Ill Bill is what some may call a backpack rapper. He is a very complex lyricist, and has a very experimental style, which has gotten him popular. Just to get an idea of what he is about, he has rapped alongside artists like, Cage, El-P, and Aesop Rock, all very experimental. He, like most experimental white rappers, is still very much an underground rapper. He has garnered a good fan base, but mostly from backpackers, and intense hip-hop heads. Not to say that is not a good audience to earn the respect of, but this isn't music you will hear on the radio. Another interesting thing to note about Ill Bill is that he makes a lot of fucking music. It takes you about thirty seconds just to scroll through his discography on Wikipedia, so starting his discography is opening up a huge project on myself.In his recent career Bill has aligned himself with DJ Muggs to create the duo in which this album is listed under. They have multiple albums, including an album in the works with Vinnie Paz. Ill Bill has had a very long illustrious career in which he has made a lot of good music, but this so happens to be the first project I have heard from him, so it is just as good a place to start as any. Going into this album I really didn't know much about Bill, and I'm assuming you as a reader (however many of you there are) have little knowledge about him. That is really the purpose of this site, so unless you are a narrow minded music snob, read on.
1. Cult Assasin
This song isn't officially an intro, but it serves as a good way to introduce you to the conspiracy filled album. The verses are all very dope and the epic choir beat (while it sounds like he got it for free off a dude's YouTube channel) accompanied the vocals nicely. There wasn't all too much to this track, but some very good spitting on the verses. The hook is very catchy, while still lyrically standing out. This is a paranoid song, and includes lines about the Illuminati and the evil or darkness inside of people. Very intense listen, but a great way to kick things off. If you hated this track you should probably turn the album off because it really summarizes everything to come.
2. Trouble Shooters (ft. Sick Jacken, Sean Price, & O.C.)
The tone of this song is darker and so are the vocals. The flow Bill brings to the track is amazing, and his first verse is by far the best on the track. Great bars about conspiracy, society, and religion. It is so aggressive that it almost makes you fear what Ill Bill is saying. Sick Jacken is very average on the track, and forgettable, but Sean Price is actually pretty dope. His flow is so strange and he is bragging in a very odd way. This is a simple track, four mcs just spitting out average length verses. While there are some very quotable and clever lines, nothing about this song is all that special.
3. Paul Stanley
Short skit about the government conducting research on LSD. They are talking about using it as a weapon rather than a drug. I guess it was kind of cool.
4. Illuminati 666
That track title made me laugh out loud. I get that the theme of the album is conspiracy, but could we not be a little more subtle? Ridiculous title aside this song is fucking sick. The flow is so much faster and more intense, and it is much louder than the last few tracks. The hook is awesome in every aspect, and the first verse is one of the best on the album. A line that really stood out for me as dope is when he said, "bout to pull an escobar and I aint fuckin' talkin' bout Nas." The intensity in which he said it made it such a cool moment. That's the type of shit you'd hear at a battle before the entire crowd exploded.
5. Amputated Saint (ft. B-Real)
While the lyrics are still very influenced by Christianity and similar themes this song is much more about straight up spitting than anything else. This song ends up delivering in every way, as Bill and B-Real are able to go back and fourth incredibly well as they are trading bars throughout the verses. Both rappers bring a level of intensity that just screams, "don't fuck with us." There really isn't much to say bad about this song, except I wish it had gone for one more verse, or maybe just been a bit longer. I may be selfish but I want to hear more of this duo doing their thing. The chemistry is so great that it leaves any listener wanting to hear more of it (lucky us).
6. Skull Guns (ft. Slaine & Everlast)
This whole conspiracy theory shit is getting a little funny. While it is dope, he states the shit so bluntly that it is hard to even take seriously. I mean, he starts a song with, "every Kennedy was assassinated by the Illuminati." That complaint aside this song is really fucking good. At least Ill Bill is. The flow on the first verse is great, and the world play is getting better with every track. The lyricism he is displaying both on his verse and the hook are amazing, and actually hold a social relevance, which is rare among most new rap. Slaine gives a decent effort, but Everlast puts up and absolute bull shit excuse for a verse. He simply lists all of the things that he is, as if is verse was an SNL skit, but not funny (so what's the difference, ehh). Either way the song ends on a bad note as the former member of La Coka Nostra gives little to no effort on his last verse.
7. Giant's Stadum (ft. Q-Unique)
Well it was bound to happen: a track that I didn't love. The beat isn't bad at all, but is way too fast paced and upbeat for this album, or an Ill Bill song in general, and while Bill still spits well, he sounds a little lazier. Q kills this shit for sure, but with a sample of his on voice on the hook Ill Bill fails to deliver on this track. It is about a verse long, which means it isn't long enough to ruin the mood, or even annoy me at all. I would advise a skip, but you may not even notice it's on before it's over.
8. The Owl
If you are anything like me you were hoping for an epic eight minute track about the owl on the cover. If this is the case, then also like me you were disappointed that this was just a skit with a terrorist, guess that's okay too.
