Meet Philly's next rap star, Blue w3rd
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He loves blue! Photo: Courtesy of Drew Mills
Drew Mills might be Philly's next breakout rap star.
Driving the news: The 31-year-old from Germantown, who goes by the stage name Blue w3rD, is an eccentric indie hip-hop artist with a distinct look and sound.
The intrigue: He has a wardrobe that's almost exclusively blue, and deploys more of the hue in his music videos than the Blue Man Group.
- He's performed in cities from New York to Boston and opened for the likes of Jadakiss and Chevy Woods.
How it happened: Blue w3rD started writing poetry as a young boy. His musical catalog runs the gamut, from drill, to Afrobeats-inspired jams to songs where he raps about the occult, spirituality and self-exploration.
Worthy of your time: His latest single, "BluIsh," is a smooth and sensual "Nigeria to Philly" track in which w3rD shows his range as a vocalist.
Axios chatted with w3rD about his music. The interview was condensed for clarity:
On how he comes up with lyrics on the spot: "[It's] just a conduit of the creative energy. It's like you there, but you not there."
On why he substitutes the word "eye" for "I": "The eye is the window to the soul."
On commercial success: "I would like to have mainstream appeal and make mainstream money and be in some of those rooms, but I'm not necessarily looking to be the next big mainstream hip-hop artist signed to such and such label."
On his musical inspirations: "André 3000, Lupe Fiasco, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Black Thought, Coldplay."
On where he sees himself in a few years: "More autonomy, more freedom to do what I please, when I please, where I please."