Rivka and Mike iLL formed Mad haPPy as a guy/girl electronic duo with a distinctive sound, blending electro, hip-hop, folk and pop. Drawing on a rainbow of influences, from Hasidic folk melodies to Public Enemy to Hank Williams, Nina Simone, Madonna and Sly Stone, they describe their eclectic sound as electro-world/hip-hop, the lyrics promoting tolerance and individuality. Bringing their community into the fold, Mad haPPy has developed to incorporate musical theater and music instruction, operating with the philosophy that "If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you." (The Gnostic Gospels)

Both Rivka and Mike iLL came from devout religious families. Rivka's parents joined the Hasidic movement and she was the seventh of nine children sheltered from American culture in an enclosed Hasidic neighborhood in Brooklyn. In her early teens she left the community and became involved with the spoken word community in NYC. Mike's parents, an ex-nun and seminarian were active in civil rights work. He was raised in the diverse community of Hoboken, NJ. As a youngster he was introduced to free jazz, salsa and rock music, later making tracks into NYC studying electronic music and samba and becoming involved with the NoWave scene. Ultimately making a splash with his band Sweet Lizard iLLtet (Warner Bros.).

Rivka and Mike iLL met in 1997 in a sweat lodge at Nature's Friends Farm in New Jersey. They got together for a musical project and ended up hopelessly romantically entangled in '98. The two have been doing over 200 live shows a year since 2002; Releasing two full lengths; "Feel Good Music" (Bar/None Records), "Renegade Geeks" (Mutiny Zoo Records), Produced with Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, a live DVD, "Desperate Living" (Mutiny Zoo Records) and "The Electro-Funk No Wave Hip-Hop Compilation" (Mutiny Zoo Records) and on top of touring with their dog Rags and daughter, Rinah, have been workshopping an original musical called Joys of Armageddon around the country with the help of James Rado (Hair).

"Two of America’s most consistently productive and hard-touring underground performers, Mike iLL and Rivka, are a futuristic electronic musical combo that throw everything (including baby) into their potent musical mix." - Sean CarnageRivka and Mike iLL formed Mad haPPy as a guy/girl electronic duo with a distinctive sound, blending electro, hip-hop, folk and pop in the year 2002. Drawing on a rainbow of influences, from Hasidic folk melodies to Public Enemy to Hank Williams, Nina Simone, Madonna and Sly Stone, they describe their eclectic sound as electro-world/hip-hop, the lyrics promoting tolerance and individuality. Bringing their community into the fold, Mad haPPy has developed to incorporate musical theater and music instruction, operating with the philosophy that "If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you." (The Gnostic Gospels)