MAUI, HAWAI‘I – (June 5, 2025) – Maui rapper, musician, and multi-instrumentalist Alex Milani is carving out a powerful place in hip-hop with the release of his debut album, MOVING WITH AMBITION, which dropped on May 2, 2025. The 14-track project is a raw, honest reflection of Milani’s personal journey through loss, addiction recovery, and creative rebirth—all set to the backdrop of top-tier production from Vince Esquire, with a genre-bending sound.
From drumming in a metal band during middle school to freestyling in the hallways, Milani has always used music as both an outlet and a purpose.
“I’ve played music since I was five. But more than anything, it’s been therapy for me,” he says. “I lost my older sister in a car accident when I was young—I was sitting right next to her. Then years later, I lost my older brother to an overdose. I’ve battled addiction myself. This album is the result of surviving all that and choosing to live.”
Featuring standout collaborations with Lil Wyte, Saigon, JamWayne, Lex Bratcher, and Henry AZ (of Juicy J’s MoFaces label), MOVING WITH AMBITION merges gritty storytelling with technical precision. Each guest artist adds a new dimension to the album, but Milani’s voice remains the emotional and sonic core.
The road to completing the album wasn’t easy. Midway through production, Milani suffered a severe neck injury while training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu—a discipline he’s practiced for two decades. The injury required cervical fusion surgery, which helped restore temporarily limited function in his hands.
“One month after surgery, I was back filming music videos,” he says. “That chapter taught me how resilient I really am.”
As a professional drummer and guitarist, Milani infuses his music with diverse musical roots—punk, metal, hip-hop, and island soul. Born and raised on Maui, he brings a perspective few artists can.
“Being from Maui, I’ve always felt close to the land, grounded. That energy’s in my music. I’m not trying to copy anyone else.”
When he’s not in the studio or on stage, Milani runs Hi Tides 808, a Maui smoke shop he owns, known for supporting local glass artists. But with momentum building around his debut and another project already underway—featuring Joey Cool and JL from Strange Music—he’s ready to make music his full-time focus.
“My goal is to tour, reach people, and keep creating at the highest level. I’m just getting started,” he says. “This is the beginning of something big.”
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