ILL-LIFE is a rapper that produces himself, and for his inner circle. Hailing from South Rockville MD., he was born in Silver Spring MD., January 11th, 1982 on a Monday night at 9:00 p.m. He began showcasing his creative prowess from day one. He taught himself how to read at age 4, and he wrote a lot; stories, poems, ideas, speeches, and the like. The son of a powerful-minded woman, his mother, ILL-LIFE was destined to turn negative energy into positive energy via his ingenius creative talents and his ability to respect all walks of life. His mother raised him exclusively on her own, and instilled upon him her moral beliefs. She was able to create almost anything from virtually nothing, given the fact that no father was there to raise the young one. The kid believed in a dream, a dream of life. She re-inforced that factor and raised him to believe, "You can do anything you put your mind to".


At age 9 he learned to read musical notes and played the violin, (he to this day can still be found writing his own form of musical notes prior to composing a beat). ILL-LIFE wrote his first song at age 11. At age 12 in 1994 he began freestyling almost daily, (which he learned from older peers in middle school). He began rebelling, and wound up getting locked up that same year. It was hard but he believed in "The Dream" now more than ever. Sitting in algebra class at age 14 he wrote his first song in rap format, (because he and a friend kept getting kicked out for freestyling out loud). A born leader, ILL-LIFE was never able to take orders from anyone who preached anything he did not firmly believe in or what he thought was ill-logical. From that point on the seeds for his future success in Hip-Hop music were planted.


Over a hundred songs written and two years later, ILL-LIFE's first production talent emerged in early 1998. He and a friend grabbed a tiny toy plastic piano and a 24 dollar drum machine, added a 9 dollar microphone, and put words written and freestyle, over basic homemade drum loops, (early "beats") which they would go on to record onto cassette tapes. ILL-LIFE's first big studio session came in the summer of 2000. Then another in 2001. Unhappy with the price of beats and many thousands of dollars later, he used "hustle money" to build a professional studio in a vacant bedroom inside his mother's house. By early 2002 he began seriously working on production using his Triton 88-key Pro-X synth, his MPC2000XL, two turntables, a "Blue" condenser mic, and Pro-Tools LE digi 001 to master his artform: rapping and producing, (and eventually engineering). ILL-LIFE is a member of The Verse 4 Verse Crew and heads 2-SET Productions.


In 2007 between May and June, ILL-LIFE's song "Sexxxshual Muzzick" went number 1, nine weeks in a row on 5 Dutch radio charts out in Europe.118 songs recorded, an album released in January '07, "THA LEGEND"; in 2008 the "L.I.F.E. The Prequel Vol. 0" mixtape; in Jan. '09 the "L.I.F.E. The Prequel Vol. 1" mixtape released; and the "L.I.F.E. Living Ill For Eternity" LP coming early 2010, the future looks bright for ILL-LIFE. He has NOTHING to lose but his own self of being in the physical form here on Earth. ILL-LIFE's crew Verse4Verse just inked a record deal with tunrecords, and himself and the crew are in the studio recording a group album set for release this winter. Verse4Verse has a distribution deal with TUnrecords and you will be able to buy their cd's in Best Buy soon.


ILL-LIFE has something to say: "I would like to thank God, Jesus Christ, my Mother, and my big brother Ken. Utmost respect goes out to my Mother, my Grandmother, my brother Ken, my sister Carolyn, Hasani Lateef, Lee Majorz, Struxx Denali, Mic Mountain, Erie Ave, Chuck Montana, Jennie, Sexcess, Divine, The Underground Nation, Aisha Sade, Stalker, the whole Verse 4 Verse Crew, and of course Kool Herc for giving birth to Hip-Hop. Thank you to all who inspired me to achieve and succeed, I would not be where I am today without my true friends. Thanks to all who stayed honest and kept it real with me, and to all who believe in my creative ability and all afilliated with tha Verse 4 Verse movement. The world is ours. I love ya'll. REST IN PEACE TO MY BABYGURL ELLEN A.K.A. LIL' E, I will love you constantly untill I get there, save a seat for me, you will remain strong in my heart forever. To tha rest, no stress, just one love to all who are positive and to all who keep Hip-Hop culture alive. This is all we got, they can't take this from us!!! Peace and God-Bless!!! Big-Up Europe!!!" And ILL-LIFE welcomes you to his world, as he steps off with a confident smile...;)