M1llionz is too sly, and perhaps shy, to say it outright, but his videos are also one of the reasons he’s been able to sell and share his vision to the wider world. Whether it’s Y PREE or Lagga, each video is a tour through the real life fantasyland that he’s curated in his mind as one of leading culture movers of his generation. The mere mention of one of his videos is enough to rouse a wry smile. Does he know what impact that they’ve actually made?
“I’m only realising now,” he admits. “I’ve done Y PREE, that was in Jamaica, Billionz and that was in England and obviously the last one in Kenya. So, yeah, they’re all good videos but, again, I don’t think about anything bigger than what they are. At the time, I just wanted to do something different. When it comes out, ‘I’m always like, yeah that’s nice, still,’ but in the moment I’m just in full focus.”
So, what’s the formula? “I dunno, you know. It’s more about living in that moment. Lagga, for example, It was all natural.
“My team had the link to someone in Kibera [an area in Nairobi and Kenya’s largest slum] and, after that, it was just about getting down there and living. Experiencing the culture, interacting and learning from the people and that was the end result. It’s probably why it came out so good because it’s just the way it happened. It’s all natural. There was no big picture or big idea. It’s all real life,” he adds.
“Sometimes, you can have too much structure. You just need to see where that moment in that world will take you.”
M1llionz’ influence looks set to extend beyond music and videos into art, fashion, business and beyond. No matter the eventual avenue, it all comes down to the same motive for M1llionz. Legacy. To leave an imprint that dwarfs his current standing, to create a sound that inspires new energy and to build an empire that ensures family, friends, associates live a life beyond they could ever imagine.
“The vision is to be a billionaire,” he says with no pause for thought. “I want to be a proper business man, you know? Labels, clothing lines, restaurants. Everything. I want to build something that is way bigger than I could ever imagine. More than just music.” To M1llionz, it’s not so much that music is the most powerful form of currency. It’s that authenticity is. Which is why he’s quietly becoming one of the most influential artists in the UK. His voice, his delivery, his videos have already earned Millionz three integral pieces in the puzzle of UK music. We’re just waiting to see what else he’s got in his hand to lay down next. Whatever it may be, you can be assured that you won’t see it coming. “Right now, music is my outlet, he explains. “It’s like an artist that paints pictures of what they see and their vision of the world. It’s their life, you can see it and you can feel it. I create a proper picture with my music. You don't even have to imagine it, you can see it. You live it. Even if you don’t relate. You can feel and understand the story. This is only the start, though, I want to take it further.” By the end of the interview, I notice how still he is. And how he has been the entire time. He’s capable of remaining in complete focus and serenity. Which, in the world he operates in, and the speed in which he works, moves and thinks, is not only noticeable but admirable. Even when he’s at work, he’s at rest. Because, he knows, he’s always known, everything will happen for you if you just go with the flow. “You just have to go with it,” he affirms. “You can never give up. There’s always light. Things can change. Never feel like it’s the end. Your life can change in a single moment.” Shop all Burberry looks at Flannels Man.