Mexican rapper Dharius surprised his fans by venturing into regional Mexican music on his new studio album, Directo Hasta Arriba Vol. 2, which is set to release Thursday (June 4) at 8 p.m. ET.

Accompanied by mariachi, an introduction of guitar melodies and the collaboration with Christian Nodal, the song “Ey Mezcal” breaks norms by showcasing Dharius in a romantic light, using language very different from what he typically employs in his songs.

“This is the first album where I dared to experiment with other genres. I used to be very closed off, only wanting to make rap,” says the artist, who was a member of the iconic group Cartel de Santa years ago.

The 14-track album includes titles such as “Top Top,” “El Cumbión,” “Cuando Te Toca” and “Bien Perro,” and also features collaborations with other prominent Mexican rap artists, including C-Kan, La Santa Grifa, Kami Mami, MC Davo and Gera MX — all of them representatives of the new generation of that musical genre that has significantly grown in Mexico in recent years.

Born in Monterrey, the cradle of norteño music, Dharius (real name Alan Alejandro Maldonado) started rapping at the age of nine, setting himself apart from his schoolmates. “I remember my classmates would go to school festivals wearing boots and cowboy hats, while I showed up with baggy pants,” says the 41-year-old artist, who now supports young rappers through his own record label, El Clan Records.

Between 1999 and 2013, he was part of Cartel de Santa, one of the most prominent groups in the rap scene in Mexico, and in 2014 he debuted as a solo artist with the album Directo Hasta Arriba, which featured songs like “Te Gustan Malos,” “Hey Morra” and “La Durango.” Directo Hasta Arriba Vol. 2 marks his fifth solo album.

In an interview with Billboard Español, Dharius delves into his career, explains why he’s venturing now into regional Mexican music and reveals that Nodal actually “raps and does it well.”

How hard was it to be a rapper in a place like Monterrey?

It definitely wasn’t easy in a place traditionally known for norteño music. However, we have to give credit to Control Machete, who turned rap into a phenomenon here; it was the band that paved the way for the rest of us. They gave us hope that we could make a good living doing this.

You were part of another very important group in the genre. Was it difficult to build a solo career?

I made five studio albums with Cartel de Santa, I was with them since I was 17. And yes, when I started working on ideas for my own compositions, it was tough at first, but little by little, I found my rhythm. Today, I’m on my fifth solo album.

How does it feel to now be a reference point for the new generation of the genre?

Since they started, I’ve been following them and their careers; I respect them a lot. C-Kan is from Guadalajara, MC Davo and Gera MX are from Monterrey like me, but there’s also my friend Santa Fe Klan from Guanajuato. This shows how much rap and hip-hop have opened up in Mexico. There’s still a lot of work to do, but I think this is a great moment for the genre.

What made you decide to venture into regional Mexican music on this album?

This is the first album where I dared to experiment with other genres. I used to be very closed off, only wanting to make rap. That has changed because we need to adapt. In Monterrey, there’s a strong culture of cumbia and vallenato, and that influences you. Plus, my aunt is a mariachi singer, so I’ve been exposed to that kind of music since I was little.

How did the collaboration with Christian Nodal happen? Was it through Gera MX, with whom he recorded “Botella Tras Botella”?

The first time we talked, yes, it was through Gera MX. He [Nodal] had a rap track he wanted me to record — you should know he raps and does it well; in fact, he has the title of one of my albums, Mala Fama, Buena Vidha, tattooed on him —but time passed, and it didn’t happen. “Ey Mezcal” is a song I wrote about two years ago. I had the chance to show it to Christian in Monterrey and he liked it, but we hadn’t been able to coordinate to record it. Finally, it happened: he called me, we went to the studio and we made it happen. Honestly, I’m very happy with the results.

How do you see the landscape for women in Mexican rap?

I think it’s very promising. There are many talented women. In fact, Kami Mami is featured on this album. She’s from Guadalajara and sings, writes and raps excellently. I also have two female rappers signed to my label, El Clan Records, who are about to finish their albums. I think we’re 20 years behind the United States in that regard, but streaming platforms are helping the growth of Mexican rap.

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Japanese vocal group XG, otherwise known as Xtraordinary Genes, is going to embark on the North American leg of THE CORE world tour this winter.

