In Talks With The UK’s Next Rising Talent: Park Hill
20 Apr 2021
Park Hill, a name you might not be so familiar with yet, however he is worth getting to know. Reputable for his production on Lil Durk’s ‘The Voice’ and ‘ Lil Durk Presents: Only The Family Involved, Vol.2’ projects, to his appearance on M Huncho’s ‘Utopia’ album back in 2019, not to mention his impeccable artistry, the newcomer is a force to be reckoned with.
Growing up in America and now residing in London, Park Hill has experienced both worlds and this reflects in his slick sound. Releasing music as early as 2018, it wasn’t later last this year that he returned guns blazing with a slew of impressive drops from “False Pretense”, to “Early Morning” alongside M Huncho to his more recent drop “Broken Promises”. william hill sportfogadás
Mixtape Madness got the chance to catch up with Park Hill over Zoom for a chat about all this music, his journey thus far and more. Tap in below to see what he had to say!
How have you been finding the past 12 months as an artist?
It’s been crazy but we’ve managed to make something happen! I’ve managed to release a few singles this year so I can’t complain!
Tell us a bit more about your upbringing, how you were introduced to music and how it all started for you?
I was born in Norfolk, Virginia but my grandmother lived in Virginia Beach and that is where I spent my first six years living with her. My mother had me at quite a young age so I would watch music videos and stuff with her and that’s how I was introduced to music. Growing up was crazy, I saw a lot of things that I shouldn’t have from a young age due to what my mother was going through but at the time same time, because I was the only kid at that point, my grandmother used to spoil me because my grandfather died around that time, so I was her point of focus for the first couple of years. It was good but at the same time it was confusing, although I sat and watched music videos with her, at the time I didn’t know she was my mother, I thought she was my sibling or something. ingyen nyerőgépes játékok regisztráció nélkül She moved to the UK and that’s how I ended up coming here, when I moved here, she had another kid and I had to quickly learn how to share; one minute I’m being spoilt and the next minute I’ve got a million little brothers running around! *laughs*
Growing up, it was good times and bad times. When my mother was doing drugs, that’s when it was harder but, in the times, where she got clean everything was straight. I was that kid that moved around all the time and had a new school every year or so. When we got put into Foster Care, that’s when we were really moving around because we could only stay at places for a limited amount of time; there was a lot of moving!
Was it production or being an artist first?
I was an artist first!
Right, and you learnt to produce off the back of that?
Yeah! There was a school in East London called Access to Music and I was so adamant to go to this college, but I was a year too young. I still tried to get in and they wanted me to make a demo tape of beats, luckily, I had an uncle who knew how to,and he taught me. I made two and I took them to this college meeting, they weren’t great and that’s probably why I didn’t get in as well, they told me to go back the next year, but I didn’t end up going back! *laughs* But yeah, artist first, producer second and then engineering came last.
How have you found being a producer and an artist at the same time? You’ve worked with some big names from Lil Durk, Future and Travis Scott, have you ever taken anyway from that as an artist?
You’re the first person who is going to crack the mystery! I’ve only got two big placements as a producer; I don’t have a lot. I know how to do it, but I’ve never forced it, anytime I was around artists it’s because I was engineering but I took a lot away from them yes. When you are an engineer, you are around songwriters, producers – all types of people! I wasn’t even Future’s engineer, my brother Seth was his engineer and he taught me a lot, whilst I was learning from him, I was learning about being an artist from Future. I was picking up two things at once before I even knew it.
Would you say you’re more influenced by the US sound in comparison to the UK?
I wouldn’t say I’m influenced by a sound per say but I have lived over there, I have an American passport. I’m more influenced by America itself and living here, when you listen to my music it’s not like you can hear the lingo. I’ve gone to school out there; I’ve lived that lifestyle as well as this lifestyle.
This year feels like you’ve really wanted to take it up a level in regard to you being an artist. gaminator bónusz kodok What is it about this year in particular that felt right?
