milo - Sorcerer (Who Told You to Think??!!?!?!?!, 2017)

In the video for “sorcerer,” milo stands on a tennis court and wields a sword his father made. It is a respect to Darrien Hunt, the 22-year-old who was reportedly cosplaying as Samurai Champloo character Mugen when a police officer fatally shot him in 2014. Milo referenced Hunt’s death once before, on the song “an encyclopedia” from so the flies don’t come. But who told you focuses more intently on the process of finding one’s voice, offering a respite for fellow black artists—rappers, especially—who might feel pressured to write art that reflects the times.

“If you go spit them trauma bars, it’s one thing. No doubt it is useful,” he says. “But I want to start thinking about future thoughts—to present thoughts of flourishing, of being whole. That stuff, from non-trauma-based black artists, I don’t hear a lot of right now. I’m just trying to contribute to that.”