The K-pop-adjacent act’s trek began on Feb. 6 through Feb. 8 in Yokohama, Japan. The “GALA” singers — consisting of members Jurin, Chisa, Hinata, Juria, Cocona, Maya and Harvey — will be making their first stop in the States on Nov. 3 in Oakland, Calif., at the Oakland Arena, before heading to Los Angeles, Chicago, Ontario, Dallas and more, before wrapping on Nov. 22 in Mexico City, Mexico, at Arena Ciudad de Mexico.

This is the second time the musicians have gone on a world tour, with their last journey round the globe taking place in 2024. So if you’ve been dying to see XG live, we’d advise you to jump on tickets before they’re gone for good.

Keep reading to find affordable ticketing options for the North American stops on XG’s WORLD TOUR: THE CORE online.

Where to Buy Affordable Tickets to XG’s 2026 XG WORLD TOUR: THE CORE North American Leg

As of this writing, pricing for seating to the Japanese group’s world tour on Ticketmaster is pretty budget-friendly at certain venues. Tickets currently go for as low as $55.40. This is the lowest pricing we’ve seen thus far on XG tickets. If you’re looking for an up-close view, floor seats are available for $400+. The ticketing service offers a fan guarantee, which allows for cancellations, refunds or exchanges within 24 hours of booking, subject to certain exclusions.

StubHub is a great option when searching for reasonably priced seating. As of this writing, we have seen tickets for the group’s world tour go for as low as $77. That said, competition for seating is strong, and tickets at this price are scarce. When searching on StubHub, you’ll find certain venues labeled with a “great value” badge that indicates pretty hefty markdowns on tickets. For example, the group’s Oakland, Calif., show at Oakland Arena seems to have the best pricing right now, according to StubHub.

The platform makes buying tickets easy with its “FanProtect Guarantee,” which protects your purchases with authentic tickets and refund policies. Plus, if your event is canceled and not rescheduled, you will receive a credit worth 120% of the amount you paid, or the option of a cash refund.

SeatGeek is another ticketing site with inexpensive options for XG’s 2026 WORLD TOUR: THE CORE. The Japanese act’s Chicago show at the United Center features seating for as low as $69. Spots closest to the stage are around $200+. Right now, you can use promo code BILLBOARD10 at checkout to receive $10 off for new members. The ticketing service features a Buyer Guarantee that ensures smooth ticket purchases every time.

A great option for price-conscious ticket shoppers is Vivid Seats. The site has a slew of affordable options on prime venues such as the United Center in Chicago for $64 or the group’s Oakland Arena show in Oakland, Calif., for $67. To sweeten the deal, you can use our promo code BB30 to snag $30 off your purchase for new members only. The ticketing service offers a “100% Buyer Guarantee” policy that vows your transaction will be secure, that your tickets will be delivered before your event, and that your tickets will be valid and authentic. 

More savings can never be bad. You can grab stubs to XG’s set through TicketNetwork with the code BILLBOARD150 to save $150 off orders of $500. TicketNetwork has $72 seats for the act’s Chicago show at the United Center. If you don’t have the funds to buy your tickets just yet, you can also buy the tickets on the website now and pay later with help from Affirm. Plus, the site includes all-in pricing that lets you see exactly what you’ll be paying upfront (fees included).

We’ve also found that Gametime has great pricing and tons of seating for the vocal group’s world tour. Tickets are going for as low as $66 at some venues. Gametime’s in-depth maps show that there are still ample seats available for spots on the floor or higher up. The site will also notify you when certain venues/dates feature deals, allowing you to find the best pricing every time.

Given how in demand XG’s North American dates are, seating can be sparse, and ticket values can be high. Gametime guarantees the lowest prices, event cancellation protection and on-time ticket delivery for a smooth ticket-buying experience every time, no matter the occasion.

Ahead of their North American stops, XG will also be performing at Head in the Clouds 2026, a festival showcasing Asian talents happening on Saturday, Aug. 8 at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif. You can buy tickets for the occasion here.

Check Out Dates for XG’s 2026 North American Tour

Nov. 3: Oakland, Calif. @ Oakland Arena
Nov. 5: Los Angeles, Calif. @ Crypto.com Arena
Nov. 9: Chicago, Ill. @ United Center
Nov. 12: Hamilton, ON @ TD Coliseum
Nov. 14: Newark, N.J. @ Prudential Center
Nov. 17: Dallas, Texas @ American Airlines Center

When Hollywood Unlocked presents its sixth annual Impact Awards on Friday (June 5), a new honor will be introduced. Grammy-winning “Godmother of Soul” Patti LaBelle will accept the media company’s inaugural Patti LaBelle Legacy Award. The Tiffany Haddish-hosted ceremony will take place at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles and stream live (7 p.m. PT) via the Zeus Network.

