 Tell our readers, where your from..
PORTLAND OREGON... LAND OF THE BIG TREE LOL
Where did your name originate from?
ITS ACTUALLY EGYPTIAN... LOVE ANCIENT EGYPT, WELL HISTORY IN GENERAL, ESPECIALLY ANCIENT EGYPT.
What is a typical day like for you?
GRIND... SMOKE... GRIND... SMOKE... AND A LITTLE MORE GRINDING.
Other then music what do you do to make that paper?
UMMMM... I DONT KNOW IF I CAN WRITE ABOUT ALL THAT LOL. NAH I’VE GOT A BLOG THAT I RUN, ILLABABY.COM. I ALSO HELP FOLKS THROW EVENTS, I THROW EVENTS, JUS KINDA USE MY ACCESS TO THE INDUSTRY TO GET AHEAD IN OTHER AREAS OF THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS.
When did you first become introduced to hip-hop?
ACTUALLY MY DAD. SWEAR TO GOD I DIDNT EVEN LIKE HIPHOP WHEN I WAS A LITTLE KID. THOUGHT IS DEROGATORY TOWARDS BLACK FOLKS, AND I WANTED KNOW PART IN BRINGING DOWN OUR RACE LOL... THEN MY DAD STARTS BUMPIN IT LOL.
MY POPS IS A VER ECLECTIC MUSIC LISTENER, BUT HE WAS MOSTLY IN TO CLASSIC SOUL AND THEN QUINCY JONES BROUGHT HIM OVER INTO HIPHOP. I WOULD GET IN THE CAR WHEN I WAS YOUNGER AND HE’D BE BUMPIN GHETTO BOYS OR SOMETHIN. SO THAT QUICKLY CHANGED MY THOUGHTS ON HIPHOP AND I EMMERSED MY SELF WITH THE SOUND. I HAD ALWAYS WROTE POETRY WHEN I WAS YOUNG SO WHEN I HEARD KIDS RAPPIN IN LIKE MIDDLE SCHOOL I WAS LIKE DAMN... THIS IS ALL IT IS YO... I MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THIS BOYYYYY LOL. SO I STARTED RAPPIN AND POPS WAS LIKE YAHHHH MAN LOL.
Coming up who were your influences in music?
LIKE I SAID I WAS REALLY INTO SOUL MUSIC CAUSE OF POPS, SO A LOT OF MY INFLUENCES CAME FROM THAT ERA AND PRIOR. REALLY LOVED JAMES BROWN, JOHN COLTRANE, CHARLIE BIRD, JIMI HENDRIX, GIL SCOTT HERON... I THINK YOU GET THE PICTURE.
What artists/people in your life intrigued you to get into the business?
WELL JUS PEOPLE I WAS AROUND. EVERYBODY WAS JUS LIKE LETS DO THIS
How would you describe your style?
UMMM THATS REALLY HARD TO DO. I JUS KINDA DO EVERYTING I GUESS. SHIT HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE IT LOL.
What artists are you currently working with?
UMM JUS A LOT OF UNDERGROUND CATZ... WELL NOT REALLY I DONT DO A LOT OF COLLABS ACTAULLY.
Who would you enjoy to work with?
MAN... I DONT KNOW A GANG OF PEOPLE. DRAKE, NAS, WIZ KHALIFA, SOULDA BOY, DAVID GUETTA, KANYE WEST, STEVE AOKI, KID CUDI, ETC ETC ETC... I COULD REALLY GO ON AND ON.
Tell us about your current projects?
UMMMM FUUUUCK... I DONT EVEN KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN. I GOT THE “iLLA freEP” (SLASH EP CAUSE IM SELL IT TOO LOL... GET PAID). THATS ONE OF MY MAIN FOCUSES RIGHT NOW. I THINK IT’S REALLY GONNA THROW PEOPLE FOR A LOOP, I HOPE IN A GOOD WAY, BUT STILL ITS THE FURTHEST STRETCH I’VE MADE TOWARDS “POP/ELECTRONIC” MUSIC, WORKING WITH A COUPLE OF PRODUCERS ON THIS MAKIN THEM INTERNATIONAL GOGO PULL YA BITCHES PANTIES OFF WHILE SWEET TALKIN HER MOMS SHIT LOL.
