ABOUT ILLIJAM:
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 that 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.
Life is about knowing, enjoying, & prizing Jesus above all else, and reflecting Him to a world in desperate need of Him.
Life has not been easy since Illijam began walking with Jesus. In his junior year of college, the Lord ordained a perplexing, excruciating heartbreak. After 4 years of dating and plans to marry, his then-girlfriend unexpectedly broke things off, and also expressed that she had been having doubts about her faith. Having pointed her to Jesus since early on in her Christian walk, Illijam was doubly heartbroken to lose his anticipated life-partner and not be able to encourage her spiritually. It brought on a whirlwind of spiritual spatial disorientation.
“I know what it feels like to watch a dream die. I know what it feels like to say goodbye to your closest friend.”
Even amid incredible emotional anguish, Jesus sustained & carried Illijam the whole way. On his forthcoming album, he hopes to accurately express the pain he experienced, though in a respectful, God-honoring way, in hopes of encouraging others who are hurting to look to Jesus for comfort. He hopes to comfort others with the comfort God gave him, and affirm that God is sovereign, all-wise, and all-loving in every high and low of life.
