Interview: Illus2
Posted by - In Art, Good Reads, Interview, Music
Adam Wallenta, also known as ILLUS, has been independently making music and illustrating comics since the early 90s. He has recorded and toured with artists such as Chuck D and Public Enemy, R.A. the Rugged Man, Dilated Peoples, Blackalicious, and DJ Johnny Juice. Let me bring you up to date with his latest album (hear other releases here). In January of 2010, he released, “Feel Good Music“. It has a total of 7 tracks and they were produced entirely by Brooklyn’s J.J. Brown. The legendary Chuck D even said it was “one of the best albums of 2010″. If you haven’t heard it yet, I suggest you go listen to it (then buy it!) — guaranteed to make ya feel good. Not only does Illus have his hands in music and hip hop, but he’s also a self proclaimed comic book geek and he’s an artist. Ever heard of the Public Enemy comic book series / graphic novel? Yep, illustrated by Adam Wallenta. He also has various other comic books (Soulan, The Retributors, Adam & Bryon, and others), so be sure to check those at his American Mule site. He has also had his work shown in galleries, he has worked at Marvel Comics, he’s done album covers for artists (J-Live’s “Undivided Attention“, J.J. Brown’s “Connect the Dots“, his own “Feel Good Music“), designed t-shirts, painted portraits, editorials, and more.
Read the interview below as we discuss his music, the “Feel Good Music” album, art, comic books, his upcoming album (slated for March), and some other stuff…
Tiffology: For those who don’t know who you are, please give ‘em a little introduction…
ILLUS: My name is ILLUS. Short for illustrator or depending on your own personal tastes and belief, quite possibly the “illest” emcee on the mic. Ha! The reason people call me Illus is because besides being an ill emcee, I am also a professional illustrator and I’ve done art for everyone from Public Enemy (the official Public Enemy comic book series) to Ill Bill, J-Live, Freddie Foxxx and hundreds of other books, and comics.
Tiffology: Coming up in the golden-era of hip hop, who were/are your greatest influences?
ILLUS: In regards to HIPHOP- KRS-One, Chuck D and Public Enemy, Big Daddy Kane, De La Soul, Run DMC, Stetsasonic, Grandmaster Caz, Kool Moe Dee and the Treacherous Three, Kool G Rap, Masta Ace….whew, a lot! But I have to say it was KRS that was the biggest inspiration.
Tiffology: What was it about hip hop that made you gravitate towards the rhyming aspect? Do you remember one of the first songs you wrote and what it was about?
ILLUS: I actually started out deejaying and being a graf writer. But what attracted me to writing HIPHOP songs was the power of the lyrics. Not only was it a powerful art form to express your own personal thoughts, ideas and feelings, but a true lyricist could inspire others with their words, educate, inform and uplift. I felt like I had things to say and this was the best and most direct way to communicate them. The first real song I ever wrote was a “just say no to drugs” song and it talked about Len Bias, a young ball player who was picked to play on the Celtics but died from a cocaine overdose. I had written other little battle raps before that but nothing memorable.
Tiffology: RANDOM – What’d you do to bring in the New Year?
ILLUS: Dressed up in tights and a mask and cape and went out and fought crime. Ok, actually I just chilled at home with my wife and had a relaxing evening in.
Tiffology: Alright so… let me mention that I first heard of you x-amount of years ago. Tirade, of the Impossebulls, had suggested that I check your music out on Myspace. After that, I was a fan. Some earlier songs I have of yours include “Beautiful”, “Meaning My…”, “Lonely High”, and “Return to the Jungle”. How do you think your music has changed from when you first started rhyming up until now?
ILLUS: I like to think I get better with every song in regards to communicating my ideas/feelings. I definitely feel like my overall delivery has improved and the level of quality of the actual recordings is much better than back in the days. I think I still maintain the same rawness and passion but I’ve matured and grown a lot and will hopefully continue to do so. There are certain songs though, like Lonely High, that I feel were light years ahead of other stuff creatively, maybe because I was still very inexperienced with recording myself or maybe it just captures a certain time in life that so many can relate to. I really want to re-record that track actually.
Tiffology: Let’s get into your 2010 album, “Feel Good Music”. It dropped early last year, with J.J. Brown on production. How has the reception been so far?
ILLUS: It’s been great. Everyone that gives it a chance tells me they love it. One of my favorite experiences is hearing Chuck D play it on his radio show and say that it is “one of the best albums of 2010”. As a Public Enemy fan, you can’t beat that.
