Mila J

Biography

Mila J fancies her musical styling in the same light as her singing and rapping idols TLC and Missy Elliott. Add to her singing and rapping combo her passion for dancing and ability to write song lyrics, and it seems apparent that this Los Angeles native aims to achieve the same level of acclaim and prosperity as those same pop icons of hers. Born of black, Japanese, and Native American descent, Mila J (real name Jamila Chilumbo) started rapping, according to the singer, at the age of four, inspired by a deep admiration for the Fat Boys and the '80s cult hip-hop movie Krush Groove. Because her father was a studio musician, the music bug was in the rest of her family as well, namely teen pop artist Jhené, Mila's younger sister. Her break into the music industry occurred at the age of nine when she met the owner and CEO of The Ultimate Group, Chris Stokes, at a video shoot for his group Immature; in addition, she also caught Stokes' attention with her appearance in Prince's "Diamond and Pearls" video in 1991. Mila J went on to dance professionally for Stokes and Immature between the ages of 12 and 15. Several years later, with her sister's career on the back burner, her petite vocals could be heard on the 2006 singles "Complete" and the charting "Good Lookin' Out," which built up anticipation for her debut album, Split Personality, released via Universal that November. ~ Cyril Cordor, All Music Guide