There are many words that could be used to describe Ray iLLa, but the most fitting among them is confident. That confidence comes with little surprise when he writes, produces, engineers, and directs. Ray iLLa just knows music, and he’s come a long way to get there. Now on track to put out some of the biggest records of his career, it’s only up from here.
Raised in Chicago, Ray iLLa’s roots lie in music, during an interview he mentioned “Everyone in my family either sings or plays an instrument." He started playing the drums and performing in school bands as a child, then went on to start freestyling and recording his own music in high school. Eventually, music became a source of therapy, an outlet; he began recording every day. Soon enough, he performed at the “Chicago Hope” tour alongside other local artists, including Lil Durk, G Herbo, Dreezy, and King Louie, then organized and put on his own “Guerrilla Tourfare” tour through Chicago, St. Louis, Denver, New York, and Atlanta.
Indeed, there’s little that Ray iLLa can’t do, and his goals are ever-expanding. “As of late, I’ve been focused on turning up my visual game,” he says, and he’s certainly caught the rewards of his follow-through. His first self-directed visual “Unique Individual” reached over 190,000 views within the last month. Overall, however, he hopes to improve himself and his craft in all aspects, helping other artists pave their own way as he does it. The core of his career is his love for making music that his listeners can resonate with. Ray iLLa advises others “only pursue it if you really love it,” and with his music, that’s the key.
Watch Ray iLLa’s visual for “Unique Individual” below, and stream his music everywhere (available on Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal). Be sure to follow Ray iLLa on Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube @RayiLLa to keep up with him and his work.