Illy

Illy, born Alasdair David George Murray, is an Australian hip-hop artist from Frankston, in Melbourne's south-east. He came up through the Crooked Eye collective alongside artists like Phrase, Daniel Merriweather and producer M-Phazes, and built his early career on Obese Records, one of the most important labels in Australian underground hip-hop, releasing his debut album «Long Story Short» there and collaborating widely with the label's roster.

After three albums with Obese, including «Bring It Back» which won an award for Best Urban Album, Illy left to found his own label, ONETWO Records, moving toward a more radio-friendly, melodic sound that blended rap verses with pop and rock hooks while keeping his sharp, conversational lyricism intact. This shift brought him some of the biggest commercial hits in Australian hip-hop, including «Pictures», «It Can Wait», «Heard It All», «Youngbloods», «Tightrope» and «Papercuts», tracks that combined introspective songwriting with radio-ready choruses.

Illy is widely regarded as one of the artists who helped push Australian hip-hop into the commercial mainstream, balancing chart success with credibility built over years of collaboration within the country's hip-hop scene. His catalogue, spanning several studio albums, reflects a steady evolution from underground battle-rap roots toward polished, hook-driven songs like «Catch 22» and «Swear Jar» without losing his identity as a lyricist.