Proceeds from the Impact Awards will benefit the Hollywood Cares Foundation. Established by Hollywood Unlocked CEO Jason Lee, the nonprofit organization supports “underserved youth in Black and Brown communities.” Lee tells Billboard that the foundation received a $13 million grant from California’s Gov. Gavin Newsome this year to build a youth center that will provide services such as after-school programs and support for young people in crisis.

Lee describes the Impact Awards as a “spirit-filled room” embracing achievement, cultural impact and empowerment. The evening’s additional honorees include Tyler Perry (Innovator Award), Kehlani (Fearlessness Award), Kirk Franklin (Inspiration Award), RZA (Culture Award) and Bozoma Saint John (Pioneer Award).

Multiple Grammy winner Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds will serve as musical director for a performance lineup featuring Chlöe, Donald Lawrence, Jekalyn Carr, Joyner Lucas, Kierra Sheard and Sheléa. Capping the celebration: a tribute to gospel legend Richard Smallwood. Prior Impact Award honorees include Cardi B, Don Lemon, Whoopi Goldberg and Floyd Mayweather.

In the walk-up to the awards ceremony, Lee has also been busy moving Hollywood Unlocked’s popular The Jason Lee Show to a new home. The CEO’s namesake show is now the flagship series for BET Creator Studio, described by the cable network as a digital-first “dedicated space where culture-forward creators come to amplify their content.”

In the two months since its April 8 premiere, the series — now in season four — has welcomed guests ranging from Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA to actress Jenifer Lewis. Lee recently went toe-to-toe with entrepreneur and Roc-A-Fella Records cofounder Damon “Dame” Dash during a rollicking sit-down. New episodes arrive every Wednesday via BET.com and BET’s YouTube channel.

High on Lee’s guest wish list are Barack and Michelle Obama, Rihanna and Queen Latifah. “In the past, we’ve had Jemele Hill, Terrell Owens and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — a real broad spectrum,” Lee tells Billboard. “Culture is not a monolith. I think oftentimes we become enslaved to brand culture or to corporate culture where we have to act in a certain way. Sometimes my message may come out messy because I need to make sure the whole world hears it. But at the the end of the day, we try to cover it all and provide space to people that we’re just uniquely interested in.”

During its evolution, The Jason Lee Show has been affiliated with iHeartMedia and Premiere Networks, Fox Soul, Revolt TV and the Zeus Network. The decision to join BET, says Lee, was easy. “This licensing deal is consistent with every deal I’ve had because self-ownership is important to me,” he explains. “To be able to create this collaborative relationship where we could bring the spice and virality of our show to such a legacy cultural brand and retain ownership is amazing.”

Lee, who also serves as the vice mayor of Stockton, Calif., is well aware of the current climate in which DEI and journalistic freedom are under attack, and that BET is no longer Black-owned, first sold to Viacom in 2001 and now owned by Paramount Skydance as of this year. However, Lee is “hopeful that the Paramounts of the world, and all of those that do have the resources and capability, understand that the obligation of giving people what they want isn’t to decide what they want — it’s to invest in what’s already proven. And BET has been a proven brand for decades.”

Billboard Japan unveiled its 2026 mid-year charts, tallying the period from Nov. 24, 2025, to May 24, 2026.

On the all-genre song chart Japan Hot 100, Kenshi Yonezu’s “IRIS OUT” claims the No. 1 spot. Written as the theme song for Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc, the track hit 100 million streams in four weeks, the fastest any song has reached that milestone in Billboard Japan history. It also peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Global 200 dated October 4, 2025, the highest position ever achieved by a Japanese-language song on that chart. The long-running hit has become a hit both domestically and internationally, riding on the strength of the anime’s popularity. Yonezu swept a total of 11 mid-year chart titles including this one.

“I’m proud that ‘IRIS OUT’ has become a song so many people have taken to heart,” says Yonezu. “Listening back to it now, I can’t help but laugh at what an outrageously unhinged song it is, but having put something like this out into the world at this particular moment in time, and being able to keep making music from here, is the greatest happiness I could ask for as a pop musician. I want to express my gratitude once again to Chainsaw Man, a truly extraordinary work. Thank you.”

