Some rappers come up through the streets, battling and playing small dingy clubs, giving away CDRs of their music as they try to get a foothold in the game. Others, like Greg “Hum. V” Humrichouser, take a decidedly different route. He used his years as a music recording major at Butler University to hone his craft in the studio. Early on, he attracted record labels and managers. And crowds. Years removed from college, he has steadily built one of the largest and most consistent followings of any band in the city.

His lyrics, especially when standing apart from his group, the Cleptoz, have taken a more personal tone lately. “With the Cleptoz, I felt like we were reaching for commercial success too much. I would write songs that I ‘thought’ were ‘radio singles’ … I wanted to get away from that whole party [scene] and just write for me … More heartfelt lyrics and live instruments.” As is the nature of the beast, it was only when he stopped trying to storm the charts that success found him. Recent video and radio airplay have re-energized Hum. V.

Though he’s now in talks with a major record label, Hum. V is still releasing his second solo album, One Verse at a Time, independently. His upbeat style doesn’t always fit in with the typical hip-hop aesthetic, which has pushed him to cultivate his own demographic. “If you’re getting hated on, it means you’re doing something right,” he admits with a sly grin.