Marquis Johnson on His Album, Personal Style, and Why He’s the Next Big Artist

Hey everyone!

I have a really fun and different post for you today. My friend Marquis, aka MarqtheMilkman if you’re familiar with his music, talked to me all about his music, inspirations, and personal style. Marquis and I met at college since we’re both a part of the same major, and if there’s one thing that you should know about him, it’s that he’s ambitious and driven. He’s dedicated to his passions in life and won’t let anything get in his way when it comes to achieving them. I hope you all enjoy this interview and get to know his fun sense of style and personality.

Emily: Who/what influences your style?

Marquis: A lot of people influenced my style. I feel like I have my own style now though. Some of the main ones that influenced me are Travis Scott, Playboi Carti, and Kurt Cobain if we’re talking fashion specifically. I try to gather as many sources as possible and create something of my own so that I’m the most unique crayon in the color box, you feel me? I’d rather stand out rather than fit in if that makes sense because this day and age if you just fit in with the rest of the people nothing really makes you special. I want to be different than the status quo.

E: How has music impacted your life in general? Has it impacted the way you view fashion?

M: Man, music is probably one of the only things that is keeping me alive at this point. I feel like music gave me something to work really hard for, and I just keep striving to be better than the day before. I grew up trying a whole lotta things, and this was finally something that I was actually pretty good at. I want to take the skills that I have and make something of myself. One of my goals is to become one of the best artists in my generation and win a Grammy one day.

E: What inspired your latest album, The Jersey Devil?

M: Well, I think The Jersey Devil inspiration comes from my upbringing. I grew up in a pretty religious household so a lot of my rhetoric is of Angels, Demons, or omens and things of that nature.  I wanted the beats and other things to be more eerie, darker tones; I wanted it to be lower stuff with more of a wavy vibe then I have done in the past. I used to actually try to do more lyrical stuff but I’m on a whole new wave now. Sonically, I wanted this to be my best project ever. This is my third year rapping and this felt like my true start on the rise to the top. I took about six or seven months to make sure everything was completely right.

E: A lot of musicians base their songs and lyrics from experiences they’ve had or people they’ve met. Is there any experience or any person that has inspired a song or lyrics?

M: All of my music is based off of the different experiences that I’ve been through in life or things I’ve seen or heard. Most of my slow songs are sad songs, and they’re inspired by girls I’ve come in contact with in the past. I want to make music for people that come from all walks of life and stuff; songs that people can relate to because it’s real music. It’s stuff that I’ve been through. My music is for anybody and everybody, so I want to put my real experiences into it, and it doesn’t matter who my listeners are. 

Big thank you to Marquis for talking with me and for being so open about his experiences and music! Be sure to check out his new album and singles on different streaming platforms by searching “marqthemilkman.” For more information, make sure to follow his Instagram, @marqthemilkman.

Talk to you soon!

-Emily Berrol