Coming in at No. 2 is M!LK’s “Sukisugite Metsu!” The track’s catchy hook, a surge in media appearances including the 76th NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen, and viral traction on social media fueled it to 23 consecutive weeks in the top 10 during the tracking period. Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s “lulu.,” the opener for the anime series Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 2, follows at No. 3, and the list continues with King Gnu’s “AIZO” at No. 4 and HANA’s “Blue Jeans” at No. 5. The top tier brings together a diverse range of acts — solo artist, idol group, band, and dance-and-vocal unit.

On the Japan Hot Albums roundup, BTS’s fifth album ARIRANG, the group’s comeback after roughly three years and nine months, takes the top spot. The set topped both physical sales and streaming, and held the No. 1 spot eight times across the tracking period.

“We are deeply honored and overjoyed that the album we released after three years and nine months has been loved by so many,” BTS comments. “Like Arirang, that gives the album its name, our hope is that this music will resonate with people across eras and borders, and be remembered for a long time to come.”

HANA’s first album HANA lands at No. 2, followed by King & Prince’s STARRING, a concept album built around a cinema theme, at No. 3. Number_i’s second full-length project No.II comes in at No. 4, and the RADWIMPS tribute album Dear Jubilee -RADWIMPS TRIBUTE- rounds out the top five.

On the Japan Artist 100 list, compiled from the results of the Japan Hot 100 and Hot Albums charts, Mrs. GREEN APPLE continues to dominate. The three-man band tops the Japan Artist 100 mid-year roundup for three consecutive years, an unprecedented achievement in the list’s history.

“Winning three years in a row is an incredible honor,” says Mrs. GREEN APPLE frontman Motoki Ohmori. “We’re actually right in the middle of working on an album slated for release later this year, so this gives us motivation, or energy, to make that record as good as it can be. Thank you so much.”

HANA follows at No. 2, just over a year after the seven-member group’s major-label debut, while back number comes in at No. 3 after placing a total of 14 songs on the mid-year Japan Hot 100. Kenshi Yonezu, whose “IRIS OUT” continues its long run on the chart, lands at No. 4, and M!LK, coming off a blistering run that stretches from last year into 2026, places No. 5.

On the Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan chart (tallying the period from Nov. 21, 2025 to May 21, 2026), which tracks songs from Japan charting around the world, Kenshi Yonezu’s “IRIS OUT” again takes the top spot, and also reaches No. 1 in six different countries/regions on the Japan Songs lists.

Billboard Japan Hot 100 Mid-Year Chart 2026

1. “IRIS OUT” / Kenshi Yonezu

2. “Sukisugite Metsu!” / M!LK

3. “lulu.” / Mrs. GREEN APPLE

4. “AIZO” / King Gnu

5. “Blue Jeans” / HANA

6. “Bakuretsu Aishiteru” / M!LK

7. “ROSE” / HANA

8. “On The Way” / AiNA THE END

9. “JANE DOE” / Kenshi Yonezu, Hikaru Utada

10. “CHARISMAX” / Snow Man

Billboard Japan Hot Albums Mid-Year Chart 2026

1. ARIRANG / BTS

2. HANA / MHANA

3. STARRING / King & Prince

4. No.II / Number_i

5. Dear Jubilee -RADWIMPS TRIBUTE- / Various Artists

6. Cosmic Princess Kaguya! / Various Artists

7. THE CORE / XG

8. ANTENNA / Mrs. GREEN APPLE

9. BE:ST / BE:FIRST

10. Prema / Fujii Kaze

Billboard Japan Artist 100 Mid-Year Chart 2026

1. Mrs. GREEN APPLE

2. HANA

3. back number

4. Kenshi Yonezu

5. M!LK

6. BTS

7. CHANMINA

8. Official HIGE DANdism

9. Vaundy

10. Snow Man

Billboard Japan Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan Mid-Year Chart 2026

1. “IRIS OUT” / Kenshi Yonezu

2. “TOKYO DRIFT(FAST & FURIOUS)” / TERIYAKI BOYZ

3. “AIZO” / King Gnu

4. “JANE DOE” / Kenshi Yonezu, Hikaru Utada

5. “KICK BACK” / Kenshi Yonezu

6. “Mayonaka no Door / Stay With Me” / Miki Matsubara

7. “HYPNOTIZE” / XG

8. “Bling-Bang-Bang-Born” / Creepy Nuts

9. “On The Way” / AiNA THE END

10. “Otonoke” / Creepy Nuts

Many people dream of taking extended time off from their job. Griz actually did it.

