UNDER THE INFLUENCE 💽

NXG ARTIST SPOTLIGHT - OLUWAMILLAR 🌟🎶 A Voice That Travels Beyond Language Some rappers translate their culture. OluwaMillar simply speaks it. Rooted in Yoruba storytelling, shaped by lived experience and driven by a desire to connect, OluwaMillar makes music that reaches beyond language. His sound brings together indigenous hip-hop, Yoruba philosophy, sharp wordplay and contemporary African influences, delivered predominantly in Yorùbá, with English and Nigerian Pidgin woven through his verses. Originally from Oyo, Nigeria, and now based in Staffordshire, UK, OluwaMillar is a rapper, storyteller and performer whose music has earned the description “Yoruba Soul.” It is a description he appreciates, even if he finds it slightly amusing. “I think Yoruba itself already carries so much soul.” For him, storytelling has always been at the centre of his artistry. And that relationship with words began long before he found an audience. Growing up, OluwaMillar was intensely introverted. He rarely spoke and often struggled to express what was on his mind. Music became an outlet , a way to communicate the thoughts he could not always say aloud. “Music, rap, storytelling let me say the things in my head without actually saying them.” That early relationship with music continues to shape his writing today. Whether he is exploring personal experiences, cultural identity, faith or the realities of the people around him, his songs carry stories that feel lived rather than imagined. YORUBA SOUL: A LANGUAGE THAT CARRIES THE STORY For OluwaMillar, Yorùbá is more than simply the language he raps in. Its depth, traditions and cultural history form part of the foundation for how he sees and tells stories. His journey from Oyo to the UK has changed his perspective on life, success and contentment, but it has not weakened his connection to home. “I carry Oyo and Nigeria as an extension in my heart, so wherever I am is home, and it will always permeate through the music.” That connection became especially meaningful during a performance at B Arts in Stoke-on-Trent. OluwaMillar performed a deeply personal song centred on suicide and grief, much of it delivered in Yorùbá. The work received a microcommission, but what stayed with him most was the reaction from the audience. Despite not understanding every word, several people were visibly moved. Some approached him afterwards and embraced him. “That felt surreal, to know the music can touch people like that even without them understanding ALL of the language.” It was a reminder that emotional connection does not always require translation. Sometimes, the feeling behind a story is enough. AGBALAGBI: STORIES OF LIFE, FAITH & IDENTITY Released in January 2025, OluwaMillar’s seven-track debut EP, Agbalagbi, brought his storytelling, cultural influences and lyrical confidence into sharper focus. The title track is a bold, braggadocious drill record built around a sample from Nigerian comic icon Baba Suwe. Across the wider project, however, OluwaMillar moves between confidence and vulnerability, exploring hardship, faith, survival, ambition and self-belief. On “RWDNFD,” he calls himself the “Rapper Wey Dem No Fit Define,” a phrase that doubles as a declaration of artistic independence. He is not particularly interested in fitting neatly inside a single category. But beneath the wordplay and confident delivery, Agbalagbi is grounded in real experiences. “I wanted people to listen and feel a part of something. Feel a part of the stories, most of which are real anyways.” “Muri,” featuring Jamz FR, looks outward at hardship, responsibility, and the difficult choices people can be pushed toward when circumstances narrow their options. The EP's opening track, “Ọlọrunsogo,” turns the focus inward. It recounts a serious accident he experienced during his National Youth Service Corps year in Osogbo, an incident that could have cost him his life. These are not simply subjects to write about. They are reminders of the experiences that shape people, the burdens communities carry and the value of giving those experiences a voice. The path toward Agbalagbi had already been taking shape through earlier releases including “Menu” with DROXX, “Beef Deyy” and “Reverse Back.” But the EP brought those ideas together into something more complete: an artistic identity built around cultural authenticity, lyrical versatility and a willingness to move between bravado and vulnerability. That momentum brought wider recognition. OluwaMillar was named among Afrocritik’s 25 Emerging African Artistes to Watch in 2025, while Agbalagbi would later appear at No. 25 