Self-described ’90s backpacker, Jay iLLa has dabbled in all four elements of hip-hop culture but finally found his calling with two turntables and a mixer after a long infatuation with being an emcee. Under the tutelage of DJ Shaun T, Jay was able to make a respectable name for himself in the Chicago nightlife scene.
It was legendary DJ, and personal inspiration for iLLA, The Twilite Tone who rechristened him as “Jay iLLaNOise.” With his new moniker, Jay became “The William Wallace of the Go” fighting for musical freedom and pushing his crates to the limit no matter what party he rocked. His other inspirations include; DJ Jazzy Jeff, Mick and D-Nice.
iLLa has rocked events for iconic celebrities such as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Jay Z, and Kanye West to name a few. He has also been blessed to spin for such companies as Bon Appetit magazine, Crown Royal, Sprite, Barcardi USA, Don Julio, Courvoisier and others. Jay currently has a Web series called “Don’t Sweat The Technic” that takes a behind the scenes look into the life of a Chicago based DJ. His ability to go old school to new with seamless transitions is a lost art in today’s DJ world, but if you ask him — it’s just hip-hop.
Welcome to Chicago’s iLLaNOise!
Check out Jay’s picks after the jump.
– tj armour / @tjarmour
