Julian Malone grabbed a lot of attention when he released his latest mixtape, Enemy. The project was heralded in Chicago and beyond, giving confidence to the up and coming emcee and producer. Without a doubt, it was Malone’s best work to date and has anticipation building for his next project. We recently interviewed Malone for an RH First Look in which Malone said that Enemy really started after a sobering talk with one of his musical role models, Million $ Mano.
Since at least 2006, Mano has been tirelessly pushing Chicago’s vision forward, especially at a time when many outside the city took only as some hipster boiling pot. Mano has been the tour DJ for M.I.A, Travie McCoy, and most notably Jay & Kanye during the WTT Tour, but whether it is DJing, producing or rapping Mano has worked with just about everyone in the industry and possesses a keen knowledge of today’s game.
In 2008 the young and aspiring Malone saw Mano as someone he could relate too in the industry, someone who was like him in some ways, both being from the south suburbs and having similar interests in certain genres of music besides just Hip Hop. But right as Malone thought he could acquire a full blown cosign, reality ensued. When speaking about linking with Mano, Hollywood Holt & Mic Terror to play them some joints in August of last 2011, Malone stated
“These n*ggas gonna loose their mind when they find out I’m from their city, making some sh*t like this. That’s what I was thinking (laughs)… but sh*t I got a rude ass awakening from Mano. When Mano first heard me, it was… ‘Drake..Drake…Drake…’ That sh*t got to my brain man. I’m like ‘Drake, where does he see Drake in this?’ Mano was the first industry guy, that I respected to give me criticism on my music…Me going to Mano, what that did for me and my progression, that’s really what made Enemy.”
Malone is currently working on new music, and should be dropping a new video any day now. Check back for the full RH First Look coming soon.