Tiffology: With you and J.J. Brown in different states, how and when did you two connect and decide to put out an album together? Also, have you two ever met?
ILLUS: We’re not that far apart actually. I’m in CT and he’s in NYC, so it’s an hour and a half commute to his studio. So yeah, we always record together in the same studio. No internet recording with J.J. However we did originally meet online, but soon connected in person at a CMJ panel I was on at NYU. After that we stayed in touch and started building on tracks and before long we had Feel Good Music.
J.J.’s an amazing producer, much more than just a beat writer and he really helped me bring Feel Good Music to life.
Tiffology: RANDOM – What was the most memorable concert you attended?
I have a lot. But I remember one De La Soul concert where they were late because Pos was having a baby and there were a ton of guests holding it down. Freddie Foxxx, Gangstarr, MOP, Pharoahe Monch, Alkoholics, I believe Common performed..it was crazy. I also saw KRS, Big Daddy Kane and Chuck D destroy SOB’s once.
Whew…I really do have a lot of great show memories.
Tiffology: I think the positivity within this album, and that you embrace, is refreshing. With that said, “Beautiful Day” was the first song that I heard from “Feel Good Music”. The song and the music video both capture the joy in life, and it’s very uplifting. After listening to this song, and the album as a whole, what do you want listeners to walk away with?
ILLUS: Like the title of the album I really just want people to just “feel good”. All of the songs have messages and some are more personal than others but ultimately I wanted to create an album and express my thoughts/ideas/feelings, in a way that people can connect with universally. I really wanted to create an album that a 30-40 year old HIPHOP fan could listen to and love and at the same time, share it with their kids or younger relatives and not feel guilty. One of my favorite compliments is when a listener told me they play the album all the time and that their kids love it as well. So you have two completely different generations connecting with the same music, I love that. That shared experience is exactly what I wanted to create.
Tiffology: Another favorite on the album is “Old Friends”, with Paul Dateh singing on the chorus. It’s a nostalgic type of song that makes me think back to all the good times and memories that I have with old friends of mine. With the memory of “the old days” of hip hop being prevalent in this song, how do you feel about the evolving state hip hop today? And who are you listening to?
ILLUS: Thank you. In regards to today’s HipHop, just like back in the day, there is stuff I don’t care for and stuff I love. There has always been crap and greatness, the only real difference is, in 2011, HIPHOP has gone pop and mainstream and it seems mainstream America only promotes and supports crap. Not to say there aren’t some mainstream HipHop artists that are great or that being “mainstream” equates crap…it’s just my opinion because I don’t connect with the words or sound. So, because the mainstream only supports a very limited amount of talent- there are hundreds of great emcees and HipHop artists that get overlooked and lost. That’s a shame because there are a lot of really great albums being made.
I’m a huge fan of many “new” artists and I am always checking for new talent. I love how expressive and personal records have become. I think they are much more personal than back in the days and you have people from all over the world painting pictures of their lives, it’s not just NYC and Los Angeles anymore. So HipHop has really become global and that global creativity is inspiring.
In regards to “newer” artists I love that are not golden era artists…there are a lot. Atmosphere, Brother Ali, Gift of Gab and Blackalicious, GodAwful, Logic, Lyrics Born, Blueprint, X-Vandals, Regenerated Headpiece, Apathy, Ill Bill, J-live, The Herd, Eternia, Invincible….I can go on and on…
Tiffology: RANDOM – What are 3 items that you can’t live without while touring?
A teleporter, hand sanitizer and something to write and draw with. Haha. Actually I really need to have a phone to reach home, an ipod so I can memorize my set and merchandise to sell.
Tiffology: “Super Secret Identity” revolves around yourself as a secret superhero. The normal “geeky” guy on the regular, who has the alter-ego of a mic-wielding emcee. There are also a bunch of Marvel Comic characters and references weaved in the verses. Along with being a rhyming superhero, if you could have 3 super powers, what would they be?
ILLUS: My personal favorite track. Teleportation, time-travel, telepathy. Super strength and flying are also favorites but I would probably get into too much trouble with those because they are a little harder to conceal.
Tiffology: About how long did it take to write and produce the album?
ILLUS: All in all it too about six months to write, produce, record and mix. That’s just because we weren’t working on it full-time though. It probably took about a few weeks worth of time to complete in regards to actual hours.
Tiffology: You have an upcoming album set for release sometime in March 2011. You set up a kickstarter page to try to get people to help you press physical cds. What can you tell us about this project?
