https://www.audiomack.com/embed/album/saint-millie/glory-the-album

Discover Good Music, my first hip hop blog, was created as soon as I was accepted into Columbia College. I was instantly attracted to the scene in Chicago, and covered a lot of underground music in the city. One of my favorite emcees was (and is still) Saint Millie. While Millie has changed the way he approaches music, and gained much more due respect, I still continue to play his full length, Glory. I wrote this review in 2014, as soon as it hit the web. It’s still a strong project, and a classic in the windy city. Download above and peep the review below.

Saint Millie, a 23 year old Oak Park native (who runs a big part of Chicago’s hip hop scene now) released “Glory: The Album” in November of last year with much critical acclaim. Before this, the Treated Crew emcee dropped a slew of singles with features ranging from verses from Rockie Fresh to production by Thelonious Martin. A nice feature on my favorite track off Treated Crew’s 2014 album Treated Tribe gave me a nice awakening to what Millie could accomplish on the mic.

After digging through the archives of Fake Shore Drive and getting a proper introduction on Millie’s music and upbringing I was ready to consume it all. After going through Never Change, Stunt and Something Good I started to crave a full length project. At the time he was just posting loosies. Blogs were picking them up, but I knew he had it in him to produce a classic, something that would set him apart from other Chicago artists and let the rest of the city know he was here to stay.

Thankfully, I got that in Glory: The Album. The opening track, “Glory”, starts off with a statement: 9 to 5 ing it, dreams of seeing rocket ships, wiping shit from toilets but still I feel anointed. This is the beginning of a constant we see throughout the project. Chasing dreams, seeing his potential and success reach heights unheard of, leaving situations where his talents weren’t being exhausted, and at the end of the day still feeling like he is meant to tell these stories and chase this type of lifestyle.

“Let You Know” is airy, smooth, and soulful. Large amounts of time spent in the studio and stress on the daily is the topic of discussion. C-Sick provides a perfect back drop for the frustration. We see Millie flowing organically, with the speed and accuracy of a bullet.

“Take Me Down” is a hypnotic banger produced by VSLU. He samples a section of Kanye’s Jesus Walk and allows Millie to shed light on the harsh realities of not only the violent city of Chicago, but of trials and tribulations throughout any young man’s life. “You May Die” is the next sequence in his story telling, and although the beat is a little more animated, it creates a nice contrast.

My two favorite tracks, “Aim For the Stars”, and “Money Motivation” come right after the other. While AFTS has Millie rapping double time against a dark bouncy beat, Money Motivation is straight hip hop perfection. Catchy chorus? Check. Unique sample? Yes. Positive message, turn up mentality? Yes and yes. I listen to this track every morning when I don’t want to go to work or even get up out of bed. The money motivation is something most of us all carry with us as we make our morning commute to work, but it feels like Millie is right next to you, encouraging you to push forward through the work day. The last four tracks on Glory are all very different in nature, but all work in their own separate right. They are crucial, mostly because it allows listeners and fans alike to see that Millie can be extremely versatile in the records he makes.

Glory: The Album is a cohesive project. Upon first listen you can see the progression from the earlier tracks released. As time has gone on we’ve gotten Vicious Cycle which is his most complex track yet. His song structure and the way he crafts stories and hooks is at a all time high. Millie is here to stay, and Glory is a full project that gives us a nice look into his creative process and potential.