Just realising that no one is going to believe in me like I do, no one is going to come and do the work for you. You can rely on a manager or an A&R, but if you aren’t there grinding, taking the necessary steps and actually releasing music then you are going to fall behind. I’m at the point where I feel like the world needs to hear my story. If I’m waiting for someone to come and help me do that, it’s never going to get told. I told myself it’s now or never, I’m not watching numbers or views you are going to see this sh*t build organically.
You called on M Huncho earlier this year for “Early Morning” – I know you guys go back a few years, I’m pretty sure you were on ‘Utopia’…
I was yeah! That was the UK’s introduction to me.
How did this link up happen?
It was one of the most organic link ups! Huncho’s manager is close friends with my younger brother and I guess my brother showed him my music and he was f*cking with it. He ended up showing Huncho, but I think Huncho clocked it was me because we are both from North West. He went to New York to work with Gunna and stopped off in Atlanta before going back to the UK; he came over to my crib in Atlanta and I had a nice little set up and we recorded it there. We made magic! He knocked out his verse hella quick, I was still recording my verse when he was ready to leave so he didn’t hear it until he got back to the England. I didn’t know what to expect but a few months later he dropped it!
More recently you released “Broken Promises” – tell us a bit more about the meaning behind this track?
I’ve got songs that I should have dropped that would have put me in better positions but there are parts of me that I want the listener to know about. You aren’t just going to get street sh*t, you are going to get real life, relationships and pain – I have all types of vibes and I would say I picked that up from Durkio [Lil Durk] because he is a well-rounded artist. I wanted to tap into a situation that really happened, I wanted to see how people would react to me being more melodic.
Before I came back to this country, my sound was more Trap-Soul and I started getting booked for shows in America. People were opening before me and they had the crowd lit but I felt like I was deading the crowd out, so when I made my next project, I wanted it to be more up-tempo; when I dropped “Broken Promises” I wanted to let my listeners in on me but also tap into my original sound.
Would you say that you are Trapwave?
I wouldn’t say I am but a lot of Trapwave artists include elements of Trap like talking about wearing Louis Vuitton, or I did this to get here etc; I don’t want to say they are glamorising it, but I don’t do that. I just talk about things I have experienced and what I learnt from it. I don’t think I 100% fall into the Trapwave category but if that’s what people want to label me as then I will be that.
In the UK specifically, I’ve seen quite a few conversations surrounding your sound and saying it doesn’t have the recognition it deserves. I know we are more Drill focused at the moment, what are your thoughts on that?
There are two reasons why I think that is. The first being, I think the UK is more aggressive, we’re not soft. We like action! On top of that, I feel like the Government doesn’t hear us, so we let out our frustrations and our music tend to be aggressive. Secondly, people will never highlight the crazy link we have to Chicago; House and Drill started there; we have a lot of similarities. It’s a dark cloud over the city and the same goes for over there to, we identify with each other even though our struggles are different.
What about collaborations? Is there anyone here or in the US you would like to drop with?
In the UK I’ve only ever collaborated with Yung Fume, M Huncho, Billy Da Kid, D1 and Kilo Jugg. I would love to work with D Block Europe, Ling Hussle and Nafe Smallz; there are so many dope artists but because I’m a new artist sometimes I don’t feel worthy of a collab. If this artist has been putting time into their craft, although I’ve been doing it since I was young, I didn’t take it seriously until the end of 2017/8, I have more work to do until I can reach out to them.
I could have had a Durk collab from time, he wanted me to jump on the hook one time and I had been making music for around 6 months at this point. When he gets into the studio, he’s making around 10 full songs a night, these lyrics are coming so quickly to him – I was struggling! *laughs* I didn’t want to take up the session because I couldn’t get it out as quick as him, there will be other opportunities! Everything has to be organic! When it’s time for me to get these collabs they will fall into place! I will defo be working with Tizzy Stackz from Canada, as well as more work with Huncho and Fume that is waiting to drop.
Music aside, what do you like to do?
Honestly, just kick it with the family and go to the gym! I don’t really like clubbing –
Would you say you are introverted?
I’m extroverted as well, especially when I am comfortable with you. I’m a bit of both!
What else can we expect to see from you this year?
More music, more videos and features!