things that music does and what music creates.
How did music fit into your life growing up? So much of what I've done, and what my family has done, and what we've witnessed was soundtracked by music. Music was always there in the background, whether it was cleaning up on the weekends, having breakfast together, or playing cards together.
Back in the '80s, there was a lot of rhythmic music, like Teddy Pendergrass, James Brown, and Marvin Gaye playing in my house. At the time, I didn't yet know what my mom was playing, but that's the cadence and bounce that I picked up.
In what ways do you feel like music and basketball are similar? Basketball shares a lot in common with jazz. To some people that may seem unorthodox, but I always used to have Miles Davis playing during my workout. And some people would come in and be like, What is he doing listening to Miles?
But listening to the notes of Miles Davis is my way of catching that cadence as I'm on the court. When you listen to Miles, you don't quite know what he's going to do, but you know he's going to do something special. I think playing with that rhythm in my head gives me an edge because nobody knows if I'm going to drive to the basket or when I'm going to shoot the ball.
Like what you heard on the STAYME7O playlist? Check out more of the hottest rap hits featured on RapCaviar.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
13/11/2026
The UIM E1 Series wraps its third season this week with the Bombay Sapphire E1 Miami GP, Nov. 11-14, on Biscayne Bay at the Miami Seaplane Base on Watson Island...
13/11/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
13/11/2026
Singer-songwriter Benson Boone will headline entertainment for the Discover NHL Winter Classic between the Utah Mammoth and Colorado Avalanche at Rice-Eccles St...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design has announced the Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone, a 7th order ambisonic microphone array that captures spatial audio for immersive video prod...
13/11/2026
SMPTE has announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infrastructure and communications technology for the Solutions Hub at t...
13/11/2026
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) has announced the theme and program focus for the 2027 HPA Tech Retreat, which takes place Feb. 14-18, 2027, in La ...
13/11/2026
Football Manager 27 Touch is available on Apple Arcade starting today. The game ...
13/11/2026
MotoGP has announced a two-year media rights agreement with ESPN covering the Un...
13/11/2026
Apple Sports, the free iPhone app, has added the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to its lineup of supported sports, in time for Saturday's UFC 334. The...
13/11/2026
The NBA and Fanatics Studios, the joint venture between Fanatics and entertainme...
13/11/2026
ESPN held its annual EDGE Innovation Conference last night and offered up an ove...
13/11/2026
Regional sports network gives Ithaca College, SUNY Cortland students a platform to thrive
One of the biggest games in Division III college football will be pla...
13/11/2026
Studer-inspired 500-series PWM compressor unveiled
The HLabs range already includes a couple of Studer-inspired offerings in the form of the PRE169 and EQ16...
13/11/2026
Download Now!
To view the white paper, please enter the following details:
--
First Name* First Name
Company*
Country* Please select your countryA...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Blue Lucy, the workflow orchestration and integration platform for broadcasters, rights owners and localisation companies, today announced an integration with c...
13/11/2026
Krotos announces Black Friday offers on Studio Pro and Studio Max
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
First-year annual plans start at US$195.99...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design Announces Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
New 7th order ambisonic microphone with 108 MEMS...
13/11/2026
Meet the Berklee Student Setting Planetary Motion to Music With his compositional platform SoniKosmos, Javier Roqueni aims to make the universe the ultimate i...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Amagi, the media industry cloud company, today announced a partnership with Golden Times Media Technology (stock code 920021.BJ), a Beijing-based media and tech...
13/11/2026
CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB), one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, together with its Malaysian partner, Cedar ...
13/11/2026
SMPTE, the home for media professionals, technologists and engineers, today announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infra...
13/11/2026
iWedia, a global leader in connected TV software solutions, will present its software-first approach to DRAM optimization at Android TV APAC Summit 2026 in Bang...
13/11/2026
Beginning today, November 13, Apple HomeView is available for purchase at Apple Store locations, on the Apple Store online, and in the Apple Store app in select...
13/11/2026
From pediatric research to smart hospitals, AI is helping care teams spend less time on routine tasks and more time with patients.
Health systems and startups...
12/11/2026
Industry leaders examine how Dynamic Media Facility, Media eXchange Layer, and c...
12/11/2026
The junior Tar Heel is embracing the technical and creative challenges of live production while emerging as a leader and mentor in the control room...
12/11/2026
Gracenote, Nielsen's content intelligence business, has released its fifth a...
12/11/2026
RTL Deutschland will bring the NHL to free-to-air TV in Germany starting Nov. 30...
12/11/2026
Clear-Com supported On Air 2026, a 24-hour student-led broadcast connecting 45 u...
12/11/2026
uniqFEED has opened a Remote Operations Center (ROC) in Madrid, Spain. It is already operational, delivering virtual advertising for LaLiga matches. The ROC is ...
12/11/2026
Disney, ESPN and the NBA will present Dunk the Halls, the third real-time animated NBA game using Sony's Beyond Sports data visualization technology, on Chr...
12/11/2026
Van Wagner has launched Van Wagner RELAY, a digital platform for official athlet...
12/11/2026
Deal brings together two of the industry's most established graphics brands and significantly expands Vizrt's footprint in U.S. sports and regional broa...
12/11/2026
Euro TV Production GmbH of Austria has upgraded its outside broadcast vehicle with Lawo technology. The mc 36 Classic console in service since 2019 was replaced...
12/11/2026
Tagboard has launched Spark Resize, an AI-assisted tool now in beta that takes an existing graphic and produces a new version for a different aspect ratio or sc...
While Carmelo Anthony is best known as a professional basketball player, there are many dimensions to the star. In recent years, Carmelo has been hard at work launching his STAYME7O clothing brand, which culminated with the release of the label's first collection in December. 
