Illy

Australian rapper Illy defied the "haters" to make resolutely commercial, pop-influenced hip-hop that eventually snagged him a major-label deal and a number one album. Born Alasdair Murray on September 6, 1986 and brought up in the beachfront Melbourne suburb of Frankston, Illy was a teenage tearaway who barely scraped through school. He got his start in hip-hop at just 13 with the local Crooked Eye Crew, with whom he released his first "mixtape" CD. Illy held down a succession of low-paying jobs before deciding to finally knuckle down -- he applied to law school and emerged some years later with a degree. Eventually, the Crooked Eye Crew split up after each of its members became too busy with their own projects, and Illy decided to pursue a solo career