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[RTD Interview]: Milly Esquire

In our effort to highlight niggas on the come up, I present a recent discussion with Milly Esquire. Currently reppin' Baltimore, Milly's formerly known as Mark Milly, and currently not giving a fuck about you if you aren't about getting bread and progressing. He's got a dope style about him, and is all about that constant hustle, and his Mind Over Matter project will be touching down in 2012. Here we find him breaking down how he got to now, what he does when he's not rapping his ass off, and some glimpses into one of the most dedicated out there doing it.

khal: Let’s start where you started. Over a decade ago, you decided to start rapping. What about your passion for Hip-Hop made you want to pick up that pen and put your own thoughts down?

Milly Esquire: Hmmm... very good question. Let’s just say I started off mimicking the likes of Master P & No Limit, heavily! I was just soooo intrigued with that whole movement at the time, and I was 12 years of age. So when I first begun it was more like “something to do”, a “hobby” or whatever. I think I became more serious and passionate about it a few years later once I created & became apart of a group [GFZ: GoodFellaz] with 2 other people. I can’t really recall what made me want to start doing this at such an early age but I guess it was meant to be... like God's plan, ya know? I hope & pray it works out in a major way!

khal: It was some time later, about 2006, that you really kicked it into high gear, forming YHGM and forging your own way. In those seven years since you started writing, how did your life at that time make you decide to form your own collective, instead of immediately trying to shop for a deal with a major label or something?

Milly Esquire: Well, around that time I was living in Georgia & my son was about to be born. I have NO CLUE what was going through my mind when I came up with the idea to start my own “movement”, “label”, “collective”, etc., but I do know when the idea popped into my head I immediately called my [longtime friend] DJ Vanrod (who is now my business partner & co-founder of “Y.H.G.M” blah, blah, blah!); I told him about what I had in mind and that we needed to make it happen as soon as I moved back to Baltimore. “Y.H. Inc.” was born, later changed to “Y.H.G.M” & the rest is history. But me wanting to have my own movement basically stems from being so in love with the No Limits, Cash Moneys, Roc-A-Fellas, Dipsets, etc. I wanna bring that TEAM feel back into the music industry!

khal: Back then, you were known as Mark Milly (and previously, Mark The Shark). Today, niggas know you as Milly Esquire. What’s different about you now that prompted the name change?

Milly Esquire: I honestly... just grew up. [not to mention my 1st “rap name” ever was Master C] ( -_-) influenced by Master P of course, but the ‘C’ pretty much stood for “Clarke”, which is my last name [SMH]. But anyway!!! I dropped the name Mark Milly [in 2011] for two main reasons that were bothering me. [1] There is a rapper I randomly came across on YouTube with the same name... his music sucks, quality is horrible & I just didn’t want anyone to get us confused. [2] Meek Mill has just gain popularity by signing with Ross & I heard various people referring to him as “Meek Milly” so I just felt like it was ‘too close’ & wanted to avoid any future mix-ups because people [who don’t know any better] already confuse me with him & Mac Miller just when they hear their names on the radio... which isn’t a bad thing but I just needed something different *shrugs*

khal: How would you describe what you bring to the game?

Milly Esquire: [tries to not use the typical answer] Uhhh, Original... different? lol I bring versatility, fun, randomness... all types of shit. Something people aren’t used to hearing... I just bring me... my team... a different outlook... I’m bringing a side of BALTIMORE that the world hasn’t seen. I like that answer.

khal: What are some of your favorite tracks, and why?

Milly Esquire: Hmmm... Lisa Stansfield’s “Been Around The World” [it's just GREAT in my opinion lol]. Just about all of Anita Baker’s songs [her voice is amazing/music = timeless]. Just about all of Sade’s songs [amazing voice, music is timeless, its just GREAT content]. A LOT of Three 6 Mafia’s early work when they were still gong by ‘Triple Six Mafia’. A bunch of Teena Marie’s songs, but mainly “Portugese Love” & “Square Biz” [her music is timeless... I love her voice]. And of course, just about all of Michael Jackson’s shit, but if I had to pick one I’d go with “Earth Song” ...that shit has literally brought tears to my eyes LOL, so powerful SMH.


khal: Word is you have a new project, Mind Over Matter, dropping in early 2012. Talk to us about how long you’ve been working on this, and some things you hope to achieve with its release.

Milly Esquire: I actually haven’t even been working on it for more than a month, I don’t think. No songs are recorded except for maybe 3 or 4... and 3 of those will be re-recorded in January. But I really hope to achieve a great deal of success with this release [which will be my 1st OFFICIAL release since changing my name] I just want people to love & respect. If I make a million+ dollars off of it... that’s cool, too! In my mind I want it to be BIGGER than what Drake did with that So Far Gone release or what 50 did with Guess Who’s Back, which led to him signing with Eminem. I just want some crazy shit to happen & it will... I just gotta go hard & stay positive.

khal: Who are some of the artists you worked with on this project?

Milly Esquire: Haven’t worked with anyone just yet & I don’t really plan to outside of a couple of my Y.H.G.M niggas: Tragedy, Cheat-M, our newest recruit Troy Brown & my other business partner Tra’ Holiday [who will also serve as co-executive producer on the project] + a very dope singer/songwriter Miz Jaxxxn who I work with under my Incredible Creation brand. She’ll have her own track on the project, like an “Interlude” on something which will be like her official introduction into the world, well at least my world... Check her out on YouTube tho’... shes going places! *plugs* [ www.youtube.com/plzsaymiz ] *unplugs*


DOWNLOAD Milly Esquire ft. Tragedy "They Don't Even Know"


khal: What are some of your post-Mind Over Matter plans? Will you be touring to support the album?

Milly Esquire: Still thinking about all that, but if a tour happens... that would be GREAT! But I just really want to push this project to the limit... which happens to be the sky... so I’m going to do what I have to do to get this beautiful music in as many ears as possible... can’t give ya’ll all my secrets though... *stay tuned*!

khal: You’re from the Maryland area. Is there a strong Maryland Hip-Hop scene? Do you worry about reppin’ where you’re from when you get in the booth/put yourself out there?

Milly Esquire: Well, I can’t really speak for Maryland overall... because Baltimore is so, so segregated from the rest of the state. This city is like its own little island & it isn’t really accepted much anywhere else. Majority of the people here are quite ignorant & not so “friendly” & they damn sure don’t support local music. But other parts of MD seem to do a little better in that area as far as support goes. Now, Baltimore has a “Hip-Hop scene” that I am not interested in for various reasons and it’s rare that I participate in that “circle of events”. It’s a bit too fake & close-minded for me and there are people within in that scene who dislike me & my brand for not supporting what they do but our dreams are far more broader than that circle of individuals who mainly seek “local fame”... something I don’t want to get attached to. I don’t worry about repping where I’m from too much... I just do me... I’m from ‘Baltimore’ but its not many positive things to glorify about this city so once I am able to uplift & bring major change to it that’s when you’ll see me really on my “Baltimore shit” but for right now... let me takeover the world.

khal: When you’re NOT working on music, how does a nigga like Milly unwind?

Milly Esquire: Uhhh... pornography? lol ummm... I don’t do much really, too busy on the grind... eat, sleep, get money & work hard toward these dreams... same shit, different day... but an occasional session of TV watching, or Netflix is cool... hitting the streets, going to malls whatever but I try to tie in a little business with whatever I do... gotta keep the name buzzin’ & shit like that... Can’t slack a minute, too many rappin’ ass niggers out here lol.

khal: Any shouts before we wrap this up?

Milly Esquire: Shout out to YOU & RockTheDub! I appreciate all the support... and these were some marvelous questions; let's work!

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