Milson is not just another name in the mix, he’s someone you vibe to without understanding him. Most people know him for D&B where he has made quite the name for himself, that is the surface level and the sound that introduces him, but there is far more beneath that. He has real range and an insane amount of versatility, the kind that can’t be manufactured, the kind that comes from lived experience as opposed to imitation.
Milson has faced hardships that he doesn’t speak about, no public statements, no attempts to gain sympathy, and no need for attention. He keeps it to himself and channels it into his music. That is why it connects the way it does. There is so much natural emotion and honesty in it. That kind of authenticity cannot be replicated.
What separates him further is his versatility. While D&B may be what people associate him with, he’s not confined to it. His creative ability stretches so far beyond just a D&B. He experiments, he adapts, and he proves that he is capable of much more than what people might expect. That willingness to grow is an incredible sight to witness, especially knowing what’s to come!
At this stage, Milson is working on a project that feels significant. It is still early, but there is clear intention behind it. This is not just another release, it’s a statement of who he is and where he is heading so sit back and enjoy. He’s about to show the world why he deserves recognition at the highest level.
Beyond the music, his character stands out just as much. Milson is present for the people around him. He supports his friends without hesitation, uplifts local businesses, and shows genuine respect to other artists. He gives back to his community in a way that is natural with no force or performative behaviour. Someone who gives without expecting anything in return, someone who continues to support others even while working towards his own goals. That speaks to his values and the way he carries himself.
His “I’ve made it” moment is approaching, and when that moment comes, it won’t only reflect his journey, but also everyone who has supported him along the way. It will make sense.
In a time where shopping online is as easy as finding Shein clothing at the charity shop, I advocate that you don’t sit and swipe on your phone; at least, not for your groceries. This is not an anti-phone tirade. We have all already heard those to death, and while I do have a stance, that you can probably imply, I don’t need to say it. In this article, I am not advocating for taking your brain back, switching to a dumb phone, or any of those new wave woo-woo (scientifically proven) activities. I am advocating for the love of grocery stores! For the beauty of finding a new favourite food in an unexpected place. For uncovering the secrets hidden between the frozen peas and mini yorkshire puddings.
Every time I enter a new city, whether I am visiting, have a kitchen, have just eaten or am more ravenous than the whale that ate Jonah, I love going to the grocery store. Any of them! To me, this run-of-the-mill building reveals what I could otherwise never understand in just a day. The store is anthropology without trying, selling the everyday items of whatever culture I’ve come across: the food, fashions, alcohols, reality. Is there a fresh bread section? Are there strange fish? Cute pastries? What are the popular chocolates? There is so much to learn about a people, a culture, even the specific place just by going to the grocery store.
In a city where 15.4% of us don’t have English as their main language, that is still over 37 thousand people (Southampton.gov 2022). Even then, 31% of school students had a first language other than English. Finally, 41% of births in Southampton in 2022 were to women who had not been born in the UK (Southampton.gov 2022). While I bet some of them were cruise ship emergencies, that is an amazing number! This city has culture, and it has cultures. Both are good to explore, whether you are born and raised English, twenty generations back, or just showed up a couple years ago, like me.
The Thai festival last year exploded from the year before, with a gazebo with a few stalls and performances turning into a full on, park encompassing, gated off, party town. Just a year before, the cleaning professional in my dorm had invited me. At that time the Thait festival was a small celebration in Palterston Park, with acts, food, and a good crowd, but nothing compared to the lines outside the gate a year later. Culture in this city is exciting! And what is more exciting, is the grocery store that accompanies it! Asian Supermarket off of Castle Way and Bargate Street can show you culture all the time, and maybe make you expand your palate, with Triple A Cafe sitting on the first floor. The Italian grocery, M3 Market, sits next to the Polish, Delikatesy Smaczek, just south of Vincents Walk, and all three have given me food I never would have tried before (and a place to wander on a rainy day). All of these places are run by locals, sharing their culture and creating a hub for the cultural diaspora in our city.
I’ll tell you a secret, I once went to one grocery twice in a day just for cake, and it was the same cashier! In the moment, it was embarrassing for the cashier to call me out! But now, I laugh about it. It is not bad to love a local business, they will love you back for it. On the other hand, I once bought food from another cultural grocery store that I hated. It just was not my cup of tea, but I still go back and try new things that I end up buying again and again. I have not been to Italy or Poland yet, but through these local businesses I know a bit about the culture, or at least the minority culture that has created new cuisines (like spaghetti and meatballs or gumbo). I enjoy my days when I can have a nice wander around the aisles, see the food I would never have known, and maybe try some. I bought a huge hunk of the best butter I ever had, just to try something new, and now I faint at the thought of going back to regular Lidl butter. These are foods that people eat, not just restaurant staples: they embody the authenticity we are all searching for, without the struggle between engaging in a new culture and treating it as a commodity. While I am definitely not Italian, Polish, Thai, I can still feel the honesty and the joy of these places through knowing what they eat.
Swiping on your phone is easy, getting someone else to buy your groceries is easy. You’ll likely save some money, save some time, save save save. As Kurt Vonnegut said, “I…go out to get an envelope because I’m going to have a hell of a good time in the process of buying one envelope. I meet a lot of people… I give them the thumbs up…And, what the computer people don’t realise, or don’t care, is we’re dancing animals. You know, we love to move around.” Dance around! See the grocery store! Say hi to the clerk even if you’re buying a second piece of cake. You will miss life if you let it go by you, and in Southampton there is so much life to live. So much food to try that expands beyond Lidl’s ‘country of the week.’
Stretch your legs, stretch your curiosity, experience culture. Go to the grocery store.
Sources: Ethnicity, Language, Identity. 2025. Southampton Census. https://data.southampton.gov.uk/population/ethnicity-language-and-identity/ Filgate, M. 2007. God Bless you, Mr. Vonnegut. God Bless You, Mr. Vonnegut – CBS News R. Gilbert-Jones. 2024. How Authentic Experiences Shape the New Tourism Economy. Skift Research. How Authentic Experiences Shape the New Tourism Economy – Skift Research
Growing our community. 