An ‘enigma’ is defined as, ‘A person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand.’ Rapper Aurellius TheSaint, born Aurelio Belk, is an enigma in every sense of the word. Born outside of wedlock to a fallen pastor that Aurellius didn’t meet until the age of 13, he grew up in the hard-scrabble town of Washington Park, Il, alienated by his father’s family, who shunned him as a ‘bastard.’ The only knowledge Aurellius has of his father is that he was one of twelve brothers, all ‘men of the fast lane,’ almost all of which died through violence and alcoholism. Aurellius’ mother worked constantly to support her children, eventually moving the family up the hill so Aurellius could go to school in Belleville, but like many single mothers in the world, looking for love in the wrong places led to her marry a questionable man of many sins. Aurellius’ tumultuous relationship with this man led him to leave home, traveling cross-country, utilizing the traits of the ‘fast lane’ that he had picked up himself. With all of the negativity surrounding his upbringing, it would seem Aurellius was destined for failure, or at the very least, the penitentiary. However, despite his circumstances, Aurellius began writing poetry at the age of seven, inspired by images he had seen as a young child of Maya Angelou. “She just made me feel proud to be black,” Aurellius explains, gazing with childlike wonder at the strong, proud-looking woman in the photographs. As a result of the conflicting influences in his life, Aurellius’ personality came to be an interesting mixture of troublemaker and intellectual; book smarts and street smarts; the same kid that ran track, played basketball, and even clarinet in the school band was told by his high school principal that he was a ‘threat to society.’ For the stability that Aurellius did have in his life, he credits his sister, who made the tough decision to drop out of college temporarily to help raise him, and taught him how to strive regardless of circumstance. Much to her credit, Aurellius’ sister’s involvement in his life kept him out of the system and allowed him to pursue his talents. “Music and poetry made me a better person,” says Aurellius, “it’s easier to reach other people through a song or a poem; when you write a song it makes you bigger than yourself, giving you a vehicle into people’s consciousness.” Unlike most rapper’s shallow dreams of fast money and power, Aurellius TheSaint, ‘Mr. Eat da Mic,’ makes hip hop music for the love of the craft, bringing back the art of song writing and story telling that is often lost in the current state of the industry. “I don’t want people to dwell too much on the positivity in my music,” says Aurellius, “because life is not always positive. What I’m saying is that we don’t have to glorify negativity the way we do.” Inspired by influences as diverse as Nas, 2pac, Scarface, and Outkast, as well as soul legends such as Anita Baker, Marvin Gaye, and Erica Badu, Aurellius TheSaint is on a mission to leave a legacy of thought provoking music that reflects the realities of life, good and bad, and to give a place of refuge to music fans tired of an industry that perpetuates the very attitudes and ideas that need to be overcome.