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Gary Milholland's Oxford apartment is a maze of cardboard boxes, musical instruments and second-hand furniture. It's impossible to navigate through his living room without stumbling into one of the boxes, which contain his latest CD.

For six months, the 27-year-old Miami and Talawanda graduate starved himself so he could save the $2,000 needed to press the 1,000 CDs sitting on his living room floor.

"There were times where I thought I wasn't going to have enough money or have enough CDs," said Milholland, who was sporting a T-shirt embroidered with his stage name — Mission Man. "But there were also times that were so amazing, like when I finished recording and paid for the CDs."

For 14 years Milholland has had one dream, and he has been living it inside his apartment. Between working 40 to 45 hours a week delivering pizzas for Papa John's, Milholland found time over a two-year span to record the rap album Indiependent inside his residence. It's the rapper's third full-length album.

Before Milholland had dreams of being a rapper, he was skipping grades and taking classes at Miami University when he was 16 years old.

"When I started high school, I never would have figured I would be delivering pizzas and making music," said Milholland, who graduated in 2002 with a business degree from Miami. "I figured I would have had my Ph.D. by now."

For the first five years of Milholland's journey as a rapper, he did not perform. He first played at a music store in Colerain in 1997. Though only three people actually showed up to listen to the struggling musician, the experience only motivated Milholland to work harder.

Over the last few months, the rapper has mailed hundreds of demo CDs to clubs and bars around the country in an effort to book shows promoting his new CD. The results of the 27-year-old's efforts landed him shows in such areas as Chicago, Boston, Cleveland, Columbus and Burlington, Vt. His tour kicks off in Oxford at the Balcony Oct. 10.

Milholland's style of rap is an eclectic blend of bass, keyboard and guitar that some times leans toward the experimental side of the spectrum. Performing on stage in small venues can sometimes be difficult for the rapper when crowds are sparse.

"There are some shows in Cincinnati specifically where I play and there's no one there, and it drains me," Milholland said. "But when then I have a great show in Oxford, and that keeps me going long enough to get to the next show."

It's sometimes tough for the college graduate to work 40-plus hours delivering pizzas and dedicate time to a music career. In his song "Chillin' at the Papa," Milholland vents about delivering pizzas.

"I think people relate to my songs because I'm completely honest in expressing myself," he said. "(The songs are) easy to relate to. There's nothing fake about what I do."

While working at Papa John's may not seem like the most glamorous gig in the world, Milholland said it does have its perks. On one delivery for a $9.99 order, two young women requested Mission Man deliver the pizza. When he arrived at the house, the women showered him with camera flashes, hugs and even kisses. In spite of all the love Milholland received, the two girls only tipped him one cent.

"It was worth it," he said. "It's one of those experiences I'll never forget. They were like, 'Wow Bruce Springsteen just delivered a pizza.' It was such an odd experience."

Contact this reporter at (513) 523-4139 or

jgiordano

@coxohio.com.