“Just go hard”: Hundo Milli’s hustle from hardship to hip hop

At age 16, Indigenous Warrnambool rapper Rylie Featherby - aka Hundo Milli - was homeless. 

“We actually got put in accommodation at a caravan park,” Milli told the Brolga. “We were living there for a bit. Just in cabins. Sometimes I'd sleep in the car, even in a tent at one point. School was kind of not an option anymore, getting to school every day.”

Fast forward a few years to March 2026, and Milli found himself in Canberra, speaking to politicians about the future of music in regional Australia.

Finding direction: The 20-year-old describes a journey shaped as much by hardship as by creativity. He discovered music via a friend at school, but it was during a period of homelessness that his future began to take shape.

“I didn’t really have a clear path in front of me. I kind of just had to make it happen myself,” he said.

Breaking through: With limited resources, Milli poured everything he had into music - recording his first track in a friend’s studio, funding a music video himself and sending his work to producers.

• That hustle paid off. Gigs followed, then networking opportunities meeting other artists, and eventually a seat at the table in Canberra, where he joined youth music organisation The Push to help launch a 10-year national plan to support young Australians in music.

“It was definitely a surreal experience, feeling like my voice can actually create an impact,” the rapper said.

Supporting young musicians: His focus was clear: more resources to pursue music for young people in the regions, particularly through schools and grassroots programs.

• Growing up, Milli said “there were no real music classes” at his school and “it wasn’t really taken seriously as a career path”.

• He is advocating not just for instruments and classes, but for education around how to succeed as an independent artist.

Chasing dreams: Beyond policy, Milli’s music tells his story. His track Bands Up traces his journey out of homelessness, while debut single Eaters was written during that period, laying the foundation for everything that followed.

• His message for young people in Warrnambool and across western Victoria?

“Anything is possible, and you never know until you try. Just give it your all, and just go hard.”