Passion’s not an easy thing to write about. You can write about it, of course. You can write emphatically, sure. Really emphasizing your meanings, to prove a point. But you miss out on so much nuance. Often there is so little that conveys tone through text. Novice writers like me can find it difficult. The momentum of each sentence: is it delicate or forceful? Did certain words have more meaning that others in your mind? More weight? Write a journal, write a lyric, write a poem and convey beauty, yes…but the energy. The energy can get lost.

That’s the first thing I noticed when talking with, and then listening to, Mulu.

Mulu’s music really spoke. It sang. The passion, the energy, the movement and weight, all on display. As I’m sitting here typing this, listening to the tracks, that’s what I think about. It’s not quite right to say that I admire it, I have so much admiration for it. He writes and bops and moves in a way that you feel his message…his pain, his frustration, his longing, his joy.

There’s a moment on the album you should all hear for yourselves. But I’ve just got to mention it here: Lu Lament.

We’ve just been led through a verse and chorus by Mulu in this track, but then we’re brought to this quiet place. A lilting trumpet cries and the sounds of him scribbling down lyrics creep in. He’s working it out privately, just for a moment, before launching into the verse again.

That’s seriously good.

A few questions over a computer screen wasn’t nearly enough time to talk. I can’t wait to hear more from Mulu. So sincerely, as I close out this opening, I encourage you to check out his music. Support a passionate local artist.

Noah: To start off, tell everyone about you and about your music.

Mulu: “I’m a wordsmith from Uniontown PA, a small town south of Pittsburgh about an hour or so away. I am 27 years young and I’ve been rapping since 3rd grade…Whether that meant rapping Oochie Wally with some friends, or A Tribe Called Quest with my cousin, music has always been THE love. I love to write because what started out as just a way for me to express my creativity as a child in Mrs. Dunham’s 4th grade English class turned into something that would get me through being a child of divorce, losing my cousin that I started rapping with, losing friends to trivial shit, heartbreak…all that. I grew up through the page because nobody really understood the hurt, much less wanted to hear about it…So it became my sanity really. It’s cliché to say “I don’t know where I’d be without hip-hop” but…I’m almost afraid to know.

“I eventually learned to break away from, but not ignore, the pain and learned to write about the ups as well as the downs and I try to keep the real in my music. I feel people get caught up in the persona too much and forget that we make music to relate…to make people feel like they ain’t alone in the shit…That we as humans celebrate good times, but we feel pain just as hard, sometimes we let our egos talk that shit…sometimes we deal with the consequences of it…that it isn’t anything to be ashamed of because we all feel it, we all fuck up, we all grow…and some take longer to grow than others and it isn’t our place to judge…but to encourage…to build each other up and understand because we have been there or will end up there you know?…I try to embody the human experience in my music…but with dope cadences and vivid descriptions.”

N: Who influences you?

M: “Beat selection wise the boom-bap era is where my soul resides, but really anything that can get my soul moving I’m already influenced by because now my brain is thinking up rhymes, my toes are tapping…I’m influenced to move, to think, to feel. I love live instruments…I love anything that gives me goosebumps or makes my head bop so hard it hurts my neck. Lyrically though, it’s a lame answer but, it’s life…It’s the journey. The way people respond to things…the thought process that differs with everyone you talk to…its unlimited potential out there you know? So many side stories to tell from your own personal ones because you meet someone and their story leaves such an imprint on your mind that you end up making a beautiful song inspired by that interaction…or music video, painting whatever your lane. Life is the influence…the little voice in my head that keeps me in check even when I try to act like I don’t know better about shit…that’s what makes the best music…the shit people are afraid to speak on because it ain’t as cool as the bullshit.”

N: What’s something you want people to know about this album as they listen to it?

M
: “I want people to know that its observational, we are mirrors of each other…we reflect vibes…so when I’m coming off as preachy know that I wrote these on some self-reflection vibes. But I know I ain’t alone in what I’m going through so I want the listener to know that they aren’t alone in the things that they feel for real…I think a lot of the time we get caught up in the personas without even realizing it…the brain be trained to put the face on for people…we wonder why the world so sick…that shit ain’t healthy! So in this project that is genuinely from the heart, you get a real look inside the mind of me through my MULU face if that makes sense….the shortcomings, the burdens bared…the self-reflection is real in this…probably some of my most relatable but palatable pieces. I want people to know that we really put a lot of effort into this project, so much TLC that we went at each other’s necks over details people may or may not peep. So I really hope everyone takes from it what they need and revisits as needed. Some Mulu everyday keeps the BS away!”

