Melo has long been more than a nickname for Carmelo Anthony. It’s his personal mantra: “Stay Melo.” It’s the name of his clothing brand, Stay Me70. It’s his aura.
“What you see is what you get,” says Anthony. “I’m not just trying to be cool; this is me. I think experiences and going down different paths and journeys is where you figure out what suits you and it’s the fact that I am my name.”
For two decades, Anthony’s name has been associated with excellence on the basketball court. The NBA named him as one of the 75 greatest players in its history in 2021, just two years before he retired from the league on May 22, 2023, after 19 seasons. Work, though, hasn’t stopped for Anthony who’s now shifting his attention to new industries where he can once again dominate with the character trait that has best served him throughout his athletic career: authenticity.
“I’m very intentional with things that I’m involved in,” says Anthony of his latest venture, VII(N) The Seventh Estate, a portfolio of French wine blends co-founded with longtime business partner Asani Swann.
“When creating these businesses, it’s always what’s authentic to me. If I don’t consume it daily, if I don’t give my energy to it daily, I don’t think that’s the industry for me to tap into. I go off of my lifestyle and the things that I do.”
Here, Anthony talks with NOBLEMAN about this next phase of his life and career, his style, and what fuels his passions.
You’re just a little over one year into retirement, what has that adjustment been like for you?
I don’t think I’ve enjoyed retirement as far as what the definition of retirement is, but I’m enjoying the actual post-NBA career. I’m enjoying being able to have time where I can build and think freely and not have to always be in competitive mode.
How does it feel to be 40?
I had a moment where I was like, “damn, I’m 40.” You try to wrap your head around being at that time in your life, but then you have a different mindset at 40. Something clicks, something shifts, and you just think differently. You operate differently, overnight. The things that you are into are different. I don’t know if we’re overthinking it once we hit 40, and now you try to figure it [all] out or you’re just more intentional because of the notion of hitting 40, but it’s a lot of clarity for me at this stage.
When did wine become a passion of yours and why did you decide to launch your brand?
Wine has been a passion of mine for a long time as somebody who was consuming wine, but also as somebody who got tired of spending money on wine and wanted to figure out—again, we go back to intentionality; let’s be intentional about the businesses that we get into—If I’m drinking wine, why not make it something that we enjoy to do, but something that we can also build and scale and create something that’s a different entryway into the industry. That’s the reason why I got into the wine business as opposed to just buying wine. I wanted to have an impact on the industry.
The wine names have deep meanings, like Ode to Soul and Oath of Fidelity, which pay homage to Haitian revolutionary General Toussaint Louverture, talk about that decision.
I’m a deep thinker. There are certain stories that I always wanted to tell that I never really got a chance and nobody told those stories. So it’s like how do we tie back to our roots and tie back to our history and our ancestors, and also how do we bridge the gap to a newer generation and do it in more innovative ways? We’re drawing a bridge from the old world to the new world. We can go back to the old world, and we can enjoy those wines, and we can comprehend those wines in those regions. And then we’re also trying to be innovative in this new world as well.
Of the nine blends you recently launched, which is your favorite?
Surprisingly, my favorite is my white burgundy. I’m sure people are going to hear this and say, “What Melo, white wine?” But I think my white burgundy is impressive. I hold myself to a high standard when it comes to certain regions and burgundy is something that I won’t ever disrespect. I like to say we did a great job with our white wine. – FULL ARTICLE IN PRINT ONLY
Words by Brande Victorian
Photography by Randall Slavin
Styling by Khalilah Beavers from Kreatives
Styling Assistance by Keith Pearson and Anitra Michelle
Videography by Fletch Power
Grooming by Shane Rashadd
Hair Braiding by Aliky Theana
Shot on Location at 1116 Chantilly Road Los Angeles, CA 90077
Listed for $28M by Cindy Ambuehl and Marco Rufo
