If you ask an average Australian what they associate with the Top End, they’ll likely say something along the lines of “kookaburra laughing in the old gum tree”. But the reality of life in Darwin and the surrounding areas is often far from that idyllic image.
And who better to tell these true stories than the region’s own emerging hip-hop artists?
Yung Milla is one of them. In his new single, he paints a realistic picture of what it’s like to live in the Northern Territory (NT).
PART 171 OF “AM I EVER GONNA SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN?” A RANDOM COLLECTION OF UNKNOWINGLY OBVIOUS FACTS ABOUT AUSTRALIAN MUSIC SCENE
Darwin, or D-Town, is also known as Larrakia in the local Aboriginal language. Located in the Top End of Australia, the NT’s northernmost section, it’s the country’s smallest and wettest regional capital. It has a population of 139,902, as per the 2021 census.
Approximately 20 kilometres from Darwin lies its planned satellite city, Palmerston. Much less paradise and much more gangsta, the urban landscape of Palmerston is a place where violence and temptation are real and ever-present. And it’s this part of the Land Down Under that is the protagonist in Yung Milla‘s latest single.
The young and formidable hip-hop artist is a loud and proud member of the Mak Mak Marranunggu people – the traditional landowners of the Litchfield National Park in the NT. He’s a gun with his pen, having written, recorded and released four songs independently. All of them have gained the attention of triple j Unearthed – the Aussie platform for emerging artists.
The 2022 Music NT Award Finalist for Hip-Hop/Rap Category, he has also accrued a throng of staunch fans online and on the streets of Darwin’s southern suburbs.
Additionally, in June 2023, he ignited a sea of 5,000 new fans with his spectacular backflipping stage presence at Barunga Festival. Most recently, he appeared at Yidiyi Day in Wadeye, NT, with other First Nations artists, Radical Son and Kootsie Don.
If you follow the Australian hip-hop scene closely, you might recognise the young artist’s stage name. He’s not the first in his family to pursue a music career. As Tommy Faith from triple j Unearthed put it, “Get it, Levi! Milla family goes hard.”
Levi is Yung Milla’s real name. He credits his brother Jay, aka emerging superstar J-MILLA, for the change in direction that put him on his path of redemption. Today, the 20-year-old rapper is an Adventure Therapist, working at Saltbush Accommodation Centre for young Aboriginal men on bail from detention as well. He helps kids like him find their own paths through troubled times.
This ambition to right wrongs and rise is clearly reflected in Yung Milla’s music. He’s a truth teller, sharing stories not untouched by tragedy. Too many of his friends and relatives have been lost to drugs, violence, or the terminal cycle of ‘the System’. The overzealous and misguided pursuit of “justice” results in youth incarceration statistics that shame the nation way too frequently.
His latest track, “Land Down Under”, released on November 22nd, highlights that issue as well.
“Like the song says, I know I’m not perfect. (…) I’ve still got stuff to deal with, and it ain’t easy to live with that. (…) [This] is a song about my crew, and the town where I grew up. Like a lot of places up here, it’s got problems, and we get through by sticking together and staying strong, trying to make it out, looking up rather than down,” says the rapper.
Despite that grim background, “Land Down Under” is a celebration, a proud statement of belonging woven with a killer guitar line, a fist-pumping groove and sharp wordplay. Take this excerpt from the lyrics, for example:
“I’m repping my city / The king of my state Land Down Under / Aussie got me yelling yeah mate / I tell the fam that we gone be safe / Aussie on the map I be repping my gang”.
Unsurprisingly, the song has already garnered many positive reactions. Reviewers praise it for its succinct and down-to-earth message. Declan Byrne from triple j shared this on the Unearthed platform: “So damn smooth! This is such a great Unearthed High upload from Yung Milla who has slid in under the garage door as it was closing just before the cut-off time. Full of longing and lust, it’s 2 mins that hook you in.”
The single is accompanied by an official music video filmed in Darwin CBD. The clip shows a glimpse of a day in the life of Yung Milla. Directed by Tully Hemsley, the video furthers the song’s message of belonging and celebrating the bond he shares with his crew.
“I really wanted the film clip to capture this aspect of us – we have each other’s backs, for all time. I know they’ve got mine and I’ve got theirs and that’s the way it is where I come from. Loyalty is our currency and we rich with it,” emphasises the passionate hip-hop artist.
Judging by this song and his previous releases, it looks like Yung Milla is ready to claim his righteous place on the Australian hip-hop scene.
He’s set the bar high for himself, though. So I’ll be closely following his next moves for sure.
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