N: What’s your favorite way of expressing your craft and your music? Is it a packed venue with drinks on a Friday night? Is it at a small house show for a few friends?

M:
“I love the energies that come with both because I perform the same either way. You’ll always feel and see the passion displayed when you come to a show of mine. I’m always at home on stage or lack thereof. I even take MC gigs…so if anybody is ever in need and reading this, holla at your boy. If I had to pick one though, it would have to be the small hole in the wall events. Something about those events that allow you to really go into the vault and pull out songs that are heartfelt because it’s such an intimate moment. It’s like being at a spoken word poetry joint or seeing Hendrix play a version of one of his songs that’ll never be played that way again you know? I always feel like I’m on like storytellers or unplugged because I can really go in depth on feelings felt or really connect with the crowd…whereas some bigger audiences are looking for the turn up. Not always though! Just got to read the room but def intimate hole in the wall settings. Those are love.”

N: How do you think the Hip-Hop scene around Uniontown (or Pittsburgh if you perform here) can change for the better?

M:
“I feel like Hip-Hop as a whole would be better off if we were just genuine…I feel that everything is about securing the bag or going out of the way to stand out for the clout versus the passion so that’s always the energy tied to Hip-Hop. By all means chase your bag, I’m not here to tell you how to live your life…But I think if we came together and put the pride and ego aside a lot of dope shit could be created. It leaves more freedom for the passionate side of an artist. Now this comes from trial and error and seeing my own ego and pride take over…when I reflect back on why I may have burned a bridge or whatever I always look at myself like ‘What could I have done differently?’ like ‘What did I do to make someone react’  and sometimes you can make that right but others you can’t get those moments back and some are just out of your hands so you just keep it pushing…SO…I think we would benefit from Unity and less fear to be you….If we didn’t hate on how we are different but used those ways to complement each other, we’d be an unstoppable genre, even more than we already are though because we would be pushing out positive vibes instead of this mixed bag of fuckery. Too many times you see people not really showing love or anything because they want to be the first to be this or too put the city on…But just cuz it’s competition doesn’t mean it can’t be friendly competition…I dunno…I don’t have all the answers, but I think it starts with dropping all ego that comes with the personas we take on…then unifying. I put it in the album ‘I always said the city could be a label if the egos died. That was before labels paid more to see the egos thrive.’” 

N: Since the album’s just dropped, I want to ask: who do you want to thank?

M:
“I want to thank God for blessing me with the abilities…you know people don’t believe in all that but for me, that higher power is what lives through me. I want to thank T3AZO for blessing me with the beats necessary to pull out the lyrics they did. Maydos for being patient and mixing and mastering this MF proper. My brother Cameron for being the war for my frustrations worries and everything in between…to my neighbors for not complaining about the noise, and to the city for sleeping on me up until recently…because that just made me go harder…and you guys for interviewing me and also giving me a diff platform to share a video. Much love.”

N: Let everyone know where they can find your music

M:
“You can catch everything on www.mulumusic.com but I’m on socials @mulumusic I live on IG, Twitter is just a love hate, and Facebook is where my hometown likes to live.

“I am on all the streaming services as MULU. But you’ll be better off hitting that website to get that direct path to the good music and vibes. You’re gonna want to follow there because with the current state of the world we are finessing some shows soon!
“Most importantly though I want to end by saying stop being afraid to be yourself in all ways!Be happy sad and all the emotions in between, stand up for injustices and don’t be a coward when you see something wrong. Spread love, spread positivity, be that change! There’s a whole renaissance happening before our very eyes and if you blink, you may miss some greatness. So support your artist that aren’t millionaires, enjoy the messages being shared…and stop with the love of negativity…it’s time to shift.
“Peace. Love. God. It’s been real.”