U2OPIA

Three months on from the November 2024 rollout of his *ROAD 2 U2OPIA* EP, masked rap star M Huncho arrived at his destination: *U2OPIA*, the sequel to 2019’s critically acclaimed debut mixtape *Utopia*. The intervening years saw the enigmatic talent evolving in every direction, from the personal (first-time fatherhood) to the professional (parting ways with his label to strike out independently). *U2OPIA* finds Huncho in a state of artistic metamorphosis, too: the “trapwave” sound he originated at the dawn of his career has been honed and cultivated, his melodic ear more finely tuned. Most telling is his description of his utopian ideal—“glorious, even though there’s imperfections,” he raps on “Duty Free (Interlude)”—turning up the contrast between ambition and fulfillment, riches and good mental health, road life and the school run. At the center of it all is an artist who has experienced the dizzying heights and suffocating lows and continues to push forward with full confidence, certain he can weather both. In the artwork for *Utopia*, a woman paints Huncho’s portrait. This time, Huncho himself holds the brush.