What to know about AE The Illusive

AE The Illusive, (Aaron Eaddy), a 5th semester electrical engineering major, has recently been building his reputation as an up and coming rap artist.  By making serious music he calls “steam” The Illusive has given his audience a chance to really get to know him on a personal level as an artist with each song he releases. 

Using the problem solving skills learned through his engineering classes in UConn, Eaddy has personally produced almost every one of the songs he has put out for public listening, including 60 percent of the songs on his mix tape titled “It’s The Only Way” and all of his songs on his brand new extended play cd titled “Elevatur Music,” which was a week long project he produced with long time friend Phillip Chase. 

Originally a trumpet player who started playing eleven years ago, Eaddy has since used rap as his own personal way of entertaining and communicating with people. 

“My life has always been interesting,” Eaddy said. “In reality there is so much you can draw out … Your life story is interesting if you can paint the picture well enough.” 

Over this past summer, The Illusive had taken up drawing in his free time to help him better envision the end result of his musical projects. “I feel like I’m becoming a better artist because I can paint the picture better.” Eaddy said. 

With AE The Illusive’s significant sound, the young college student rapper has been helping the Connecticut music scene grow into one of the new hot spots in the country for talented artists. Performing in various shows on UConn’s campus such as Late Night, UConnaroo, various open mic shows and even at Lily’s Pad in New Haven, AE has been taking his music to the next level with each and every performance. 

“I am getting closer to making music just like me as natural as I want it to sound,” Eaddy said. 

Crediting the sound of his voice to where he lived as a child in Hartford Connecticut while going to school in Glastonbury, AE The Illusive explained that the sound of his voice is a mixture between suburban and urban accents which helps him have such a significant sound on his tracks. Noticing his unique sound, AE, along with an UConn alumni rapper Immaculate, also known as Nick Ferro, created the word “rapsent,” which means how a person will sound on tape. 

“Sometimes I think I sound southern, but its always going to sound like me,” Eaddy said. Although his voice is a contributing factor to the unique sound he puts out on his beats, AE The Illusive says he will never do the same song twice as a method for consistent quality and unique sounding music. 

The Illusive got his name from his initials and a high school basketball coach and teacher’s nickname for him, “The Illusive,” in a Southeast Asia class. Eaddy has not been making illusionary music but music that allows the audience to relate to real life situations and experience what he and his peers could go through on a daily basis. 

With a personal touch to each of his songs such as “#BaldManSwag,” Eaddy not only has learned to embrace change for himself but also to inspire others to become not afraid to live and change their entire outlooks on life.