22- year old J-MILLA is a proud member of the Mak Mak Marranungu people, who are the traditional landowners of the Litchfield National Park in the NT. Born in Darwin, J-MILLA's life started hard from the get-go; yet he managed to find a way to stand outside the intergenerational trauma pathway that affects so many Aboriginal families. Losing himself in music and storytelling was what got him through and it was this part of his culture that he clung to. When he noticed the power of narrative and its influence on those around him; mainly his brothers and sister - J-MILLA’s passion for writing lyrics and telling his own stories began. J-MILLA used this passion like a weapon to maintain a healthy mental state for himself and his siblingS. His lyrical content swings between deep societal commentary and bangin’ club vibes.
J-MILLA's combined social media figures sit at 200k followers, a collab with M4SONIC titled ‘Matchstick’ has 400k streams on Spotify but it was the track ‘Unlock the System’ about the murder of Kumanjayi Walker by police that brought him attention. Soon after he was deemed ‘Spotlight Artist’ by triple j Unearthed (twice), programmed by Darwin Festival, Adelaide Festival and Fresh Produce. J-MILLA has been handpicked for THE BIGSOUND50 and nominated as “Best Aboriginal/TSI Artist” by MusicSA.
This FREE event is brought to you by South West Music Regional Conservatorium, Edward River Council, the NSW Government Department of Planning, Industry & Environment and The Festival of Place - Summer Fund.