ILLUS: The name of the album is titled For Adam and it is dedicated to a young boy named Adam Walsh, who’s life was cut short by a very evil person. I didn’t know Adam personally but at the time that it happened, I was the same age as him and there were many other similarities that scared me silly as a young seven-year old boy. It was big news and had a profound affect on me. It’s not an album about him directly but it is inspired and influenced by those feelings at the time, and I wanted to dedicate the work to him.
The Kickstarter project is basically a pre-order program and allows the fans and supporters to participate in bringing the album to life. I need to raise $1,600.00 to press up physical cds and people can pledge as little as $1.00 or as much as they can afford. Every $10.00 pledge gets a signed copy of the cd and the more you pledge the more incentives you get. It’s an awesome way to connect directly with the fans. And if for some reason we do not meet our goal, no money is withdrawn and nobody loses a dime. It’s really easy to make a pledge and hopefully enough people will show love.
Tiffology: RANDOM – What are the first 3 websites you visit when you hop on the computer?
My email. HuffingtonPost.com. ComicBookResources.com
Tiffology: Which came first for you — the music or the art?
ILLUS: Tough question. I’d have to say they are equal. They really do go hand in hand for me and I’ll never stop doing either.
Tiffology: On the art tip: What programs and mediums do you prefer to work with?
ILLUS: If I had my way I would work in traditional mediums like oil and watercolor as well as pen and ink full-time. Unfortunately we live in the digital age so I tend to work more with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, using a Mac.
Tiffology: You worked with Marvel Comics in the past. What was your job, and what was your favorite part about working for ‘em? Also… tell us your favorite Marvel character(s).
ILLUS: I started out back in the day as an intern at Marvel, assisting in daily editorial chores for monthly books like Captain America, Thor and Namor. Soon after I started working as a colorist and continued assisting the editorial staff when needed. What I really loved about working for Marvel was the creativity and the energy within the walls of those offices. It’s hard to explain but every time I walked in to those offices I felt like anything was possible. I also recently did coloring work for DC Comics and will hopefully be doing more. I love both companies and their characters. I am a long time Spiderman man fan though but there are many characters I connect with.
Tiffology: RANDOM – Of the many comic-book-turned-movies so far, do you have any favorites?
The two most recent Batman movies by Christopher Nolan. Spiderman 2. X-Men 2. Road to Perdition. History of Violence. Ghost World. KickAss.
Tiffology: Like the Impossebulls, you linked up with ‘bulls and Chuck D through P.E.’s The Enemy Board. How’d you connect with Chuck D and eventually put out the Public Enemy comic book series?
ILLUS: C-Doc from the Impossebulls first introduced me to Chuck and some of my earlier singles were released through Chuck’s SlamJamz records. Shortly after I was asked by C-Doc to join him and the Impossebulls on tour with P.E., Blackalicious and Dilated Peoples. While on the road I connected more with Chuck and Griff and started building with them on the idea for the P.E. comic. It took a while to get it off the ground but eventually we were able to bring it to life and it was a lot of fun.
Tiffology: You’ve also talked at hip hop comic book conventions. What are some things you touch on?
ILLUS: I’ve been a part of several panels discussing the relationship between HipHop and comic books and how the two go hand in hand both in regards to how the fictional characters relate to HipHop musicians and how the art and creativity has influenced each other. We touch on how many superheroes have these secret identities where they transform into large than life personalities that do good, much like early HipHoppas and as the years progress the “heroes” have often become darker and grittier like emcees…similarities like that, as well as more obvious connections like comic book artists that have illustrated HipHop album covers and emcees that have taken on the personas and names of their favorite comic characters like GhostFace Killa did with Tony Stark. It’s a really great topic and conversation to have and hopefully I will have the opportunity to participate in more.
Tiffology: About how many comics do you think you own?
ILLUS: About 11,000. And I stopped collecting regularly about 1998.
Tiffology: RANDOM: Have you ever dressed up at any Comic-Cons?
I once wore a shirt and tie, does that count? No, unfortunately not. I wish I had the time to put together something dope, but I’m usually working when I am at the cons so I don’t have a lot of time to play.
Tiffology: Being an unsigned artist all these years, have any major labels ever approached you for a deal? Not that you haven’t accomplished a lot on your own (congratulations, by the way), but why did you decide take the route of doing it all yourself?
