2010-2011 Morning Beats Week 31 Wednesday

I’m not sure how I came across this cat. I think it was through checking out another MC. Anyway, when I first heard one of his tracks I thought to myself, “I’ve been waiting for years for someone in rap to produce music like this…finally!”

This artist goes by The ILLZ and he’s a young cat from New Jerseywith a nice vision for the potential of hip-hop music. Starting out wantingto be a traditional rapper making traditional rap music, a few setbackschanged his perspective on the genre. He had to leave filmschool whenhe could no longer afford it, then lost his father in a car accident and aclose friend to a shooting. It was around this time that he became boredwith the very music he was trying to make. He saw hip-hop music asa sea of imitators, repetitive music with nothing to say, or saying thesame things in ways that had been done before. His break came whenhe started exploring other music, becoming particularly taken by thework of Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead amongst others.

He began expanding his horizons and you can feel it in the music he makes.The ILLZ has been noted for incorporating several styles from progressiverock to trip-hop to dubstep. That being said, his music can be a little allover the place but it’s always original. And while he’s not a wordsmith likeCannibus or Nas, he’s a sincere MC with a solid flow and great musical production. Check out today’s track and enjoy the chillaxivity of it. It goes distance runner style hitting a nice stride around 2:35. Bon appetite!

quotables:(sorry, no time for love dr. jones!)

I pack more passion just in one sentence,

Than you can translate with a camera’s lenses

Happy Wednesday,

Naje