Next-Gen Sensation Inkabee is Cleared for Takeoff

Noongar Wongi rapper Inkabee has already done more in his 12 years on the planet than many manage in a whole career.

The young prodigy beamed into millions of households on season 19 of America’s Got Talent, where he performed alongside his dad and fellow artist Flewnt. To a panel of judges that included Heidi Klum and Simon Cowell, the father-son duo made it to the quarterfinals.

But now they’re back Down Under, reconnecting with the team at JD Sports for the latest Jordan ‘Destined for Flight’ campaign.

It’s foreshadowing a huge year for the soon-to-be teenage sensation in which he’s set to explore new styles and sounds. After establishing a reputation for bars and boom-bap beats, Inkabee has spent time “focusing on [his] vocals” and has some “love ballads” on the way.

The new era of Inkabee will kick off with “[SINGLE NAME]”, accompanied by a music video that flexes his acting skills.

“We went to this sick train track, under an old bridge in Naarm. It’s a freight train line, so it wasn’t busy, but it’s up on old stilts,” Inkabee tells Complex Australia.

“It had this amazing view. The song’s about falling, so we filmed with a green screen to make it look like we were falling through the sky.”

Ahead of his starring role in JD Sports’ ‘Destined for Flight’ campaign, Inkabee sat down with Complex Australia to reflect on a busy few years and a look at what’s up next.

Inkabee, thank you for making time to chat. How were your holidays? Did you get some time off to relax?
Yeah, yeah. I got lots of time to relax. We went crabbing, and just spent a lot of time out doing cool things.

Beautiful. Good time of the year for crabbing?
Yeah, on my country, there’s lots of crabs at this time of year. We caught lots.

What do you have coming up?
I've got lots of new music coming out. I’ve been developing my sound and getting into lots of R&B. I’ve been focusing on my vocals a lot lately— teenage love songs, lots of that type of stuff. I’m trying to get into the love ballads. I’ve been listening to a lot of Brent Faiyaz and Daniel Caesar.

2024 was such a massive year for you. What was the highlight for you?Definitely America’s Got Talent. It was my first time going overseas, so just being there was crazy. Meeting all these cool, really talented people—it was just amazing.

Can you explain how that came together? How did you go from school all the way to California doing America’s Got Talent?
I actually had a class over there, so I was still doing school. I kept up with all my schoolwork. It was a juggle, but I managed to do it.

I think the first thing everyone wants to know when they see that show is what Simon Cowell is like.
He seems pretty scary, but I think he’s my favourite judge out of them all. He’s the most honest one, you know? He really tells you if you’re good or bad, and I appreciate that.

It must have been so cool making a mark in the United States so early in your career, especially as rappers from here. How did you find America?
People really love how different our accent is. It’s just real different over there. It helps you stand out. When I went, everyone just stops you—strangers in the street—because of the accent. They love it. They think it’s so cool.

Your big debut at the Borloo Block Party in 2023—that was your first live performance. I wanted to ask about that because the video I saw looked so cool. Everyone seemed so excited. How did you feel before you went on stage? Were you nervous, or was it just pure excitement?

Well, I actually had a little bit of both. Like, an hour before, I was super excited, but as it got closer, I got a little bit more nervous. When I got up there, though, it all went away—lots of energy.

It sounds like the atmosphere was amazing.
Yeah, it was one of my favourite performances because of the atmosphere. Lots of people were real hyped up.

Do you enjoy playing in front of really energetic crowds?
Yeah, 100%. The big energy crowds are the best. The more energy they give me, the more I give back.

How has working with JD Sports influenced your style?
Clothing and sneakers are a big thing for me—I love my shoes. JD Sports has really helped shape my style and my image.

I feel like you've been rocking a lot of Jordan brand for a while, right?
Well, yeah, JD Sports gave me this really cool set—like, a whole thing that matched. It was a Jordan light-blue jersey and shorts, and shoes.

The set was this big fake airplane. It was like flying in the sky—that was the idea. They even had me in one of the service trolleys, you know, like, pretending to serve people. It was sick! And I met lots of people—made lots of friends there too, kids my age.

What did you enjoy most about that experience?
Mainly just meeting all the people there, you know, and getting all the clothes. That was really good. But, like, making friends—that was a really great experience for me.

It’s not uncommon for rappers to branch out beyond music. You’re already doing fashion and a bit of modeling. Is there anything else you’d like to try one day?
Definitely acting, man. Acting would be sick. I’d love to be in a movie. That’d be crazy.

You’ve done a bit of acting in your music videos already, right?
Yeah, I like seeing the words in my songs acted out. They make your lyrics come to life on screen, and that’s so sick to see.

Do you have any big goals for 2025?
I’d love to go someplace cool, like Mexico, or somewhere it snows. I’ve never seen snow before, so that’d be amazing. I’d love to perform in Mexico, too—that’d be crazy.