Illy Hits Out At Hip Hop Purists

Aussie hip hop artist Illy has taken aim at the mainstream sceptics in this week's The Drum Media.

Currently promoting his third album Bring It Back, the rapper hit back at criticism he's received for his modern sound and commercial success.

"Well, I think a lot of the stuff towards me, if you dig below the initial comment at all, there's fuck all there to justify it," Illy, real name Al Murray, said. “I say that because, I may have a couple of songs that have been on the radio, but anyone who has seen a live show knows that they're hardly the crux of the set. I mean, this album I'm working on has some of Australia's best MCs and best producers on it.“

Murray said that most of the negativity is coming from those who know little about him and his music.

”I think, whatever backlash I encounter, it's usually based on people only knowing a few big songs and having no fucking clue beyond that. Any time you hear something like, 'Oh, Illy's a fucking faggot,' 'Why?' 'Oh, because he's got that fucking song.' I have forty others that sound nothing like it.”

Read the full story here.