Shady Records’ youngest artist keeps feeding his fans new music week after week. Now, it is the three-track long EP alongside a new video for last week’s single.
3RD WRLD Vol. 1
Actually, Ez Mil teased his upcoming EP not just a couple of days before the release, but weeks in advance in an interview that seemed cryptic at the time. Back then, describing his current music in three words for MYX Checks In, Ez Mil said, emphasising every word, “Past. Present. Future. Why? The third world. There you go”.
And here we go. The 3RD WRLD Vol. 1 EP is out now through Shady Records/Interscope. The fans had a week to get used to full, aggressive sound of “2200”. Now, two more songs, “Sindak” and “Lord Help Me”, keep the momentum going. Like “2200” they lean on bass-heavy, growling beat, blend Filipino identity with US hip hop tradition, and showcase Ez Mil’s versatility as a writer, performer, and producer.
Moreover, “Lord Help Me”, a dark and lavishly arranged downtempo track, also carries a Dr. Dre credit. He took upon himself a role of a mixing engineer, jus as he did on “2200”. Officially, Dre did not spearhead production on the EP. Still, on the tracks he mixed, his touch is hard to miss.
The artist’s cut
Together with the EP, Ez Mil released a new music video for “2200”. Introduced as an “artist’s cut”, as opposed to director’s cut, which dropped last week, these visuals looks like a whole new video, not a re-edit. There are some overlaps, but it feels more spontaneous, more immediate and straightforward. The connection to Olongapo and Filipino culture becomes even more pronounced in this new video.
Ez Mil wears his heart on his sleeve here, dancing among people he knows, showing all the landmarks he gives shout-out on the song’s intro, emphasising every word of his lyrics.
Undeniably, this Shady Records artist who just turned 28, has his own unique voice and makes sure that this voice will be heard everywhere. The only thing, fans waiting for the full album might feel slightly disheartened. However, with this EP labelled Vol. 1, Ez Mil seems to signal that there is more to come.