Las Vegas-based Fil-Am rap artist Ez Mil’s 13 August homecoming concert in Olongapo has been canceled. The producer, MAK Entertainment Sevices (MES), was said to have called off the show for undisclosed reasons.
In a statement posted on Ez Mil’s Instagram on 5 August, his team at FFP Records and agency Cerebrum Collective apologized to fans, saying they had exhausted all means for the concert to push through before deciding to announce its cancellation.
“Our management has always been keen on maintaining our part of the agreement, as Ez himself wanted to perform in his hometown. But he was denied that opportunity when the producer, MAK Entertainment (MES), withdrew from the concert,” the statement said.
THE concert producer withdrew for undisclosed reasons.
Meanwhile, MES posted on 7 August on its Facebook page an apology: “MAK vigorously tried to salvage the show in Subic Bay despite the numerous challenges and difficulties that came along… Unfortunately, due to an impasse between MES and Ez Mil’s team FFP Records and management, both parties agreed to cancel Ez Mil: Panalo Homecoming Concert.
MES said it will give a complete refund of all tickets purchased through the MES website. However, those who bought their tickets from other outlets will have to contact the outlets for the refund.
Meantime, Ez, 23, is promoting his second album DU4LI7Y (pronounced as Duality), which had a media launch at URBN bar in Quezon City recently.
The “4” and “7” in DU4LI7Y refers to Olongapo’s area code, while its artwork depicts Ez Mil with his alter ego.
It has 10 tracks that tell EZ’s story, including the death metal cut “Rapture,” as well as “Ridin’ with the Moonlight,” “Can U Keep a Secret?,” “Spining,” “27 Bodies,” “Re-Up,” “Up-Down,” “Greed” and “Will You.”
There’s a track about Olongapo, “Dalawampu’t Dalawang OO (2200)” — whose title refers to its zip code.
EZ MIL, Fil-Am Rap artist.
“Can U Keep a Secret?” is actually about his mother, he said. A Michael Jackson-inspired song with jazzy instrumentals, the lyrics talk about Ez’s mother’s raising him and his siblings after separating from his father.
“Spinning” is about missing his father, Paul Sapiera of the band Rockstar band.
Explaining the album’s title, Ez said he dealt with identity crisis when he was starting out in the music scene. He had no idea how to present himself.
DU4KI7Y, he said, means solidifying the essence that he “didn’t really have to be anything else but myself.”
He produced and mixed the album himself.
The album has been described by a reviewer as “filled with everything from repentance, to love, to heartbreak to hometown pride… EZ Mil paints an intricate portrait of his life in the Philippines that highlights his genre fluidity and reveals a more mature, refined musician.”
In the Philippines, the album is distributed by Virgin Music/UMG.