I MEAN I LOVE HIPHOP TO THE DEATH, BUT EVEN STILL IM AN ARTIST AT THE END OF THE DAY AND I WANT TO DO WHAT THE FUCK I WANNA DO LOL. THEN I GOT “MY DIGITAL ROMANCE” WHICH ACTUALLY DROP BEFORE THE “iLLA freEP” I THINK?? BUT ITS A GOOD MIX OF THE SINGSONG SHIT AND THE RAPPIN, MY MAN STUEY VUITTON PRODUCED THE WHOLE JUMP OFF. VERY VERY TALENTED INDIVIDUAL, AHH YES YES MY YOUNG PADWAN LOL.
NAH HES DOPE AND I THINK THE TWO STYLES ON THE PROJECT MESH WELL, ME BEING THE VOCALIST AND HIM BEING THE PRODUCER. THEN THERES THIS MOXIE BLACK SHIT I JUS PUT OUT OVER THE SUMMER. THAT WAS A PRETTY DIFFERENT PROJECT AS WELL, WITH THIS PRODUCER NAMED DEKK. ITS BEEN GOIN PRETTY HARD GETTIN SOME GOOD LOOKS. YA KNOW JUS GRINDIN.
What one reason would your fans say separates you from the norm?
UMMMM HAVE YOU LISTENED TO ME?? I NEVER STAY THE SAME... ITS KINDA A BLESSING AND A CURSE BUT YOU CAN NEVER SAY iLLA ON THAT SAME SHIT AS LAST YEAR... SHIT OR LAST MONTH EVEN LOL.
What shows do you currently have lined up for this summer?
WELL SUMMER IS OVER. BUT I GOT SOME SHIT COMIN UP IN NY, WORKIN ON THE 2011 CALENDAR. TRYIN TO DO A LOT OF FESTIVALS AND BIGGER JUMPS YA MEAN.
What would you say makes you different than the average recording artist...
I DONT KNOW. I MEAN WE ALL RECORD, SO DO WHAT WE LIKE SOME DO WHAT WERE TOLD? I WOULD LIKE TO THINK I DO WHAT THE FUCK I LIKE. BUT SHIT... WHO AM I KIDDIN’ IM TRYIN TO GET PAID TOO YAMEAN... GOTTA PLAY BY THE RULES JUS A LITTLE MON.
What's currently in your CD/MP3 player?
A LOT OF THIS NIGGA NAMES iLLA, HES KINDA FUCKIN TIGHT LOL. NAH IM SLAPPIN SOME COOL KIDS, DRAKE, WEEZY, THE CURE, RADIO HEAD, BLAH BLAH IM ALL OVER
What’s your formula, how do you come up with the concepts for your material?
MAN.. USUALLY THINK ABOUT WHILE IM FLYIN AROUND. I FLY A FUCKIN LOT. SO PLENTY OF TIME TO SPACE THE FUCK OUT AND THINK.
Where do you see yourself in the industry in the next 5 years?
SHIT ITS ANYONES GAME. I JUS WANNA MAKE A NAME FOR MYSELF. NEXT 5 I SEE MY MAKIN THAT NAME.
Where do you see the industry in 5 to 10 years?
HA... NIGGA BEAMIN SIGNALS TO MARS SELLIN SPACE TIME TO ARTIST TO ADVERTISE TO THE UNIVERSE LOL.
What final words do you have for our community and the prospects of hip hop?
MAN BIG UPS TO MY TEAM AT COAST2COAST MIXTAPES/MANAGEMENT. UZI I SEE YOU, BANGBROTHAZ, SYNTHPHONY, STUEY VUITTON, DEKK, ILLABABY ENTERTAINMENT STAND THE FUCK UP. PORTLAND WE IN THIS BITCH... WELL WE IN MIAMI SO COME VISIT ME LOL. UNIVERSAL, TOMMY BOY, EMI, DEF JAM SCREAM AT ME AGAIN.. LETS DO BUISNESS LOL
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