Almost exactly three years ago today, on June 6, 2023, the beloved bass-funk producer announced he was talking a break, writing on social media that “Life is really good, and I often make myself too busy to see where I am or how far this project has come. I’m following my gut instincts so for now, I’m not going to put a hard time limit length on the break.” He said he wasn’t sure when he’d be back.

And with that, he went about playing a lot of video games and Dungeons & Dragons. He made music without deadlines and quit smoking. He went to therapy, got a place in his native Michigan to be closer to his brother and spent more time with his family and friends. He was feeling good about his health, life and art and making plans to return with his own music festival, and then his dad died.

He hadn’t talked to his father in 16 years and says hearing of his death was like “having the roof of your house f—ing blown off.” His grandfather died not long after, a point by which the wheels for his return were already fully in motion. It was, to oversimplify, a lot to handle, but he figured it out, returning with his sold-out Seven Stars music festival in October.

Talking to Billboard over Zoom from his base in Denver on a recent sunny Thursday, the artist born Grant Kwiecinski seems happy and looks fresh, laughing a lot and speaking freely and philosophically while intermittently petting his dog, Frankie. This is his first interview in more than three years and may be his last for awhile. The occasion is Future Funk Volume 1, the first new Griz album since 2021 that’s out Friday (June 5).

While Griz released an EP and dozens of singles over the last year, Future Funk Volume 1 feels like another phase of his return, functioning as a sort of thesis statement for his sound in total. That is to say it’s funky, crunchy, joyful, ebullient and also hard, a duality that reflects his Gemini star sign, he says.

Fans will have many opportunities to hear it this summer, with Griz on the lineup for events including Bonnaroo, Electric Forest, Outside Lands, North Coast, Experts Only and the return of Seven Stars this October. Here, Griz talks about leaving, coming back, losing his dad in the meantime and why now, his career is just a vehicle to experience life itself.

Let’s start with the hiatus. I re-watched your announcement of it, and it sounded like you were coming from a place of like, “I’ve learned boundaries, and I want to hang out with my friends and family and put all the things I’ve been learning into action.” How did that go for you?

Sometimes the stress gets too big, and for me it got too big. I was like, “I feel like I’m ill-equipped.” I was either going to get checked into a stress rehab or get canceled for popping off about something, because I didn’t understand how to handle artist pressure and say no to taking too much work and traveling and doing shows and playing music for everybody, and then say yes to the small things like making sure I’m attending a friend’s birthday party or a family thing.

Was that difficult?

I don’t want to be the guy where it’s always like, “Well, he’s just busy.” I was losing relationships with my family members, my friends, and that sucked. It’s hard to disambiguate the identity of like, “I am artist, I am self, I am vocation.” For me it’s so important to live life outside of work. I get too wrapped up in the work, everything becomes so personal, because my entire identity is wrapped up in this thing. If something doesn’t go well, all of a sudden I think I’m not a good person, and I don’t have an identity outside the things I do professionally, because I’m constantly just in it.

Was it always clear to you that you’d come back from the hiatus?

Oh yeah, definitely.

Was there something you’d worked out ahead of time, where you knew “When this happens, I will come back”? Did you need to get to a certain place?

It was a feeling. I knew it couldn’t be a four- or five-year thing. The situation didn’t feel that dire, but there were a few things I wanted to accomplish. One was that I needed to set myself up with a place in Michigan so I could be closer to my brother. That was big, and I was able to do that. The other thing is I needed to quit nicotine. That was hard. [Laughs] It’s f—ing hard! I wanted to get my health and mental health under control and have better support systems, so I hired a therapist. I also wanted a bunch of time to just write music.

Was it always clear that there would be a place for you in the scene when you came back? Is that something you worried about?

Of course. I mean, it’s natural to worry about that, but I’ve seen Odesza do it. I was like, “There’s a way forward here.” Skrillex and Pretty Lights had both done it successfully.

