Kairi QuirinoJoji is a name known across the music world, producing songs that pull the heartstrings of those with a troubled past with relationships. Since his first song, “Will He,” in 2017, Joji has entered the mainstream music industry, garnering millions of views on YouTube and performing in massive concerts such as Coachella. However, some fans of his music may not have known that his journey as a creator didn’t start in 2017. Joji’s story begins in 2011 using the user name DizastaMusic, known to most as George Miller. Many don’t know of the many rebirths of personas and the creation of alter-egos before making a name like Joji.
Who is “FilthyFrank?”
On August 5, 2011, Miller uploaded a video crudely titled “Filthy Shit,” where he wore a blue button-up t-shirt brandishing a notable front pocket and glasses, telling a story of what the title suggests. In future videos, this short video would start with the character Miller named Filthy Frank. Since creating the persona, he would make more skits surrounding Filthy Frank, most of the time being ridiculously crass. Filthy Frank was one of many “alter-egos.” Since creating Frank, Miller would create other characters creatively called Pink Guy, Salamander Man, and Chin Chin.
The crude creative would receive several strikes for using copyrighted music and offensive slapstick. The backlash led Miller to repurpose his second channel to what will be forever known as TVFilthyFrank. There, on this additional platform, he would step up his humor. Joji creates a comically complex plotline where an evil fake clone replaces Filthy Frank with Pink Guy, trying to save him. He would also frequently collaborate with several online creators like MaxMoeFoe, Anything4Views, and iDubbbz. Yet, George would dabble in creating music during this jump between channels.
The Birth of Joji
On May 23, 2014, Miller dropped an explicit mixtape titled Pink Guy with 23 tracks under his persona. It became a massive success, and he produced an entire album called Pink Season with an additional 35 tracks. With how acclaimed these two titles were, Miller teamed up with 88rising to create a remix album titled Pink Season: The Prophecy with remixes from artists like Axel Boy and Getter.
Miller’s journey under his Frank alter ego would soon come to an interrupted end as his lack of interest and neurological health issues increased. So, he would return to 88rising to create a single, “Will He,” under his Japanese name, Joji. When he transitioned from a foul-mouth jokester to a professional singer, Joji worried that he peaked in his “Frank” era and would never find a fanbase. To his surprise, his track would be a hit, getting millions of plays across streaming platforms.
Many people feel nostalgic about Miller’s Filthy Frank era. However, they have concluded that he is happier producing music than constantly pushing the limits of YouTube’s increasingly strict guidelines. Even though it has been almost seven years since his last upload to the TVFilthyFrank channel, Joji’s diehard fans will never forget his creations as a form of high art.
Works Cited
VICE News. “The Viral Mastermind Behind The Harlem Shake Meme Wrote An Album About Heartbreak (HBO).” YouTube, November 3, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdaRIH_atZA. Accessed February 8, 2024.
Vox. “Filthy Frank fans made us do this.” YouTube, December 25, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJJ90qpzark. Accessed February 8, 2024.