DAY1 says he doesn’t know exactly what sets him apart just yet—all he knows is that whatever he’s doing, it’s working. Music used to be a dream, but after years of perfecting his craft, that dream is slowly coming into fruition. At 22 he’s touring, travelling abroad, and linking with artists among the likes of Jay1, AJ Tracey, Pa Salieu and A Boogie With A Hoodie—all the while building international avenues for himself and other Australian acts.
The meteoric success of “Mbappe” and “Dubai” have made him one of the most talked about youngsters in the country. Alongside artists like Kahukx and Mason Dane, he’s part of the emerging class of Australian rappers ready to take our idiosyncratic sound international—all with one foot in the door already.
Despite DAY1’s success, he still feels he has much more to achieve. His latest releases “Have You Ever?” and “Mr Lucky” are pit stops on the road to the release of his debut mixtape coming in the near future.
Speaking to Complex AU, DAY1 takes a breather and reflects on life, collaborating with international artists, and adjusting to his newfound eminence.
2022 was a huge year for you, “Dubai” and “Mbappe” were both massive. How’s 2023 been so far?
This year’s been good. I just came back from some time overseas. Me and my team have been trying to put Australia in people's heads overseas, because I think [we] really get overlooked. This year I’m just trying to build the scene here up more, and give it more exposure overseas too. I’m also working on a mixtape at the moment and I’m really focused on that—I really want to make a statement with it. Everyone thinks the Australian hip-hop scene is dead, but I really want to change that perspective.
Will it just be you on the mixtape, or are you planning on having some local and international features?
I can't say too much now, but I definitely want to get some local artists on, maybe Hooligan Heffs if anything. But yeah, international artists as well.
You made some music with JAY1 this year and were in the UK recently. I saw you linked with Pa Salieu too and a bunch of others. I know you can't say much, but are there songs on the way with them?
Yeah definitely, 100%. All the people I linked with I made a song with.
I know one of your most recent releases, “Have You Ever?”, took inspiration from 50 Cent. What are some other influences you draw upon in your music? Or does DAY1 just do what he feels like doing?
When I started making music I was heavily influenced by artists like A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, PNB Rock, and Speaker Knockerz—I like their sound a lot. Now that I've been doing music for much longer, I’ve kind of transitioned into my own unique sound. But I think Lil Baby’s sick, and Lil Durk too. I like that style of music. Sonically they sound nice to me.
Not too long ago rap wasn't your full time job. Now you get paid to travel, perform, and make music with some of the best artists in the game. What has the adjustment to this new lifestyle been like?
Ah, it's still a spinner. Ever since I was young I’ve been so determined and focused. In terms of my lifestyle, there’s a lot that’s changed, and there’s been a lot of changes I’ve had to make within myself because I really want to make a difference. It's pretty spinner meeting all these people, but I don't fan out. Although I’ll be honest, at the start when I met A Boogie, I couldn't even speak. But these guys are exactly like me—their grind is the same. Most artists I’ve met have been very humble as well, and they’ve all given me different bits of advice.
What’s some of the advice you’ve been given? And who gave it to you?
AJ Tracey gave me a lot of words. He said, “If you wanna do music, just stick to it. Just keep being consistent.”
In terms of transitioning into your new lifestyle, what were some of the major adjustments you had to make?
Probably just keeping out of trouble. At the end of the day, a lot of people rely on me. A lot of people believe in me, my family included—so it would be selfish if I got into trouble or reacted to things out of anger. Knowing I have people who rely on me is motivating, it keeps me out of trouble.
I can only imagine. As you get more successful, it might seem like you can get away with more, but in reality it’s a slippery slope.
Yeah, like I can't really do things I used to—I can't. Everything I do has to be calculated, everything's got to be smart. Everything's got to be for the dream, you know.
It would be remiss of us not to ask, where did the name DAY1 come from?
I chose it because I admire the characteristics of a day one—someone who’s a real one, someone who’s always there for you, someone who’s loyal and someone who you respect. People I’ve known forever and even people I meet now have always said I have those characteristics, it’s just a thing that’s stuck with me.
So you’re a proper day one—is that what you want your listeners to gather from your music?
Yeah! Literally, (laughs). When people listen to my music I want them to think, “Yeah, I respect this guy, I respect what he's doing. I understand what he's doing. He’s a real one.” Because that's who I am. I don’t fake it. I wouldn’t have picked any other name.
