J-MILLA SHARES SONGWRITING SKILLS AND LEARNS BANJIMA CULTURE AT KARIJINI EXPERIENCE
J-MILLA visited Banjima country for the Karijini Experience. Credit: Ngaarda Media.
Mak Mak Marranunggu hip-hop artist J-MILLA is an inspiration to youth across the country through his rap music and social media presence.
Last week, he visited the Pilbara to inspire travellers and locals in person at the 2023 Karijini Experience.
On Saturday night, J-MILLA performed to hundreds of people at the Yurlu Lounge event.
Earlier in the week, he presented workshops on songwriting and social media.
J-MILLA said the songwriting workshop was a chance for him to show kids how he puts his own emotions and experiences into his music.
“We started talking about emotions that people are a bit too afraid to talk about,” he said.
“I was talking about how if I'm feeling sad, I will try and and create a sad type of song, because that's the emotion I'm feeling at the time.
“It's therapy for me. It's therapy for us.”
J-MILLA and his fiancé Poppy Radbone, otherwise known as Pops, are also social media stars: Their TikTok account @popsandjayofficial has over 255,000 followers.
“Pops started creating vlogs and content on social media and chucked me in it and we just found ourselves kind of getting a lot of views and shares,” J-MILLA said.
“It's been fun journey.”
The couple delivered a workshop on social media called 'Workin’ It’ as part of the Karijini experience.
J-MILLA said he enjoyed learning about Banjima country while at Karijini through taking part in a cultural tour by Elders.
“Just to get an insight into what this country is like and the bush medicines over here is very fascinating and very life-moving,” he said.
This year’s Karijini experience took place during NAIDOC week.
J-MILLA said NAIDOC Week was an important time for sharing cultural knowledge and cross-cultural exchange.
“NAIDOCs a time where the Aboriginal mob can come out and teach the non-indigenous about culture,” the said.
The rapper said he was also learning about other First Nations cultures at Karijini.
“I've never actually done a workshop on didgeridoos, but this time I will, so I'm learning as we go on in life as well,” he said.
J-DILLA thanked the Banjima people for welcoming him onto their country.
“Thank you so much for allowing me and my family to come here,” he said.
“It's a beautiful side of the world.
“I just want to say, keep your culture going here. Keep the experiences going here.
I'm a blackfella myself, but I'm learning another blackfella way, too. It's good to come out and experience that.”
Listen to the full interview:
J Milla and family with Karijini Experience attendees. Credit: Ngaarda Media.