Ill Bill Bio
William Braunstein, known professionally as Ill Bill, is an American rapper and record producer from Brooklyn, New York. Born on July 14, 1972, he first gained recognition through the underground hip-hop collective Non Phixion before building a substantial solo catalog. He is also the founder and CEO of Uncle Howie Records, a label he has used to release much of his own work and to support like-minded artists.
Ill Bill is known for dense, often dark lyrical themes, and for the unusual range of musical settings in which he has recorded, from straight hip-hop to rap metal and death metal. His career has stretched from the mid-1980s to the present, and it has included collaborations with producers and rappers across the independent and mainstream hip-hop worlds, as well as crossovers into hard rock and metal.
Early Life and Background
William Braunstein was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on July 14, 1972, and grew up in the borough that would shape his sense of place as an artist. Brooklyn at that time was a center of hip-hop culture, and the city’s street culture, record shops, and pirate radio stations gave young aspiring rappers a direct line into the music. Ill Bill has spoken of being drawn to rap from an early age, listening to local crews and absorbing the techniques of the era’s most respected MCs.
His younger brother, Ron Braunstein, would later become known as the rapper and producer Necro, and the two brothers grew up trading rhymes and beats. The siblings were influenced by the same New York hip-hop scene, and they would eventually support each other on record, on stage, and behind the boards. That family connection became one of the defining constants of Ill Bill’s career.
Path to Rap
Ill Bill began rapping in earnest in 1986, the year that is generally cited as the start of his professional career. He spent the late 1980s and early 1990s cutting demos, performing locally, and building a reputation among the New York underground. A 2001 compilation titled The Early Years: Rare Demos ’91–’94 would later document the recordings he made during this formative period.
His big break came in late 1994, when MC Serch of 3rd Bass paired him with protégé Sabac Red, DJ Eclipse, and childhood friend Goretex to form the group Non Phixion. The group quickly became a fixture of New York’s independent hip-hop circuit, releasing singles and earning a loyal following for their hard-edged style. Non Phixion would become the platform on which Ill Bill built his reputation before stepping out as a solo artist.
Ill Bill Career
Early Career (1986–2001)
Through the late 1980s and into the 1990s, Ill Bill performed with Non Phixion and other underground groups, including a short-lived run with the collective that would become Circle of Tyrants. In 2001, he released the demos collection The Early Years: Rare Demos ’91–’94 on his brother’s Psycho+Logical-Records label, providing a snapshot of his development as a writer.
The period also saw the launch of his own label, Uncle Howie Records, which he founded in 1998 and has used ever since as the home for most of his solo work. He paired the label with a series of mixtapes and compilations, including early entries in the Howie Made Me Do It series, which compiled material originally issued on tape between 1999 and 2002.
Breakthrough (2002–2008)
Non Phixion released their long-awaited debut studio album The Future Is Now in 2002, an underground landmark that brought the group, and Ill Bill, wider attention. That same year, he continued to record with brother Necro, releasing the first of two Street Villains mixtapes in 2003 to build anticipation for his own debut.
Ill Bill’s first proper solo album, What’s Wrong with Bill?, arrived on May 4, 2004, with Necro producing the entire project. Though the album did not chart, it has since been regarded by fans as an underground classic, thanks in part to singles such as The Anatomy of a School Shooting and a music video for Chasing the Dragon. He followed it in 2005 with the Circle of Tyrants self-titled album, also produced by Necro, and in 2006 with the mixtape Ill Bill Is the Future 2: I’m a Goon.
His second solo album, The Hour of Reprisal, was released on September 16, 2008, through Uncle Howie Records and Fat Beats. The album featured an unusually broad guest list, including Tech N9ne, B-Real, Everlast, members of Bad Brains, Max Cavalera of Soulfly, Vinnie Paz of Jedi Mind Tricks, Howard Jones of Killswitch Engage, Immortal Technique, and Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan, with production from DJ Muggs, DJ Premier, DJ Lethal, T-Ray, Necro, and Ill Bill himself.
Later Career (2010–2020)
Ill Bill continued his run of collaborations in 2010 with Kill Devil Hills, a full album with producer DJ Muggs released on August 31, 2010, through Fat Beats Records, on which Muggs produced every track. The following year brought two more notable releases: the self-titled Heavy Metal Kings album with Vinnie Paz of Jedi Mind Tricks, and a second installment in the Howie Made Me Do It mixtape series.
His third solo album, The Grimy Awards, was released on January 29, 2013, with a first single, Severed Heads of State, produced by and featuring El-P. Guests across the album included H.R. of Bad Brains, A-Trak, members of Jedi Mind Tricks, O.C., Cormega, Meyhem Lauren, Q-Unique, Shabazz the Disciple, and Lil Fame of M.O.P., with production from DJ Premier, DJ Muggs, Pete Rock, Large Professor, The Beatnuts, El-P, Ayatollah, MoSS, and Ill Bill. He later released his fourth solo album, La Bella Medusa, on October 30, 2020, an album he announced had reached Apple Music’s top ten for Hip-Hop and that featured appearances from Conway the Machine, Pharoahe Monch, Tech N9ne, Kool G Rap, Slaine, Vinnie Paz, Tony Yayo, and Sabac Red, among others.
Notable Works and Milestones
Ill Bill’s most significant releases include the Non Phixion album The Future Is Now (2002), his solo debut What’s Wrong with Bill? (2004), The Hour of Reprisal (2008), the collaboration Kill Devil Hills (2010) with DJ Muggs, The Grimy Awards (2013), and La Bella Medusa (2020). Group projects with Vinnie Paz under the Heavy Metal Kings banner, including the 2011 self-titled album and the 2018 follow-up Black God White Devil, are also central to his catalog. He has been a consistent presence in the New York underground since the mid-1990s, both as a member of Non Phixion and La Coka Nostra, and as the founder of Uncle Howie Records.
Ill Bill Award Nominations
Verified award nominations for Ill Bill are not available in the provided sources, and no nomination counts are reported here.
Ill Bill Awards Won
Verified award wins for Ill Bill are not available in the provided sources, and no awards are listed here.
Ill Bill Family
Ill Bill’s younger brother is Ron Braunstein, the rapper and producer known professionally as Necro. The two have collaborated extensively, with Necro producing Ill Bill’s debut album What’s Wrong with Bill? and the Circle of Tyrants self-titled album, and the pair releasing two mixtapes together under the Street Villains banner. The figure of Howie, the uncle of Ill Bill and Necro, is referenced throughout the Howie Made Me Do It mixtape series, and his voice is sampled on several of the project’s tracks.
Personal Life
Publicly verified details about Ill Bill’s personal life, including partners, children, and current residence, are not available in the provided sources, and they are not included here.