NextShark x Traktivist Interview: Ez Mil on being the 1st Asian American artist to sign with Eminem’s Shady Records

His first full deluxe LP and debut under Shady/Aftermath/Interscope, “DU4LI7Y: REDUX,” was released earlier this summer. Traktivist writer Stephanie Lamond interviewed the multitalented artist to find out more about the signing, his experiences growing up biracial in the Philippines and his thoughts on his place within hip-hop, as well as how he retains his own creative voice while under the giant spotlight that’s now on him.

Traktivist: Congratulations on the new release and signing with Shady/Aftermath/Interscope. What was it like for you to meet Dr. Dre and Eminem, both of whom you’ve talked about being huge influences on you, and how has it been working with them since the signing?

Ez Mil: Thank you! It has just been an honor for me to be even in the conversation with them, so I’ll make sure to work hard to be worthy of their belief in me!

Can you walk us through the road to the signing? We know they got shown the unfinished “Realest” track – how’d it get in their hands, and what was the process like?

Honestly, when we met we all just got distracted sharing music, and Em asking to sign me kind of even rolled off his tongue like he almost forgot to mention it that day!