Illijam was born and raised in Allentown, PA & discovered his love for music early on in life. As a member of various concert bands, an indoor drum line, and two marching bands throughout high school & college, Illijam developed a diverse musical taste. A percussionist by craft however, he always had an affinity for the drum-driven genres of Hip-Hop/Rap. Illijam was raised in a fairly well-off, middle class, suburban family. But as is often the case with those who grow up so fortunate, Illijam realized that material wealth did not mean contentment in life. Doesn't it seem that those who suffer want believe that having more will satisfy? And those who have it all know it never does. Seeking to find what life was really about, he perceived that many of the endeavors those around him sought were dead-end streets. It wasn't the pursuit of happiness that was the issue-- just how it was being pursued. From his own experience and observation, no pleasure seemed to last. Jesus began to open Illijam's eyes in the summer of 2008. Having groped around blindly in the dimly-lit realm of passionless religion for years, he finally began to see what life was truly about. The heartbeat of Illijam's life and music is encapsulated in Philippians 3:8, which reads, "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ." #CountItLoss