We were lucky to catch up with Emcee Millz recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Millz, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
Every project of mine has been meaningful for different reasons. My EP “Growing Pains” is the first creative body of work that truly gave listeners insight into my thoughts, feelings, and actions. It is a special project to me because I was at a place where I didn’t think people would be open to that type of vulnerability from me.
Coming off of the success of Growing Pains, I felt as though I had to “perform” and give the people what they wanted from me. The pressure of those expectations took a toll, and I ended up with some severe writer’s block. I felt like I was letting people down because I wasn’t releasing, and that’s what sparked me into curating “Don’t Think… Just Create”. This mixtape was an eye opening moment for me because I was falling into the trap of allowing the people to dictate what I release. It was through this project that I remembered the reason why I do this. It’s for me. It’s so that I can express how I feel and help give others the words and the courage needed to do the same.
Still though, I feel like the creation of my album is my most meaningful work. I have been working on this album since 2020, and as I continue to grow and change, the album similarly begins to do the same. There are ideas and concepts in the album that I am super excited to share in an unconventional way, but I understand that in order to execute these themes to the best of my ability, it will take time. Usually, I feel frustrated when my ideas don’t come to fruition in the exact moment, but this project maintains its sentimental value to me because I recognize how freeing it has been to create. I know someone else will be touched by my words and my story also, and for those reasons, it makes it even more special.
Millz, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Emcee Millz. I am an independent artist who makes music and writes poetry. Honestly, I would say I was born into this industry. I grew up in a very musical family and began learning piano when I was 2 years old. As I grew older, I started noticing my love for writing creative works (short stories, song lyrics, poems, etc). It was my Creative Writing teacher, Mr. Alex Fyffe, that helped to cultivate my skills and illuminated the fact that I was gifted with lyricism. Years went by before I finally believed it, but in 2021 I started taking music seriously. I began releasing singles, and later went on to create my debut project; an EP called “Growing Pains”.
I am most proud of my ability to make ideas come to life. Anyone can put rhyming words together, but it takes a special skill to allow people to feel what you create. Art should invoke feelings. So with anything I create, whether that be a poem, song, or painting, I make sure to leave the people with something they can ruminate on. The main thing I want people to know about my art is that it is authentic. My art is an extension of myself, and I create with the intention of people seeing the truest version of me.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
For a long time, my goal was to prove to others that I could do this. My driving force of motivation was knowing that I could succeed, despite people telling me I wouldn’t make it. Now that I’ve grown older, I realize it’s not about what others think, or how they view me. It’s about the way I see myself. My sole mission with my creative abilities is to learn more about myself as a person. Why do I think the way I do and how do I express that, so other people know that they aren’t alone. I am on a continuing journey of self discovery, and my goal is to gain a better understanding of myself with each piece I create.
In your view, what can society do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
I think the best thing you can do to support an artist you love is to buy their work! Invest money into them and let them know you acknowledge their hard work and efforts.
Another great option is to share their work with others. Send a link to their latest music video you enjoyed. Tell other people about their services. Do what you can to spread the word!
Lastly, it really helps when you affirm artists and creatives! Let them know how their work inspired you, and tell them what you gained from them sharing their experience. It always feels good to get feedback and genuine love for something you created.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/mc_millz_
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MC_Millz_/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MC_Millz_
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRsXxDpL8DwH3jPtCWAaRjw
- Other: You can purchase my EP, “Growing Pains” here! https://emceemillz.bandcamp.com/album/growing-pains-ep
Image Credits
Amelia Norbert Clenton Thompson