Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Emilio Myles. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Emilio, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

In regards to creative writing, I started writing poetry when I was 12. I read a poem by Langston Hughes called “Dreams” and that was the spark that started it all! Fast forward to high school and I had developed a love for the artform and never really thought it could take the turn that it did. Back in those days people used to battle rap during lunch and I somehow ended up getting pulled into it and that’s how I ended up writing raps. Then that turned into writing songs , songs to mixtapes , so on and so forth. Now here we are 20+ years later and I’m actively pursuing a career doing what I’ve loved most of my life.

To speed up the process I could’ve simply put certain “obstacles” aside and focused more on my passion, but sometimes it’s not that easy. “Real life” had too tight of a grasp on me and I just couldn’t prioritize music.

I believe the framework I gained from writing poetry for 5+ years prior to rap kind of gave me a great starting point / advantage when it came to developing my skills as an artist.

I’d say the only obstacles I faced were all responsibility based. I just couldn’t put my music / passion before my household and that definitely slowed me down. Not to mention financial situations that tore me down mentally and had me in a constant state of stress / panic.

Emilio, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hey , hope all is well! Emilio Myles here, I’m an artist / producer from Detroit, MI. I’ve been writing poetry for 27 years and rapping for 23. I started writing songs and recording in 2003 so as far as that goes it’s been 20 years now! I got into rapping by random rap battles at lunch in high school and noticed it wasn’t too different from writing poems. You have a subject and you tell a story while rhyming … a cake walk! As time went on it just became something that was part of my life and I just couldn’t see myself not partaking in creating music in some form or fashion. In 2003 I also started making beats. I won’t lie, for the first year I was TERRIBLE…. but it’s all part of the game. My cousin was making beats before I started and I used the fact he was so good at it as a catalyst to become better and “chase him”. Here we are 20 years later and I’m still no closer to catching him lol. (he’s that good smh) Over time I’ve been able to create my own style with my beats and my writing that’s basically a blend of all my favorite creators with a twist of my own. My main rap influences are (in no order) Lupe, Eminem, Ma$e, Fabolous, Royce 5’9″, Joe Budden, Jadakiss… I think you get the gist of it. On the production side would mainly be 9th wonder and whenf.. As an artist and producer I like to stay true to myself and my sound and I don’t see myself straying from that any time soon. I make what I like and I know eventually I’ll find my tribe!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Being able to create something that could potentially help someone the way it helped me. I tend to vent a lot in my music and as it turns out, those songs are usually people’s favorite songs.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal is to be able to make a living from my art and help as many people as I can on the way. I’m not aiming to be rich or anything I just would like to create and live life freely.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/emilio_myles
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Emilio_Myles
• Other: https://songwhip.com/emiliomyles

Image Credits
Carlos Bell Cincere Gaulden