on the publication’s list of the Top 50 African Music Projects of 2025. BEYOND THE CO-SIGNS OluwaMillar’s music has also drawn recognition from established voices in hip-hop, including Wretch 32 and Reminisce, who have acknowledged elements of his wordplay, cadence and storytelling. His journey has increasingly moved from headphones to stages. He has performed at Tim Lyre’s SENPAI LIVE at London’s Notting Hill Arts Club, Cheshire Afrofest, Arts Keele’s Summer Lates and Nottingham’s Up-Rooted Global Majority Festival for Climate Justice. His collaboration with Sensei Lo, “Gbese Le,” has also received support from BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Radio 1Xtra. They are meaningful milestones. But when OluwaMillar reflects on the moments that have mattered most, he points toward something less visible. The laughter from an audience when a clever line lands. The emotion on someone’s face during a performance. The stranger who approaches afterwards because a song connected with something they were carrying. “I’m learning that the most perceivably important moments are not the ones that everyone sees.” He appreciates the co-signs and recognition, particularly because those achievements also mean something to the people who have supported him. But his understanding of success is becoming more personal. Sometimes, knowing the music genuinely reached one person carries more weight than the endorsement everyone else can see. THE PERSON BEHIND THE MUSIC Away from the studio, OluwaMillar finds inspiration in nature, reading, football and a wide range of musical traditions. Football, in particular, is inseparable from his identity. “You’ll hardly find an OluwaMillar verse without football references. It’s my life.” His musical curiosity stretches well beyond hip-hop too, taking in reggae, soul, folk, blues, jazz, Afrobeats, Afrofusion and South American sounds. That range helps explain the versatility of his music. The storytelling may remain deeply rooted in Yorùbá, but the sounds surrounding those stories are free to move. For someone who once struggled to express himself, music has become more than a creative outlet. It is a space for observation, reflection, honesty and growth. GBADURA / YA ALLAHU: A NEW CHAPTER In September 2026, OluwaMillar returned with the two-track release Gbadura / Ya Allahu, exploring different expressions of faith, perseverance and hope. “Gbadura,” featuring Bayoo, leans into reflective hip-hop, carrying prayers for people navigating grief, hardship and uncertainty. “Ya Allahu” moves in another direction, bringing amapiano-influenced rhythms into the picture and turning that same sense of faith toward movement, celebration and optimism. Together, the two songs capture something central to OluwaMillar’s music. Reflection does not have to exist without joy. Faith does not have to sound one way. And cultural identity does not have to restrict musical curiosity. The release arrives as he prepares for another chapter in his story. A forthcoming project is expected to move further into his personal experiences, including the deeply emotional material he has previously performed at B Arts. He has also hinted at new music and a few surprises ahead. “May the Lord bless this run we are about to embark upon.” For an artist whose journey has taken him from Oyo to Staffordshire, whose music has travelled across linguistic and cultural boundaries, and whose understanding of success continues to evolve, there is still plenty left unwritten. But when asked how he ultimately wants to be remembered, OluwaMillar offers an answer far removed from streams, stages, awards or co-signs. “Right now, it’s trying. Yeah, remember me as the one who tried.” It is an unexpectedly simple ambition for an artist with such an intricate relationship with words. But perhaps that is the point. From the stories of Agbalagbi to the prayers of Gbadura / Ya Allahu, OluwaMillar continues to turn lived experiences into music other people can recognise themselves in. His words may be predominantly Yorùbá. The emotions they carry need no translation. The elder has arrived. And his story is still being written. ✨ New to OluwaMillar? These are the records we would start with: 🎧 Agbalagbi (EP) 🎧 Rapper Wey Dem No Fit Define (RWDNFD) 🎧 Reverse Back ft. @bayoomac & @MojoAF 🎧 Muri ft. Jamz FR 🎧 Ọlọrunsogo 🎧 Gbese Le with @SenseiLo 🎧 Gbadura 🎧 Ya Allahu Yoruba storytelling. Lived experience. Music without borders. OluwaMillar is building a body of work that does not ask listeners to understand every word before they feel what he has to say. #NXGSpotlight #OluwaMillar #YorubaSoul #NXGApproved