J-MILLA doesn’t miss on his new single, “On My Soul”.

The dynamic hip hop artist recorded his latest effort in Adelaide, collaborating with composer and musician Nick Wales (Ngaiire, Sydney Dance Company) to bring the song to life with a stirring string arrangement (performed by Wales and violinist Veronique Serret).

It’s a bold and confident declaration of intent by the Darwin musician. “I’m really pleased with it, it shows my deeper side, my lyrical side – adds depth to my range,” says J-MILLA. “So while I still love the club bangers, I always will have room in my set for the more dramatic moments, and this is one of them.”

“It tells a snippet of the story of my life, from where I started to where I am now and how my values have changed and evolved. It speaks of the importance of being authentic and having integrity because everything you do imprints your soul and you wear that stuff, that energy, so I want my energy to shine with good vibes.”

J-MILLA’s stock has considerably been on the rise recently. The NT rapper was included in Tone Deaf‘s Get to Know series in 2020, around the same time his powerful song, “Unlock the System”, garnered widespread attention in Australia.

Prominent slots at Groovin the Moo, Adelaide Festival, and Darwin Festival have followed, and J-MILLA will get to showcase his talent further at BIGSOUND 2023 next month. He previously landed on the BIGSOUND50 list three years ago.

“I was handpicked for the BIGSOUND50 back in 2020 so to finally arrive and showcase is mad,” he reveals. “It’s now 2023 and during the three years since, I’ve been working my show out on remote Aboriginal communities around the country, and am pumped to perform for the industry and show them what I’m about. I can’t wait to connect with the people at BIGSOUND and bring our energies to a new level.”

Love Hip Hop?

Get the latest Hip Hop news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more

J-MILLA’s “On My Soul” is out now. 

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine