Miller created The Filthy Frank Show on YouTube in 2011 while he was still living in Japan, gaining recognition for playing oddball characters on the comedy channels "TVFilthyFrank", "TooDamnFilthy", and "DizastaMusic".
The channels, which featured comedy hip hop, rants, extreme challenges, and ukulele and dance performances,[12] are noted for their shock humor and prolific virality.
In late 2017, Miller ended The Filthy Frank Show to pursue a music career under the name "Joji", the Japanese version of his first name.
[15][16] He signed with 88Rising and 12Tone Music Group to release his first two studio albums, Ballads 1 (2018) and Nectar (2020), both of which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and spawned the singles "Slow Dancing in the Dark" and "Sanctuary".
[21] The channel began gaining popularity after his conceptualization of Filthy Frank in 2011, a character Miller described as the anti-vlogger of YouTube.
[24] Miller's channel TVFilthyFrank had many different series, such as "Food" (和食ラップ), "Japanese 101", "Wild Games" and "Loser Reads Hater Comments".
[27] On 27 September 2017, Miller announced the release of his first book, titled Francis of the Filth, which addresses things uncovered in The Filthy Frank Show and serves as a culmination of the series.
[29] On 29 December 2017, Miller released a statement on Twitter explaining that he had stopped producing Filthy Frank content due to both "serious health conditions" and his lack of interest in continuing the show.
[16][30] In September 2018, Miller stated in a BBC Radio 1 interview that he had no choice but to stop producing comedy due to his health condition.
[15] As of 29 December 2017, Joji has ceased production of all Filthy Frank-related content, including Pink Guy music.
[40] Joji began releasing music under 88rising in 2017; the songs "I Don't Wanna Waste My Time" (on 26 April), "Rain on Me" (on 19 July),[41][42][43] and "Will He" (on 17 October).
[44] Miller's debut project under the moniker Joji, an EP titled In Tongues, was released on 3 November 2017 by Empire Distribution.
[49] Miller debuted Ballads 1 under the label 88rising on 26 October 2018, which quickly peaked the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums Chart.
[54][non-primary source needed][55] On 2 March, he performed the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
[67] Joji himself classifies his work as dark love songs, with his 2020 album, Nectar, dissecting cliché tropes and topics.
[68] He has been compared to electronic artist James Blake,[66] whom he has cited as an influence alongside Radiohead, Shlohmo and Donald Glover.
[69] In an interview with Pigeons and Planes, Miller said that his music was inspired by his time growing up in Osaka and by boom bap instrumentals he listened to while attending Canadian Academy.
[70] Most prominently, a video from 2013 ended up starting the Harlem Shake meme, leading to Baauer's eponymous song debuting atop the Billboard Hot 100.