Born in Rancho Cucamonga in 1989, California native Travis Tatum Mills grew up absorbing an eclectic array of sounds—from Elvis and Queen to Britney, blink-182, and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony—that would later shape his own work. The social-media-savvy rapper first explored music in a pop-punk group during high school before shifting his attention to hip-hop as a solo act. Adopting the moniker T. Mills, he entered the studio in 2009 and secured a deal with Uprising Records, which issued his Finders Keepers EP blending straightforward rap with Auto-Tuned emo rave tracks. His first full-length project, Ready Fire Aim, continued that hybrid approach and spotlighted singer Dev on “Your Favorite,” while the party-synth cut “Stupid Boy” nodded to Breathe Carolina and Cobra Starship. Mills then moved to Columbia, releasing the EPs Leaving Home in 2012 and All I Wanna Do in 2014, though a promised debut album never appeared. During the gap he dropped the aggressive rap single “Loud” and the T.I.-assisted “Young & Stupid.” Reverting to his full name, Travis, he partnered with First Access Entertainment for the 2016 While You Wait EP, which showcased guest spots from Blackbear, Skizzy Mars, and Ty Dolla $ign. The project highlighted his G-Eazy-style delivery over smooth, R&B-tinged beats, marking a clear break from the earlier T. Mills aesthetic.
