Illmind

Ramon Ibanga, Jr. was born on August 28, 1980 in New Jersey, where he was raised in the city of Newark, New Jersey before later moving with his family to Bloomfield, New Jersey. His family provided a strong musical background, as his father was a musician and his older brother Les-Paul was even named after the late Les Paul. Illmind started using his father's equipment to make beats around age 13, specifically learning MIDI and sequencing on a Roland KR-500 keyboard. In his early teens he developed an interest in hip hop, and started producing music in 1997. Around 1999, he began to take production more seriously and he started sampling, using both hip hop vinyl and obscure records such as his father's old jazz and soul albums from the Philippines. He began using the program Cubase and an Akai S20 sampler around age 17. ==Music career==

Production After learning sampling, Illmind began making his own beats and sounds, and helping Skyzoo co-produce the track "Luxury". He was executive producer for Andy Mineo's album, Uncomfortable, which released on September 18. Towards the end of 2016, Illmind produced the outro credits for Disney's Moana, a track titled "You're Welcome", featuring both Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jordan Fisher. Beyond his work on the Disney project the producer took an active role in working on The Hamilton Mixtape, released via Atlantic Records. In addition to his work on the project with artists such as Nas, Common, The Roots, Ingrid Michaelson, and others, Illmind has his own track, "Take a Break – Interlude", on the album. In 2017, Illmind worked with Future, Khalid, Lil Uzi Vert, Bryson Tiller, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Meek Mill, and others on their respective major label releases. In 2018, Illmind worked with Beyonce and Jay-Z on the album Everything Is Love, to co-produce the song "Heard About Us" with Boi-1da, and also produced "Bigger Than You" with 2 Chainz. Studio albums In 2005, he produced and released an entire album on the label BBE with fellow producer Symbolyc One called The Art Of Onemind, which featured artists such as Ghostface Killah. He released The Official !llmind Remix Album in 2009 on myx, and a 2010 LP with lyricist Skyzoo called Live From The Tape Deck on Duck Down Records. In May 2010, lyricist and rapper Skyzoo had announced that he and Illmind were collaborating on an album called Live from the Tape Deck. Recording sessions took place at Big China Studios in Brooklyn, New York in 2010. The entire album was produced, mixed and arranged by Illmind, and was mastered by Ricardo Gutierrez.! Live from the Tape Deck debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers Albums. The album entered the Top Rap Albums, peaking at #16, as well as entering at #30 on the Top Independent Albums and #33 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The album was met with positive reviews from music critics. Spin's Mosi Reeves gave the album a seven out of ten, saying: "On this duo's debut full-length, Skyzoo was nicely complemented by !llmind's production, which ranges from the Dilla-like soul loop of "#Allaboutthat" to the fuzzy '70s-cop-show funk of 'The Now or Never.' Live from the Tape Deck is full of stolid striver anthems...but the album's meat-and-potatoes consistency remains bracing throughout." Beh!nd the Curta!n, Illmind's first official instrumental album, came out on April 19, 2011 through Brooklyn-based Nature Sounds Records. He followed this up with the second instrumental album #BoomTrap EP, an eight-track EP released in January of 2014. He shortly after released the drum kit #BoomTrap "The Drums", which includes extracts from the EP. Only 200 copies of the kit were offered. His most recent album, Human, is a collaboration with Joell Ortiz, and will be released on July 17, 2015. ==Business and teaching==

As of July 2012, Illmind was a senior contributor at BeatTips.com. ==Style and equipment==

Illmind has called himself a fan of producers such as J Dilla and Pete Rock, but writes and produces a variety of genres. About his style, he has stated "I just try to create the music I like, period. I've got a pretty diverse taste in music, so I’m managing to not get bored, which is awesome. There's a lot of talent out there, and I think that’s what continues to drive me as well."! ==Discography==

Studio albums } || || || • Released: March 19, 2021 • Label: Paradise Rising, 88rising • Format: Digital download, streaming Mixtapes • 2008: Blaps, Rhymes & Life • 2009: Blaps, Rhymes & Life, Vol II • 2009: Blaps, Rhymes & Life, Vol III • 2009: Blaps, Rhymes & Life, Vol IV • 2011: Blaps, Rhymes & Life, Vol V Selected production credits Peak chart positions Timeline The following is an incomplete list of albums and singles produced by Illmind/!llmind. ==See also==