iLLism’s Emanuel and Fancy Are Building Community Through Music, Art, and the Legacy Building

In the latest episode of On the Radar, the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder’s series highlighting Black Minnesota creatives, host Damenica Ellis sat down with Emanuel and Fancy, the duo behind iLLism, to talk about their journey from solo artists to community builders, the story behind the Legacy Building, and what is coming next.

Renaissance People

Emanuel and Fancy describe themselves as multifaceted, wearing hats as musicians, community organizers, business owners, video and media creators, and art cultivators. They came up separately before finding each other, each chasing their own creative path before their work merged into something bigger.

Fancy grew up in a creative household, shaped largely by her mother, but did not immediately see creativity as a career path. Becoming a mother at 17 shifted her focus, and it was not until she met Emanuel that she began to see what was possible.

“I thought that creativity was just kind of a part of everyday life and that it wasn’t necessarily something that you could make a living off of,” she said.

Emanuel always knew. By high school he was in freestyle circles and battle rap competitions at lunch, and the reaction from his peers confirmed what he already felt.

“Based off of people’s reactions and people asking, ‘Yo, where can I get your music at?’ I could see myself doing this full-time,” he said.

The Making of iLLism

Before coming together as a duo, both Emanuel and Fancy were pursuing solo work and, by their own admission, trying to fit into containers that were not theirs. Emanuel charted on Billboard in 2008 with a song called Ringtone, which went number one for six weeks as an independent artist, going toe to toe with Lil Wayne’s Lollipop at the time. The music video earned a million views on YouTube and opened doors that took him to New York for development.

Fancy was chasing more of a pop sound, trying to find her voice by fitting into what was popular at the time.

“I was just sort of boxing myself into what was familiar or what I thought would work,” she said.

A stint living in Las Vegas, where they had moved to be closer to the LA music scene, helped both of them find their footing. Fancy credits Vegas with teaching her to find her authentic voice. When they returned to Minnesota, they came back with more clarity about who they were and what they wanted to build.

The name iLLism came from two places. In hip-hop, ill means dope, and ism signals a movement, think racism or activism. Put together, it meant something that was both dope and a movement.

“It was dope but it was also a movement,” Emanuel said.

The Legacy Building and Creative Freedom Fund

Beyond the music, Emanuel and Fancy founded the Legacy Building, a creative community hub in South Minneapolis that has become infrastructure for the local arts ecosystem. Bands have formed there. People have performed for the first time. Community safety conversations have happened there. Mothers gather. Creatives workshop.

“So many significant things have happened at the Legacy Building,” Fancy said. “When you walk into a space that looks like you, feels like you, is comfortable, some of those layers start to fall down.”

To address the financial barrier that keeps many Black creatives from accessing space, they created the Creative Freedom Fund, which provides space in-kind to community members and organizations who cannot afford the full cost. The goal is access, not just for those who can pay but for those whose work deserves to be supported regardless.

Crown Media, their production arm, extends that same philosophy to recording and video. If an artist cannot afford an engineer, they work with them anyway.

“Creating access” is how Emanuel summed it up simply. “Even from the Creative Freedom Fund to what we do at Crown Media.”

Fancy was direct about the ongoing challenge of running the Legacy Building. “Legacy Building is still a challenge,” she said. “Our biggest fight right now is getting larger institutions to recognize us and to offer support and resource. It isn’t just some fun party spot. It truly is holding community and it deserves longevity because the people who enter that space deserve it.”

Doing It All as Parents

When asked about balancing creative entrepreneurship with parenthood, both Emanuel and Fancy were candid. Their older children, now in their 20s, grew up in the studio, in the music, and as part of the journey. Their youngest is still right there with them.

“Children really widen your view,” Fancy said. “Including your children is not a burden. It’s an incredible blessing.”

What Is Coming Next

The biggest upcoming event is Soul of the Southside, the Juneteenth festival taking place Friday, June 19 at the corner of Lake and Minnehaha from noon to 8 p.m. iLLism will be performing, and the event is now in its fifth year as one of the South Side’s signature community celebrations.

Fancy also announced that her debut children’s book, The Super Special Spectacular Fort, is in production with illustrator Leah Rose Jackson and expected to be available this fall. The book, inspired by a dream in which her youngest son Sire asked her to build a fort, is about dreaming, discovery, wisdom, and building something to be proud of.

“Bit by bit, take it slow, time and love, help things grow,” she said, quoting a line from the book.

She is also launching Reading Roots, a program backed by the Minnesota State Arts Board that will bring authors, children, and families together at the Legacy Building for read-alongs, activities, and community connection.

How to Connect

For music, visit illismmusic.com. For the Legacy Building, visit thelegacybuilding.org. For Soul of the Southside, visit soulofthesouthside.com. For Crown Media, visit crdia.com. For all things Fancy, visit fancythecreator.com.