Photo via Facebook / $hunmillion$
Growth within hip hop is a fickle thing. For rapper $hunmillion$, who came into the local scene with a series of strong releases, it can be tempting to stay within the lane that elevated his name. However, evolution is also the name of the game in a genre that moves at lightspeed, and that’s exactly what he brings to the table for his new EP, More To Say. Within six tracks, there are still many of the trap-sounding elements that were prevalent on 2020’s What I Made Today Vol. 2, but with a more mature delivery and composure. It’s a move that was intentional on $hun’s part.
“After What I Made Today Vol. 2, I really wanted to take a break to take care of myself and my mental health. Really find a good balance” said $hunmillion$. “I felt that musically, I was motivated, but I didn’t feel the same outside of music. I wanted to make sure I corrected that energy over the last year, but still create. I truly can’t go a day without creating.”
With his last project dropping early into the pandemic, there was a lot of extra time to refocus going into the production of the new EP. That added element of serenity creates an audible difference between verses on the last release compared to More To Say. Not only have the lyrics grown up just a touch, but the mere vocal performance of $hunmillion$’ rapping has elevated as well. As an artist that already showed tons of potential before the world shut down, that time away has been nothing short of productive moving into the next chapter.
“It was all about the next message” said $hunmillion$. “What else is there that I haven’t spoke on yet? What side of $hunmillion$ hasn’t really been shown, and what’s the type of music people close to me value more than any other music I make? Those are the things that really helped over the last year, and that influenced More To Say.”
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That being said, there can be apprehension to putting out more personal material. Early music from $hummillion$ was more focused on high-energy beats, and a trap style that made for an infectious live show. While the pandemic allowed for more introspective music to be made, there was still some concern about where to take his sound going forward.
“It was on my mind, but just knowing how people felt about my music from the jump, it was hard to see myself go wrong unless I allowed myself to” explained $hunmillion$. “When it came to getting personal with this project, I felt like this was perfect. I feel like people didn’t really understand me, and they only saw a side of $hunmillion$ that honestly isn’t me 90% of the time. I felt like this was a good way to correct some of that.”
More to Say is out now, but $hunmillion$ has also hinted at being more involved musically this year. While specifics haven’t been disclosed, the young artist is one to keep an eye on in the near future of Milwaukee’s hip hop scene.
