Once upon a time in a galaxy not far away,

there lived two Kings. Each was the ruler of their own deliciously glorious planet. The first King, Black! (fka Manchildblack), was known throughout the cosmos for DJing booming beats and celestial sonics with earthy musical messages. The other King, Monstah, was a star in the solar system for their gravity defying performances, genderbending fashions and ethereal vocals. One magical night, an inexplicable ultramagnetic pull forced the two planets to collide. A technicolored explosion occurred, turning night into day, with a feast of aural and visual delights. It was then that the universe was changed forever. Black! and Monstah united and became The Illustrious Blacks!

With inspiration from alien superstars such as Prince, Grace Jones, David Bowie and George Clinton, The Illustrious Blacks have descended to Earth with a mission to fuse futuristic funk, high vibrational house, hypnotic techno and spacey synth disco into their own electrifying and transcendental performances that bring pulsating positivity to the planet. Mixing DJing, performance art, fashion and live vocals, YoHoMo described their live show perfectly: “Self-proclaimed Afro-Electro-Disco-Space-Punks, DJ/Music duo The Illustrious Blacks are unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Part DJ set, part dance performance, part Studio 54, part Berlin underground, this NY couple know how to put on a SHOW!”

In 2017, the music duo The New York Times hailed as Bed-Stuy’s “favorite creative couple,” released their highly anticipated debut EP, Neo Afro Futuristic Psychedelic Surrealistic Hippy. The EP featured the anthemic "Black Like Jesus,” whose music video premiered on Billboard.com. In the same year, they found time to work on a remake of the 90s dance floor classic "Funk That!," which spawned a popular music video. Subsequent singles followed including the joyous “Revolutionary Love,” which received major praise from Paper Magazine and Out.com.

As the result of a viral DJ set on Facebook live for the Questlove (The Roots) founded music platform Okayplayer, The Illustrious Blacks garnered international fame and found themselves touring Asia, Australia, Europe, the UK and Canada. They were booked to perform in iconic venues like Sydney Opera House (House of Mince), Ministry of Sound and Hi Ibiza (Glitterbox). Also, major music festivals came calling: Roskilde, Splore, Clockenflap, Beyond the Valley, Return to Rio, Pitch Music & Arts, Latitude, Milkshake, The Mighty Hoopla, Fusion and Robot Heart. Back in NYC, the globetrotters took their live shows to respected venues like the legendary Apollo Theater, Central Park Summerstage, Lincoln Center, The Shed, House of Yes, Good Room, Avant Gardner, Brooklyn Museum, Le Bain, Elsewhere, Knockdown Center and Public Records. The Illustrious Blacks also performed alongside a diverse array of musical artists like Doechii, Tove Lo, SG Lewis, Jessie Ware, Big Freedia, Cupcakke, Chaka Khan and were booked as the supporting act for the 2026 Australian tour of the legendary Grace Jones.

Even with their hectic touring schedule, The Illustrious Blacks continued to put out new music. 2020 saw the release of their celebrated sophomore EP, Technegrocolor. Of their lead single, “Step Back,” Gaytimes raved, “The Illustrious Blacks have delivered one of the most unapologetically queer anthems of the year.” In 2023, they collaborated with producer Seven Davis Jr on the Pandemonium EP, which featured remixes by the incomparable Osunlade. More collabs followed, including tracks with David Morales, Hilit Kolet, Floorplan, Luke Soloman, Nickodemus, Tedd Patterson, as well as their own solo projects on the Defected Records/Classic Music Company label.

In 2025, the illustrious ones dropped the Velocity EP, on Soul Clap Records, that reached #12 on the Itunes Dance Music Albums Chart. The lead single “Suck My Disco”, also became the title of their monthly residency at Brooklyn hotspot C’mon Everybody. DJ Mag says of Velocity: “the duo’s core message resonates, making it a worthy manifesto for this moment.”

As The Illustrious Blacks continue to work on their debut album, they have expanded their creativity to music production and remixing. Jody Watley’s uplifting song “Everlasting” features a version produced by Amara Jaguar and the dynamic duo themselves.

Individually, Monstah and Black! illuminate the galaxy with equal magnitude. As The Illustrious Blacks, they have combined their superpowers to save the world one beat at a time and encourage all to LIVE THE HYPE LIFE!