Melvin McClelland[4] (June 1, 1945[2]-July 26, 2010[3]) was a rhythm and blues singer known for his 1973 song "Reward/Synthetic Substitution",[5] the B-side of which was heavily sampled[3] in at least 94 hip hop songs such as "Real Niggaz Don't Die" and "Alwayz into Somethin'" by N.W.A, "O.G.
[6] Born in 1945[2] in Chicago[1] as Melvin McClelland,[4] his career didn't begin with music; rather, in the Armed Forces.
[7] While awaiting a meeting with the hall's owner, he encountered the mother of Herb Rooney and it emerged that he wanted a singer to record one of his compositions.
[7] After an informal discussion with Rooney himself, Bliss hit the studio to record it;[7] the result was Reward.
In 2011, a documentary about him, Synthetic Substitution: The Life Story of Melvin Bliss, was released by Peripheral Enterprises.