Then, it’s a lot of faith. I was making all this music and I kept feeding it out to my friends who were playing, and invariably they were like, “Can we play this out?” It was like, “F— it, sure.” So there was like, the smallest bit of [Griz] spirit in the scene that existed during that time. That enabled me to have a lot of fun writing music. Not that I don’t have fun writing music, but I’ve never written music and put it out that way, where you’re kind of behind the scenes. It was cool to see like people interacting with it. But yeah, I was worried. [Laughs]

Once you took a step back and some pressure was dissolved, did your brain and creativity start working in different ways? Did the art change?

Totally, because I was creating from a space of “Who knows when this is going to be released?” I had so much time to sit there with these sounds and make a bunch of whatever that didn’t need to be played anytime soon. I miss it. It was so nice.

Was there a typical day for you during this time? Was it all making music? Like, what were you doing?

[Laughs] I’m a huge nerd, and there was a video game I really wanted to play, so for like, all of October [2023], I kind of just sat and smoked cigarettes and played Baldur’s Gate III. [Later] I went to Puerto Vallarta for my friend’s birthday, and we all got super sick, and that’s when I quit smoking.

I was also really invested in Dungeon & Dragons. I convinced my friends to start playing D&D with me, and I was the Dungeon Master, so we had this really wonderful year of playing lots of games. I would make set pieces and battle scenes and miniatures. It’s like, my favorite thing. I loved to do it. There’s a Dungeon & Dragons podcast called Critical Role, and the host Matt Mercer, is, to me, the most famous celebrity on the planet. Like, if I got to meet this guy, I’d lose my f—ing mind. So I flew solo to Los Angeles to watch him play D&D in person, which is like, the nerdiest thing I’ve ever done.

Mercer was featured on your June 2025 Side Quest EP, and you’ve also released a lot of other music over the last year and launched your Seven Stars Festival in Virginia last October. When did your break actually end?

Too early. [Laughs]

Say more.

There was this point where I really felt like I had my sh– together. I felt confident in the way forward and the plan we were formulating. Part of the plan was coming back and announcing the music festival we’ve been working on for years. We finally had Seven Stars, the concept, down. A music festival isn’t something like, “Cool, we’re doing it in a month!”

I think that was the trigger, where we were like, “We need to schedule this for a year out.” I think that was October 2024, where I was like, “By the time next October rolls around, I’m ready to get going.” I wanted to make sure I gave myself enough time to do that. We were releasing music, and I was like, “I feel like my fitness is on track. I have a good relationship with my therapist. I have a wonderful relationship with my friends and family.” Then we were on family vacation on this lake and I found out my dad died. I was like, “Yo. Uh-oh.”

I’m really sorry about that.

We were going back into it [work-wise], and I didn’t know how to communicate [that news] with people. It was a huge mess in my own personal world with him, because I hadn’t talked to him in 16 years. It had been such a long time.

I was kind of a sh–head when I was younger. [When I was 19 or 20] I went to jail for a month, for drinking underage. In Michigan, you get this thing called a “minor in possession of alcohol,” and I got three. At the second one the judge was like, “If you get another one of these, I’m going to send you to jail to teach you a lesson.” I was like, “F— you. Yeah right.”

What happened?

I got another one. I remember sitting in the courtroom, and they were like, “You’re sentenced to jail, like, right now.” I was like, “OK, so that means I go home for a little bit?” They were like, “No, in your suit you now go into a holding cell, and we’re going to cut the shoelaces out of your shoes, collect any money in your pocket and put it towards commissary, and you are now in jail for the next month.”

Holy sh–.

It’s real. It’s scary. I basically took that semester off. I wasn’t doing great in school anyways, partying a lot. It was a pretty eye-opening experience. Jail is very scary, because you can’t leave. It probably sounds so obvious, but you’re trapped. You can’t call your parents and say, “Hey, pick me up.” Especially being so young, it’s such a weird concept, because before that your parents are the ultimate authority figure.

And then you realize there are things they cannot save you from.

Yeah, and to be truly independent and live in the mess you make for yourself, it hits incredibly hard. … The TL;DR is that I got out, and that next November I went down to visit my dad for Thanksgiving. He takes me to a bar, gets me drunk, and is like, “OK cool, you’re driving us home.” I’m like, “Dude, you just got your underage kid drunk in a bar, and you’re asking him to drive home. I just got out of jail. Like, you’re a f—ing a–hole. This feels really dangerous.”

