Max Fonrose aka Illlus was 4 years old when he first set eyes on the United States of America. The youngest of nine siblings, he always kept to himself and found refuge in poetry. Poetry lead to rhymes and rhymes became rap.
As a teenager growing up in Maryland, he was exposed to go-go as well as hiphop. Ultimately, he would fall in love with hip-hop music. Being around his big brothers, he would forever be around some form of the hip-hop culture, mainly break-dancin' and poppin'. He always knew that he would be involved in music but was not quite sure how until he heard "I’m Bad", LL Cool J's 1987 hit. He then realized that rhymin and poetry was the perfect way to express himself. Even today, LL Cool J is an individual that he truly respects, not only cause he's multi-talented but he also personifies a rare longevity in the game. Needless to say, Illlus is determined, ambitious, disciplined and will not settle for anything but perfection when it comes to his craft. In addition to that, he manages to stay on top of his game by constantly challenging himself and raising the bar when it comes to his skills as a producer or rapper. When it comes to his style, Illlus is adamant: "I refuse to categorize myself. I make good music that will appeal to generations. I bring originality and versatility to the game. I feel like the game needs that right now." Illlus adds: "I want the underground fans as well as the BET and MTV fans. I feel like I have something to say and I want to touch people like all great artist do."
Five years from now, he definitely sees himself as a successful rap artist but also wants to branch out in various areas such as: fashion, restaurant owner, record label owner (Invazion Entertainment), and film & television: his vision is limitless. From the time he arrived to the USA some twenty years ago, Illlus never looked back. He's not one to forget where he comes from; he rather looks toward where he's going. This is only the beginning of the story for this Caribbean boy living his dream the American way.
