ILLmind

"Yo, that's my mans Illmind. He got the ill beats!" Guru of Gangstarr "Sparse is the aesthetic for ILLmind's remixes, which set out to do more with less: techno boops, ticking drums, laid-back bass lines, three or four notes from a guitar or keyboard. ILLmind's minimalism makes Jay-Z sound almost nonchalant." NY Times "So far as I know, the only thing this character has released are these remixes (WRONG!), but that's okay, because this is one of the hidden treasures of the bunch. I like the consistency in production, and unlike a lot of the mixes, he makes them sound like his own tracks, as opposed to a guy who slapped acapellas over his beats. The work is reminiscent of Jay Dee and Madlib, and their collaborative project Jaylib." www.NME.com Born and raised in Newark, NJ, producer extraordinaire Illmind is out on a mission to fill the void on whats missing in the way hip-hop sounds in our present day. Growing up in an environment surrounded by music, his father kept artists like Stevie Wonder, Sly and The Family Stone, Herbie Hancock, and Minnie Riperton, along with a slew of other jazz, funk, and soul records, in constant rotation. At the age of 6, little Illmind started messing with his fathers drum set, trying to mimic his fathers movements and patterns. As he played, he slowly picked up his sense of musical rhythm. At the age of 13, Illmind took his fascination of music to the next level. Fortunate enough to have access to his fathers Roland KR-4500 keyboard, he started creating his own riffs and songs using presets with midi. Today, along with the same dusty records his father used to play, armed with a Korg Triton, ASR10, Emu Emulator II, Akai s1000, and an Akai Reel To Reel, Illmind is ready to prove to the world that he is no ordinary beatmaker. Illmind got his first taste of songmaking when he collaborated with long time friend, and mc Jaeon (www.jaeon.com). Slowly starting a following amongst Jaeon and his crew the Black Lung Brothers, the demand for Illmind beats steadily increased. Through word of mouth, Illmind linked up with Jersey hip-hop artists Organic Thoughts (www.organicthoughts.com) and became their official beatmaker. Via www.undergroundhiphop.com, he posted snippets of some of his beats and quickly became a producer favorite on the site. He also gained a spot to perform in Philly at the Beatsociety Live event, where 4 producers with their beatmachines, load beats and showcase them to the crowd. He had the opportunity to rock with 88-keys, Kanye West, Fury, and Dj Jay-Ski, and was also dubbed that nights best kept secret, gaining respect from 88 keys and the R.O.C.s own Kanye West himself.

Stevie Wonder, Pete Rock, Jay-Dee, Primo, and everything I grew up listening to.

Ensoniq ASR-10, Korg Triton, Emu Emulator II, Akai Reel To Reel 4000D, Akai s20, Akai s1000, Fender Rhodes

Last Poets, Dead Prez, Common 12" PANTHERS COMMING SOON! (audio snippets available at www.hiphosite.com) Akrobatik 12" REMIND MY SOUL OUT NOW! (www.akrobatik.com) Organic Thoughts 12" BE ALRIGHT (feat. Prince Po of Organized Konfuzion) OUT NOW! Organic Thoughts LP "Purest Form" OUT NOW! (www.organicthoughts.com) Grand Agent's "Fish Outta Water" Remix album OUT NOW! feat. Illmind, Pete Rock, Kev Brown, J Rawls, Geology, and more! (www.beatsociety.com) Strange Fruit LP "Soul Travellin'" OUT NOW! (www.strangefruitproject.com) Jay-Z "The Black & Tan" ILLmind Remix album available for download here! For updated news on Illmind go to www.illmind.net