9. Millenniums Of Murder
Ill Bill manages to bring a completely different flow and tone to this track that ultimately comes across as a refreshing change of pace. The way this song is set up, as it goes on it almost stresses you out, which is an awesome effect in a song. This song, much like the rest of the album, is themed around conspiracy theories, evil, and religion. Very interesting listen that really gets you back into the album after a short lull in the action.The beat is also very interesting on this song, and all of the elements put together, like I said, make you kind of nervous, similar to the song, Panic, by The Roots, if you are familiar with that track. The building action gives you a real angst and I personally love when a song can do that.
10. Chase Manhattan (ft. Raekwon)
The Chef fucking murders this shit. If you ask me, these two are a match made in heaven. The grimy style of the two works perfectly, and the beat sounds kind of like a newer Wu-Tang song. I haven't heard this Raekwon in a long time, and his flow over the beat is crazy delicious. Ill Bill gets on the beat and bodies it just as well as Raekwon did, and this stands out as one of the best tracks on the album. The two are robbing a bank in the song, which I could almost see happening in real life. Unfortunately for humanity this song only featured one verse from each artist, making it only four seconds over two minutes. I could honestly listen to these two on the beat forever, but only two minutes just doesn't seem fair. Great fucking listen. Definitely a highlight of the album so far. This album was from 2010 so a Wu-Tang fan like myself can only hope that Raekwon still has this ability in him, because his verse was just insane.
11. Luciferian Imperium
That might be the single dopest track title I have ever seen, but unfortunately we get a twenty second pointless ass instrumental.
12. Ill Bill TV
So this is an intriguing listen to say the least. What it seems to me is happening is that Bill is reporting completely false "facts" for his fictional TV station. I really like this song, but once again it is only a little over two minutes. Short songs aren't always bad thing, take Madvillainy for example, but with such wild themes, these songs could use a bit more time to develop. In this song Ill Bill "reports" more wild conspiracy theories, which is somehow not stale yet, which is hard to believe. Another solid track, but the development is hampered by the length.
13. Secrets Worth Dying For (ft. Chance Infinite)
I feel like a broken record, but Ill Bill proves once again that he is a great technical rapper. Chance also kills this track, and they go back and forth. Unfortunately this song is way to similar to both the B-Real, and Raekwon features, and Chance Infinite comes nowhere near either of them. It isn't his fault, but there isn't enough to this track to set it apart from the other big feature tracks, and this guy isn't big. If this had been the first song I'd heard on the album I would fucking love it, but at this point the horse has been beaten past death.
14. 2013
I wish I had hear this song back in 2010 when the "2012 apocalypse" craze was in. It basically talking about how the 2012 Mayan stuff was all bullshit (good call Bill) and that rather the corruption of the world and conspiracy would bring the world to an end in the year we currently live in. It is fucking awesome listening to this in hindsight of the 2012 shit, and overall a good way to keep the theme of the album fresh. Every time I think I'm bored Bill manages to dazzle me yet again.
15. Kill Devil Hills ( ft. B-Real, & Vinnie Paz)
Before we talk about the song, let's address the elephant in the room. Finally the battle of who has the most distinct voice in all of hip-hop. Helen Keller could fucking tell these two rappers apart. The range of audio and vocals on this song is honestly one of the biggest spectacles in the history of hip-hop, and we have Ill Bill to thank that these two finally spit together on a song. As far as the song goes, Ill Bill manages to stand out no matter how average his voice is, no matter how average his voice is. He fucking kills his verse, lyrically, and also manages to impress me lyrically on the hook. After that both B-Real and Vinnie really kill their respective verses, and all jokes aside I really love this track. I really like both Vinnie Paz, and plan on getting further into the Jedi Mind Tricks catalog at some point, so readers, expect endless jokes about that man's ridiculous voice to come.
16. Narco Corridors (ft. Sick Jacken, & Uncle Howie)
Well with a very bizarre intro about smoking heroine, we have the last song, which is about drugs. Fortunately, this isn't bullshit weed rap like you hear on the radio, but rather a dark track about hard drugs. It tells a story about a kid who got too into hard drugs, and drinking, and it really hits the heart. It is a great emotional, and dark track that ends the album well. Whether you understand Spanish or not you can still hear the emotion in the hook, which makes it just as effective as an English hook would have been. A fantastic way to end the show.
Rating: 4/5
Ill Bill is a great rapper. He is technically gifted, and can flow with such ease that he could rap about nothing and be entertaining as hell. Luckily he tackles some crazy interesting topics that are wildly entertaining through the album. If you are a fan of complex lyricism and intelligent themes then this album is for you. If the thought of having to play a song multiple times just to understand it turns you off, then walk away from this album right now. If you truly want to be entertained by an album I would urge a purchase, and would also advise you listen to other albums in Ill Bill's endless discography. I cannot stress enough how much I liked this project, but it was just missing some variety to make it truly superb. However, this is not his best work, so stay tuned folks.