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Ez Mil
Filipino-American rapper and singer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Ezekiel Miller Sapiera (born July 27, 1998), known professionally as Ez Mil (/ˌiːzi ˈmɪl/; EE-zee MIL), is a Filipino-American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to prominence in 2021 after his song "Panalo" went viral on YouTube.[1]
In 2023, at age 25, he became the first Filipino artist—and the third rapper after 50 Cent and Stat Quo—to sign a direct joint deal with Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records.[2][3]
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Early life
Ezekiel Miller was born in Olongapo, Philippines, to a musical family. His father, Paul Sapiera, was the vocalist and guitarist of the band RockStar, known for early 1990s hits such as "Mahal Pa Rin Kita" ("I Still Love You") and "Parting Time". His mother was also active in the music industry.[4] He grew up with a younger sister, Raynn, who previously performed under the name Raining Sorrow.[5]
Miller spent his early years in Urdaneta, Pangasinan and Olongapo, where he experienced bullying for being tisoy (Filipino slang for someone of mixed or mestizo appearance).[6] From a young age, he was exposed to a variety of musical genres, including rock, hip hop, and R&B, and began producing and recording his own music.[3] He also launched a YouTube channel under the name Slashmouth, where he uploaded deathcore covers and guitar tutorials.[3]
He studied architecture at Saint Louis University in Baguio but dropped out after a year and a half to move to the United States.[7] He initially lived in Seattle, then Los Angeles, before settling in Las Vegas.[7]
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Career
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2017–2020: Beginnings, Act I and Resonances
After moving to the United States, Miller began pursuing music more seriously.[7] Initially, he wanted to continue making heavy metal and deathcore, but later transitioned to rap.[3] He recorded music in his bedroom with the help of his sister and directed his own music videos. During this period, he also worked at Burger King.[7]
In 2020, Miller independently released his debut studio album, Act I, along with the EP Resonances.[8][9] Act I includes the singles "Panalo", "Easy-Going Millions", and "Far Away From Home", while Resonances features the track "Into It All".[4][3]
That same year, he also took part in the 24 Bars Mark Beats Challenge, an online rap contest created by Filipino producer DJ Mark Beats. His entry helped him gain a following among Filipino listeners.[3]
2021–2022: Breakout years, Virgin Music, and DU4LI7Y
On January 29, 2021, a video of Miller performing "Panalo" on the Wish Bus USA was uploaded to YouTube. The performance went viral, gaining 10 million views in three days.[4] However, the song drew criticism for a historical inaccuracy in the lyrics, which claim that Filipino hero Lapulapu was beheaded. The controversy escalated when Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard Chan publicly demanded that Miller apologize and revise the lyrics.[10] While Miller did apologize, he stated that he had no plans to release a version of the song with altered lyrics.[6][11]
The success of "Panalo" opened new opportunities for Miller. On March 7, he made his live television debut on ASAP Natin 'To alongside 1500 or Nothin'.[12][13] He later appeared on the U.S. hip-hop radio station Power 106, where he performed a freestyle dedicated to Nipsey Hussle and YG.[13]
On June 9, 2021, it was announced that Miller had signed with Virgin Music. To commemorate the signing, a new music video for "Panalo" featuring boxer Manny Pacquiao was released.[1]
On April 15, 2022, Miller released the single "Dalawampu’t Dalawang Oo".[14] That year, he returned to the Philippines for a nationwide tour titled the *Panalo Homecoming Tour*.[5] During the tour, he performed with Gloc-9 at the New Frontier Theater.[15] He also made another appearance on *ASAP Natin 'To*, this time performing with Gigi de Lana, and performed "Panalo" with Jeremy G during the finale of Pinoy Big Brother: Kumunity Season 10. He also performed on the Wish Bus again, this time alongside his sister Raynn.[16][17][18]
While on tour, Miller released "27 Bodies", a reworking of his entry for the 24 Bars Beats Challenge.[19] On July 27, 2022, he released his second studio album, DU4LI7Y.[20]
Later that year, he performed at the 1MX Filipino Music Festival in London.[21] However, the Olongapo stop on his homecoming tour was canceled after the event's producer withdrew support.[22] On September 27, he released a music video for the single "Will You", a romantic ballad.[23] He ended the year by performing at halftime during the Los Angeles Clippers' Filipino Heritage Night at Crypto Arena.[24]
2023–present: Signing with Eminem and Dr. Dre
In February 2023, Miller released the music video for his single "Up Down (Step & Walk)".[25] A month later, Eminem heard the song and reached out to Miller after being impressed by it.[26] Initially, Miller believed the message was a prank.[27] However, once Virgin Records confirmed its legitimacy,[27] he drove from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, where he met with Eminem and Dr. Dre.
