"We only like it if it's loud," raps Riverside youngin' T.Mills on "Loud." I couldn't agree more, especially since the song uses a classic sample from "I Know You Got Soul," by Eric B. and Rakim.
I heard the song for the first time at Soma, where T.Mills kicked off his tour co-headlining with Sammy Adams, another rising rapper. The single, produced with precision by BMI 2012 Producer of the Year Pop Wansel, premiered last week on L.A.’s Power 106 with DJ Felli Fel.
T.Mills is a boy-band pop singer/model turned rapper. As crazy as it seems, the 24-year-old really has mastered rhyming and has a love for hip-hop music that is undeniable. In the same way you might doubt Drake's rap credibility for having a Disney past, you'll have to rethink that with T.Mills because the numbers don't lie with the Y-generation. The rapper affectionately calls his fans "YNG FAV," meaning young favorites.
His show in San Diego featured a live band with an energetic performance that had the girls going gaga and capturing his every movement on their phones.
T.Mills said at Soma that he doesn't consider himself a rapper because he also sings. He confirmed: "I'm an artist."
I mentioned two words -- Kanye West -- and T.Mills fully understood my point by explaining he very much looks up to Yeezy. T.Mills said he considered 808s & Heartbreak a heavy influence on his music.
During our interview, T.Mills explained the importance of a Bone Thugs n' Harmony tattoo among the many others on his body, and he even shared a few tips to his fellow rappers about how to use social media to break into the music industry.
Don't let looks deceive: He's got a little something for everybody, even "your grandmother."
Look out for my GN$F! exclusive with T. Mills on April 27 on NBC 7 after SNL. Follow T. Mills here.
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Dita Quiñones is a multimedia journalist born in Tijuana with a passion for Latin alternative and hip-hop music news. In addition to SoundDiego, she contributes to Latina, FOX News Latino, Poder, VidaVibrante, and HipHopDx. She is also the founder of the infamous music and politrix blog GN$F! Follow Dita on Twitter.