ILLUS: Thank you, it hasn’t been easy by any means. Over the years I have been approached by a few labels or rather reps from labels but I never felt they wanted me to be me. It always seems like they are looking for the next imitator of whoever is “hot” at the time, or they want to mold you in their image. I’m really easy to work with but I’m going to be me and grow and evolve into what I am supposed to naturally. I don’t want to sign my life away and have someone else telling me who I should be. Really, the deals were just never good enough for me to deal with the b.s. that goes with being someone’s slave. I’m always on the lookout for partnerships and would love to connect with people who get what I do and want to encourage it and even help guide it, not alter it or exploit it. The situation and deal has to be right so I can be creative and productive. I could never allow myself to get trapped and shelved and locked away by a company.
Tiffology: What do you hope to accomplish in 2011?
ILLUS: I have two albums I am releasing. The first is, For Adam, which will hopefully drop at the end of March. It is produced exclusively by J.J. Brown and features Freddie Foxxx, Gift of Gab, Homeboy Sandman, Eternia, Wordsworth, Craig G, Reef the Lost Cauze, Paul Dateh, Block McCloud and Erin Barra. The second album (is untitled at the moment) is slated for sometime in the summer and is produced by and features Apathy, Ill Bill, J-Live, Blueprint and MyKill Miers. Each emcee that makes a guest appearance also produced the track they are featured on. I haven’t really started to focus on that one yet because I am finishing up For Adam, but it is started. I hope I can raise funds or find a good situation for that album.
I am also planning on producing more new comic books. I have several I am writing and illustrating and will hopefully produce physical copies to go with digital releases for the Ipad and others.
Overall – I want all of these releases to have a bigger reach and get in the hands of as many people as possible that enjoy great music, great stories and great art.
I have some other projects in the works that I can’t talk about yet so please subscribe to my blog at http://www.adamwallenta.com to stay up to date on all of the big news and freebies.
Tiffology: Top 5 places to eat –
I’m not sure I even want to reveal these secrets. Haha. In no specific order…
1. My house. I am a great cook actually.
2. Harry’s Pizza in West Hatford CT.
3. Nardellis grinder shop in Naugatuck CT.
4. Thai Buddhist Temple Berkeley, CA
5. Reel Inn Fresh Fish Restaurant Pacific Coast Hwy in Malibu, CA
Top 5 movies – In no specific order…
1.Shawshank Redemption.
2. Red Dawn.
3. Empire Strikes Back.
4. Raiders of the Lost Ark.
5. Watership Down
Favorite non-hip hop albums – In no specific order…
1. The Essential Johnny Cash collection
2. The Meters: Rejuvenation
3. James Brown: The Payback
4. The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper
5. Bob Dylan: Highway 61
My biggest fear in life is…
An idiot like Sarah Palin becoming president. Haha. I don’t know….I don’t have any particular phobias or fears. I guess my biggest fear would be seeing a loved one get hurt or being forced into slavery. There are a lot of horrible things that can happen in this world, better to not think of them or they would just drive me nuts.
Tiffology: We’re almost done. Any last words, advice, or shoutouts?
ILLUS: I hope that everyone that enjoys music will realize the value of music and the time and hardwork that goes into making it and really support artists with dollars and not just talk. I completely understand being broke and wanting new music and downloading but if you have the money- buy the music, art, books, movies- whatever. Especially the artists that are independent. It really does hurt us when people download music for free. It can be a great promotional tool but we spend a lot to get the music made and all too often go broke putting it out there so it’s really important people support.
Shout outs – I just want to say thank you to you for this opportunity to answer your questions and thanks to everyone that reads it and the fans that support. Peace!
* Big thanks to Adam for lettin’ me ask him all these questions. It’s been a pleasure, and he has my support!
** Go check out and pledge at his KICKSTARTER page for his upcoming album. It ENDS March 14th! There are some really great incentives to whatever you are able to donate.
*** Go watch videos from the 2009 New York Comic Con: Hip Hop and Comic Books panel discussion at Illus’ youtube. On the panel… Chuck D, Adam Wallenta, DMC, DJ Johnny Juice, Kyle Baker and James Bomb and they discuss hip hop and comic books and how the two have influenced each other through art and culture. Go watch ‘em!
**** You can purchase “Feel Good Music” from Amazon, Underground Hip Hop, Bandcamp, or directly from Adam from his shop.
American Mule
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Great interview! Thanks for showcasing a great artist.
Didn't know there was a Public Enemy comic! Anyway, comic books, street art ahd hip-hop share close ties so it's nice to see an artist who embodies those ties.