Character article - Mills

Having already had three multi platinum number 1 albums under his belt, not to mention the various Grammy and MTV nominations for this coming year alone. It comes as no surprise when we tell you that the man from 'the wrong side of the tracks' as he most delicately puts it, will be branching out further into producing as well as the promise of a fourth studio album, just for 2011.

Mills claims to have had a modest upbringing from what he likes to call a dark corner of LA, with a father that was in and out of prison on various occasions and a mother working three jobs to keep on the lights. It would of been easier for Mills, full name Patrick Oliver Millards, to have slipped beneath the system and quickly given up on life, become a cocaine dealer as many of his past school friends had. But he had his mind set on a better life right from the onset.

We speak to the man himself on his initial success as he takes us from his recording studio through the bustling streets of his new found home, New York City, to a quant little cafe, where he has been known to come to 'recover' and 'clear his mind'

New York being your new place of residence, do you not ever find that you miss your home in LA.
Well... It's easy to say i miss my 'home' and that I don't know these streets as well as LA, but to say I would want to go back, would be a lie.

why?
There are of course some good memories about my old home, but predominantly bad memories, it wasn't the nicest of areas.

Do you not feel as though these shaped you to be the person you are today?
No...
... I have become the person I am today through hard graft and determination, something people from where I am from would not understand.

Mills began working at Sony Records under the watchful eye of the Mr Simon Cowell 8 years ago, working as a junior copywriter. This catapulted him into the music industry, something which was non to familiar.

Do you feel as though people from LA would be offended by your comments?
I feel as though I spent 17 years of my life growing up in a neighbourhood where I had to constantly watch my back, I feel as though I owe nothing to them.

You began working at Simon Cowells record label, how did you first become interested in writing music?
I was working one night on a slogan for a new campaign for an artist, Simon had seen something I had written and felt that there was some sort of 'lyrical genius' behind it and that i had a 'natural talent' for writing verses.

And it took of from there?
The following month the campaign went global, and became an overnight success, from then I on I became a song writer.

From which point did you decide that you wanted to be an artist yourself?
After writing songs for various pop artists, I began to write songs that suited me.

And you showed these to Simon?
Oh god no... in fear of my voice I kept them to myself for over a year, I then had the minerals to finally record them, on my days off at work.

Did you feel as though you weren't vocally a strong artist?
I still do, I know theres a hundred better artists than me, and thats something I always worry about, but it's now got to the point where if people buy the music then it must mean something...

Mills' first studio album was not initially a commercial success, it later found notoriety when the single 'come back' was used as the theme song in the new Iron Man film.

Simon accepted your music straight away?
It took some time for him to appreciate the lyrics, and the fact he would lose his writer, but he came around to the idea, and signed me.

It was a bit of a rough start for you...

...to say the least, there was of course the awkwardness when few people bought my album and I had to go into the office to talk to Simon, which I presumed would be my demise. He assured me that this can be a common occurrence, and felt as though a second album would put me on the map.

And it did, four studio albums, three of which multi platinum, what can you tell us of your new album?

Well it's still early days, the majority of the songs are written, but few have hit the production stage yet. It will hopefully sound something new, but maybe with a touch of 80's new romantics aswell as an early Jay touch.

Having been compared to the likes of RUN D.M.C and Jay-Z, Mills has brought a new era upon the hip hop genre, creating a new wave of artists following in his path.

Thank you for your time

the pleasure is mine