We didn’t have a great relationship before that, but I was like, “This just feels like I’m putting myself in a dangerous situation.” I see where he was coming from and that he was a good guy, but that was the nail in the coffin. I was like, “I can’t have this relationship with this guy anymore. It’s not healthy.” I felt like I got myself to a better place with it. He’s an alcoholic, and there was an interventionist. Dealing with a parent with active addiction is really tough, because you are teetering between “I want them to be the person that I want them to be for me, but I also can’t make that decision for them.”

I wonder too, when you become successful and have resources, if you felt like you could help because you had money.

Right, like “I can save them.” You can’t. It’s taken a lot of therapy to understand that. I couldn’t have made that decision for him, I can only try to show that I have this feeling of care and love and that the love is not conditional, but my participation in their world is conditional … because I can’t have a conversation with my parent at 10 o’clock in the morning and have them be wasted and get into an argument every single time we talk on the phone. That’s not OK for me to do to myself. As much as you love somebody, it really is difficult to come to that conclusion, and it’s also really conflicting.

Was that complicated by being a public figure?

I need to have enough energy to be able to give back to people and give them the experience they more than deserve, because look at how well they treat me and show up so enthusiastically and support me and listen to Griz music. It’s like, “I can’t save him, so how do I keep peace for myself so that I can exist as an artist who is like, the show love/spread love guy?” How do I exist as that person when all this drama is happening?” It’s like, f—.

That is tricky.

It takes time to figure out the right support system to foster show love/spread love, to foster thoughtful creative output, to foster energy for the show, for the music, positive energy for other people. If you don’t have the home life stuff in balance and your heart settled, the other thing cannot exist, or it manifests in dark ways. Oftentimes it’s escapism, alcoholism, drugs, negative things to get by, and that is a scary path I saw for myself. I don’t want to end up like that, so it was like, “This thing needs to stop and I need to look in the mirror and figure out: When the lights are off, who am I to myself, regardless of what anybody else thinks of me? They could love me or hate me, I just needed to figure out who I am to me.

Do you know that now?

Yeah.

What do you think you’re bringing to the scene? Like, what’s your unique flavor?

I grew up listening to a bunch of different things in high school. It was like, A Tribe Called Quest and Squarepusher, IDM, glitch-hop, hip-hop. When I was younger I thought Jurassic 5 and Tribe Called Quest were playing guitar. I didn’t understand what a sample was yet. Then I was like, “Oh, it’s f—ing sampled,” and from all this really sick music my parents loved like Earth, Wind & Fire and The O’Jays, Curtis Mayfield. That music’s also super sick, obviously.

My taste was always like, “I like Pretty Lights, and I like Skrillex,” but for me Skrillex was lacking this hip-hop quality and Pretty Lights was lacking this boisterous edge. The world I live in is the middle Venn diagram of these sounds. I wanted to make the dubstep sh– groovier and more hip-hop and swaggy, and I wanted to make the soul sample funk sh– harder, more exuberant, more energetic.

The first song I put on SoundCloud forever ago had the description like “It’s called ADHD bass music,” because it was glitch-hop rooted into bass music culture, and it was futuristic funk — future funk. For a long time that was my contribution: bass-ier, funk-sounding sh–. A long time went by, and what prompted this album was feeling like I hadn’t made an album where I was like, “This is what I think this genre is, all in one place.” Almost every album I’ve put out has had a chameleon-like tapestry of sounds, which is great. With this, I wanted to nail like, “This is what future funk is.” … This is volume 1 of hopefully many.

It must feel great to come back not only with all of the other clarity you talked about in terms of health and relationships, but with your sound. You’re really clear on what you’re offering musically.

I feel energized. I feel inspired and driven. I feel like my life is filled with purpose, because I have a solid foundation of knowing who I am. I finally came to terms with understanding how to be vulnerable and share the story of my father’s passing and what it feels like to have the roof of your house f—ing blown off. The paradigm of life completely changes, and it’s OK. It’s a beautiful part of the thing. Grief doesn’t necessarily always have to be this scary thing. It’s this passenger. It’s the wholeness of spirituality. …

Being able to hold that while also letting myself hold joy and excitement for the future and the adoration of people and be like “I am that f—ing guy! Hell yeah!” It’s like, I am that person and thank you so much and we’re going to do awesome things together and build this beautiful community, because y’all deserve it, for me to give you my absolute best.

It sounds like you’re in it for the long haul.

I would like to do this for as long as my spirit is in it. Like, Seven Stars was done because that’s what I want to do with my life, not because I want to play a big show. I want to build a community, and I want to experience life through this career and this music.