Come Friday, March 24, Ai Milly will release his first official body of work with the EP titled WTDO.

Over the past two years, trap dancehall artiste Ai Milly has emerged as one of the most-sought-after acts on the local music scene.

With songs including God Alone, Henny Energy, Trappest Life and What Joker Said racking up millions of views on YouTube, the 22-year-old Oracabessa native takes his new-found fame in stride.

“If mi go someweh and smaddy say dem nuh know mi, mi nuh feel no way. Mi just know say mi haffi put een more work. More while mi cyaan go road because most people from my area know mi. Mi do music fi di love of it, nuh fi di likes. Wi a come from nuttin, di fame nuh bother mi,” Ai Milly shared in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.

An ode to his hometown Oracabessa. WTDO means Welcome to Da O.

The ten track set — there is a bonus track with Valiant — includes Nobody, Malfunction, Famous, She Wah, Want You to be Happier, Caribbean featuring RajahWild, and Hakuna Matata, which he says is his personal favourite.

Among the producers who contributed to the Dethwrld Records-executive produced project are Shella876 Records, YGF Records, Unapologetic Music, Drop Top Records, Fung Shay Records, Krush Flo Records, and Real Bang Records.

Ai Milly, whose real name is Kerron Senior, told the Observer that his mother has been an inspiration for him.

“My mother is my inspiration for everything I do. I do this for a better life for me and my people dem,” he said.

“The EP was to be released from last year summer but a bay leaks [songs released with his permission] and wi went back to the drawing board. The fans love the music so wi haffi gi dem what dem want,” he continued.

A fan of rap music since he was in the ninth grade, Ai Milly disclosed how his passion for music came about.

“Mi just love music from long time; just love it to the point where mi start write mi own song dem from mi inna grade 9, and so far I can describe it only as the trappest life,” said the former Oracabessa High School student.

“Before my career in music mi was the little juvenile who you had to tell to turn down the music. Mi did always a play music and my music ever loud. Then mi start listen to rap music and mi si say me can rap though and it transitioned to this. I guess it was just music mi did waa do from dem time,” he shared.

When he was in the tenth grade, Ai Milly did a remix of Migos’ Bad and Bougie which was well-received by his peers. Their appreciation and acceptance was what gave him the encouragement and drive to continue on his musical journey.

“Is when mi inna school mi start rap. The girl dem say di Bad and Bougie song bad, so mi decide from mi a 16 [years old] say music mi want and to become an artiste and show ghetto yutes say dem can tu’n star too. A dis mi want from mi a 16,” said Ai Milly.

He said it hasn’t been an easy journey, confessing that his first rap tunes were not well-received by a wide audience, and it took a bit of Jamaican injection into his material before it was accepted.

“A rap mi use to do. Mi drop all a rap song and get 500 views in one month on YouTube. The tings mi say inna di rap song mi try it in Jamaican vibes and mi start get 1,000 views and more in a month till it start climb higher,” he said.

He lists American rapper YoungBoy Never Broke Again (also known as NBA YoungBoy) as his favourite artiste, whom he emulated when he was just starting out in the business.

“From mi a 16 mi start listen to him. Him mek mi kinda meds music because him have songs weh mi can relate to, understand and connect to,” said Ai Milly.

As for the EP, he hopes his music will reach a wider audience.

“Mi a hope fi achieve just greatness and elevation. A one different level. Just di fans mi waa get dem music. A support mi love,” Ai Milly said confidently.