On July 27, 2023, it was announced that Miller had signed with Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records.[26] At age 25, he became the first Filipino artist and the third rapper—after 50 Cent and Stat Quo—to be signed to all three labels simultaneously.[2][3] That same day, Miller also announced DU4LI7Y: REDUX, the deluxe edition of his 2022 album DU4LI7Y.[26] This release marked his final project under Virgin Records.[28]
On August 4, 2023, "Realest", a collaboration between Miller and Eminem, was released. The song debuted at number three on both the Rap Digital Song Sales and R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales charts.[29] A week later, on August 11, DU4LI7Y: REDUX was officially released.[30] In September, he released the music video for "Podium", one of the new singles from the deluxe album.[31]
In November 2023, Miller partnered with Spotify for a performance at Hudson Square as part of the Spotify Stages series.[32]
In May 2024, Miller was included in the Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 list for his accomplishments in music.[33] In July, he was featured on Eminem's album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) on the track "Head Honcho", which includes a verse partially rapped in Filipino.[34] Billboard described the collaboration as "a coming-out party for EZ Mil".[35]
In December 2024, Miller returned to the Philippines as a featured artist at Akon’s “V1BE Manila” festival.[36]
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Artistry
Influences
Miller cites Chris Brown as one of his biggest influences, particularly in regard to vocals and choreography.[1] His rapping influences include Tupac,[37] Eminem,[38] ASAP Rocky,[38] Kendrick Lamar,[38] Royce da 5'9",[38] Anderson .Paak,[39] Nipsey Hussle,[39] Tech N9ne,[39] and Hopsin.[39] He has also cited Filipino rapper Gloc-9, specifically the song "Hari ng Tondo", as a major influence.[4] Additionally, the dance crew Jabbawockeez inspired him to explore street dance styles such as krump and b-boying.[1]
Musical style
Miller performs in multiple genres, including hip hop, rap, and R&B.[3] He is known for blending traditional Filipino rhythms with modern rap production. His style is marked by rapid-fire delivery, complex wordplay, and multilingual lyricism, often rapping in English, Tagalog, and Ilocano.[38][2]
In addition to rapping, Miller plays the guitar and piano.[37] Before his mainstream success, he produced deathcore music under the alias Slashmouth.[3]
Personal life
Miller has a girlfriend.[40] He currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.[37] His other talents include illustrative art and skateboarding.[38] He is also the co-owner of the C3 Seafood & Bar at Shanghai Plaza in Chinatown, Las Vegas.[41]
Awards and nominations
| † | Indicates non-competitive categories |
| Star Awards for Music | 2023 | "Re-up" | Rap Artist of the Year | Won | [42] |
| The Outstanding Filipinos of America Award (TOFA) | 2021 | Himself | Youth † | Won | [43] |
| Wish 107.5 Music Awards | 2022 | "Panalo" | Wishclusive Hip-Hop Performance of the Year | Nominated | [44] |
| Himself | Wishclusive Elite Circle † | Gold | |||
| 2023 | "Re-up" | Wishclusive Hip-Hop Song of the Year | Nominated | [45] |
Listicles
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Discography
Studio albums
Singles
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References
External links
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