NEXT WAVE: Illa J, The Illest
Written By: Tamiko Hope
lla J is ill, as in dope. The rapper, composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer, has always been possessed by music - rhyming it, singing it, playing it and making it. An all-encompassing prolific musician with a deep reverence for the culture, he has only recently become aware of his own potential. The youngest of his collective siblings, Illa J’s childhood was filled with love and music.
The family patriarch played the piano and upright bass, while the matriarch was a singer and both sets of Illa J’s paternal grandparents played the piano. His older brother is the late hip-hop visionary J Dilla, hence the semblance in his stage moniker, who was known for his innovative production and prolific mic skills that continue to be dissected and duplicated till this day.
Born and raised in working-class Detroit, Illa J grew up in a household that placed a great emphasis on values such as community, consistency and creativity, which drove him to have an undeniable focus in his professional and personal pursuits. He mastered the piano by learning how to read music at an early age however being musically-inclined was baked into his DNA.
He grew up listening to classic records his parent’s played; from Motown icons like James Brown, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, to exclusive a cappella jazz groups such as The Manhattan Transfer and Les Double Six. These diverse genres had a significant impact on Illa J’s career, broadening his own musical roots. He has taken his job of pushing musicianship forward, bridging the gap between Gen Xers and Millennials, very seriously.
An electrifying and uncompromising live entertainer, the brilliant MC’s gifts have taken him all over the globe making him a transatlantic success with a loyal fanbase that spans from London and Italy to Germany and Japan. Yet despite his credentialed resume, headlining his own tours as well as touring with Slum Village and opening for Talib Kweli and having his name appear alongside Miles Davis on the collaborative Robert Glasper single “They Can’t Hold Me Down,” Illa J is an emerging artist in the States. His desire for recognition within his homeland began to manifest itself in 2017 when he delivered the album Home that featured the single “Sam Cook.” Illa J performed the Motown-esque arrangement for his COLORS BERLIN segment where he flexed his singing and rapping chops over a pre-recorded instrumental. This artistic fine-tuning and attention to detail can be experienced on his latest offering No Traffic, which references how he feels about his place in rap. “I’ve created my own lane in hip-hop, even though my reach extends far beyond the genre. I play all of the instruments you hear; I don’t sample anything. I come from a well-respected legacy and I authentically care about the music. I follow my gut and keep it pushing.”
On the lead single of the same name, what started out as simply an intro by Frank-n-Dank talking their talk, Illa J was so moved by their vocal contribution that he felt compelled to build a beat around it and add his own lyrical heat. No Traffic is an exquisite, magical and spiritual sound revolution that’s delivered with authenticity at the highest level. It’s equally inspirational and vibey with Illa J dropping clever gems that are guaranteed to produce smiles and an aura of feel-good positivity. An amalgamation of soul, jazz, funk, rap and everything in between, Illa J is pushing boundaries and buttons. “For me, music is a vibe; a universal language that everybody can relate to. That’s how it should be defined.” Period.
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