Ill Bill is one of the reasons the word ‘raw’ still has relevance in hiphop. IB manages to consistently slit his wrists on tracks and gives it to you from the inside-out on every release. From his pioneering work with his legendary gutter crew Non-Phixion to La Coka Nostra to his solo work, Ill Bill is recognized as one of the strongest lyricists in the game. Trust, you don’t get to work with everyone from DJ Premier to Raekwon to Sean Price to Immortal Technique unless you’re truly raw.
In celebration of his latest release, The Hour of Reprisal (Uncle Howie Records), Ill Bill was kind enough to do a Q+A swap with me. Here’s the goods:
HK: Y o u w e r e p a r t o f o n e o f t h e great groups in east c o a s t h i p h o p i n N o n - P h i x i o n . W h y d o y o u t h i n k i t ’s s o h a r d f o r r a p g r o u p s t o m a k e i t t o d a y ?
IB: W h o s a y s i t ' s h a r d ? T h a t ' s r e l a t i v e . I f i t ' s w h a t y o u r s u p p o s e d t o d o , i t ' s e a s y .
HK: A l o t o f s u c c e s s f u l e m c e e s b r a g about n o t w r i t i n g— n o p a d s , n o p e n s , j u s t c o m i n g o f f t h e t o p i n t h e b o o t h , e t c . W h a t π s I l l B i l l ’s o n g w r i t i n g p r o c e s s l i k e ?
IB: I u s e d t o h a v e a p e n a n d n o t e b o o k , n o w I w r i t e o n m y i P h o n e .
HK: T h e r e 's a l w a y s b e e n a d i v e r s i t y o f s o u n d s i n y o u r b e a t s— t h u m p i n g beat , t h r a s h y g u i t a r s , c h o p p y rhythms, t h r a s h rock…' D o y o u f e e l l i k e y o u w e r e a t r e n d s e t t e r i n t h a t r e g a r d ?
IB: I d o n ' t k n o w . I j u s t d o m e I g u e s s . I d o n ' t w a n n a s o u n d l i k e a n y b o d y e l s e e s p e c i a l l y w h e n e v e r y b o d y t h i n k s i t ' s k o o l t o b i t e r i g h t n o w . N o t o n l y h a v e I a l w a y s l o o k e d f o r t h e p e r f e c t b e a t b u t a l s o s o m e d i f f e r e n t , l e f t f i e l d b e a t s t o o . S o i t ' s o r g i n a l a n d i n t e r e s t i n g .
HK: F r o m j o i n t s l i k e W h i t e N * * * e r ” t o "G o d i s a n A t h e i s t ” t o “P o r n o D i r e c t o r ,” y o u ’v e b e e n k n o w n a s a take-no-prisoners-topically e m c e e . I s t h e r e a n y t o p i c t h a t ’s t o o t a b o o o r o f f -l i m i t s f o r I l l B i l l t o s p e a k o n ?
IB: N o .
HK: Y o u ’ r e k n o w n f o r h a r d c o r e f l o w s a n d n o t b e i n g a f r a i d t o i n t e r j e c t s e r i o u s t o p i c s f r o m r a c e t o c l a s s w a r f a r e t o p o l i t i c s i n t o y o u r m u s i c . A n y thoughts o n t h e u p c o m i n g e l e c t i o n ?
IB: B a r a c k i s t h e b e t t e r c h o i c e o f t h e t w o . I d o n ' t f e e l l i k e h e ' s g o n n a s a v e t he w o r l d b u t I d o t h i n k h e ' s t h e b e s t o p t i o n w e h a v e r i g h t n o w .
HK: Y o u r l a t e s t j o i n t , T h e H o u r O f R e p r i s a l i s c r a z y w i l d . I t f e e l s l i k e w a l l - t o - w a l l v e n g e a n c e s e t t o a s o u n d t r a c k; y o u 'r e g o i n g o f f o n e v e r y t h i n g a n d e v e r y b o d y , i t s e e m s . W h a t ’ s T H O R a b o u t f o r y o u ?
IB: I t ' s m e p u t t i n g m y e n t i r e l i f e i n t o l y r i c s . M y p a s t , p r e s e n t a n d f u t u r e i n m u s i c a l f o r mat. S o m e i s c o m m e n t i n g o n o u r s o c i e t y a n d s o m e o f i t i s a u t o b i o g r a p h i c a l a n d s o m e s o n g s a r e b o t h . I t ' s t h e b e s t t h i n g I ' v e e v e r d o n e .
HK: T H O R
f e a t u r e s s o m e r e a l l y i n t e r e s t i n g g u e
s t s p o t s i n c l u d i n g R a e k w o n , D a r y l J
e n i f e r o f B a d B r a i n s , V i n n e P a z , T e c
h N 9 n e . W h a t d r i v e s y o u r collabs, the
song i d e a o r ”I w a n n a w o r k w i t h ( i n s e r
t h e r e ) ” a n d a s o n g comes o u t o f i t ?
IB: I t v a r i e s e v e r y t i m e . N o m a t t e r w h a t t h o u g h , I l i k e w o r k i n g w i t h o t h e r a r t i s t s , e s p e c i a l l y o n e s t h a t h a v e i n f l u e n c e d m e .
HK: Y o u r e c e n t l y s t a r t e d y o u r o w n l a b e l , U n c l e H o w i e R e c o r d s . What’s i t l i k e b a l a n c i n g t h e C E O c r o w n w i t h b e i n g a n a r t i s t ?
IB: F o r m e , i t s a l l t h e s a m e t h i n g . T h e b u s i n e s s s i d e i s a c t u a l l y m o r e t i m e c o n s u m i n g c o s m a k i n g t h e m u s i c , I ' m o n a u t o p i l o t .
HK: W h a t ’s y o u r t a k e o n t h e f u t u r e o f t h e m u s i c i n d u s try . S e e m s like m a j o r s a r e o n t h e i r l a s t l e g s a n d t h i n g s a r e m o r e w i d e o p e n f o r u n d e r g r o u n d a r t i s t s l i k e y o u r s e l f .
IB: I t ' s a b o u t t i m e .
HK: What's your favorite quote (or scripture or philosophy)?
IB: " Y o u g u y s g o t t h e c h e d d a ? " - T o n y t h e C o p
HK: H u s t l e k n o c k i n ' s a b o u t b r e a k i n g c o n s t r u c t s ( i . e . p a r a d i g m s ) . Which “c o n s t r u c t ” ( p a r a d i g m ) b e i t i n b u s i n e s s o r s o c i e t y w o u l d y o u l i k e t o s e e b r o k e n ?
P r e j u d i c e .
