Illijam was raised in Allentown, PA, and discovered his love for music early on in life. A percussionist by craft; however, he always had an affinity for the drum-driven genres of rap and hip-hop.  Illijam was raised in a fairly well-off, middle class, suburban family. Although, as is often the case with those who grow up so fortunate, Illijam realized that having material wealth did not amount to 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. The Lord began to work in Illijam's heart in the summer of 2008, revealing to Him how God is to be the Christian's exceeding joy (Psalm 43:4). By God's grace he began to see Jesus as utterly beautiful & satisfying, and became convinced that his purpose in life was to encourage others to "count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord" (Philippians 3:8).  This sentiment is the focal point of Illijam's music, and is the inspiration for the movement he champions: "Count It Loss". To the end of encouraging others to treasure Jesus above all else, Illijam creates and performs hip-hop music!