The month of February has been filled with nothing short of the celebration of black girl magic and black boy joy. Kicking the month off with that vibe, I got to sit down and chop it up with The Boy Illinois just minutes before his first headliner performance of 2018, in his home-town Chicago. From reminiscing on the positive childhood nostalgia that comes along with growing up on the “east side” of Chicago to discussing some of his musical influences including the King of Pop Michael Jackson to Al Jarreau, it is clear that the Windy City has yet another talented gem ready to share his skills with the rest of the world.
His unique articulation of his artistic style he explained as, “conscious- commercial… like when you slip medicine inside the regular food for the baby so they don’t know it’s in there… I like to drop little hints and messages… as many times as you listen to it, you might catch it later…But it’s in there for you to get it.” When asked what he wanted people to leave saying, he replied, “that boy good.”
He gave an energetic performance and rocked the crowd with songs off of his latest project, “Windy”, including “King, Me” feat. Chai Tulani and violinist, Windy Indie and “FootWork”, featuring Chicago-bred tap dancer Djedi.
Well, mission accomplished Illinois. That boy good. Check out the full interview and performance clips in the video below:
