One in a MILLIONS

Russ Millions is commercial drill personified. As he releases new mixtape One of a Kind, the first artist from the genre to have a number-one hit contemplates his art and his ongoing desire to make fans want to move

- NICOLAS-TYRELL SCOTT

DRILL IS AS far-reaching as it's ever been. From the soul-infused, tenderly constructed 'You Lose' by Shae Universe (2020) to the matter-of-fact poignance that anchors last year's 'Plenty' by V9, via cocksure and trap-infused collaborative efforts like Yung Bleu's 'One of Those Nights', the globally driven music genre developed in both North America and the UK - boasts multiple entry points in its short existence. For UK-based rapper Russ Millions, his contribution to the art form is one of movement.

"If you're not someone who moves, my music just isn't for you," he asserts with a laugh. It's near zero degrees when we meet on a winter's evening, but Millions real name Shylo Batchelor Ashby Milwood - is warm and assured in one of the first utterances of our exchange. "That's just what I prefer, that's what I'm about, not that dark sh*t," he says.

Outside of affirmations about his music lies the 26-year-old's lineage and tastes as a child. Ethnically Jamaican, Millions' history is one of rich cultural outputs. "Jamaica To Di World" is a saying that permeates the island's culture both on and off it - a maxim reaffirmed by Usain Bolt in celebration of the country's 60th anniversary of independence last year. It's a statement that reinforces the country's influence on the western and wider world. It was this cultural currency that led to Millions' passion for dancing in his youth, eventually gravitating towards Jamaica's prominent dancehall figures.