DJ Muggs Vs. Ill Bill
Kill Devil Hills

Written by Dominick. Published: Tuesday, August 31, 2010.

If you thoroughly enjoy scaring yourself silly watching the seemingly non-stop stream of apocalypse, UFO, Bibe Code and Illuminati televsion programming there is out there, than Ill Bill’s new album with west coast production legend DJ Muggs is something you’ll treasure. Bill isn’t at all new to the world of pulp lyrics and wildly accusatory conspiricies. He’s pretty much been able to carve out a nice niche for himself within the game utilizing a rapidly moving flow that incorporates heavily his talent for flipping rhymes about anything from extraterrestrials to the conspiracy to have John F. Kennedy killed. On “Kill Devil Hills” Bill teams with Cypress Hill sound man DJ Muggs, who’s beats are just dark enough to match his subject matter and just manic enough to fit the panicked mood that will undoubtedly hit you at moments for the next release in Muggs’ celebrated line of “Vs.” albums.

I’ve always felt part of the allure to Ill Bill’s music was the fact that he delivers it with such high energy and conviction. He gets going and soon the lyrics start spilling out like water from a dam that’s been breached. Of course there’s a high degree of sensationalism that comes with his music too that I’d be foolish not to concede also adds to his appeal as well. I would have to liken much of his material to being like a hybrid between a National Enquirer paper and a hardcore Hip-Hop tune. He throws all the energy and vigor of say an “Ante Up”, street driven type song out there, except he’s delving into the world of the unknown and paranormal. Largely on “Kill Devil Hills” he deals with those illicit and maybe too out there topic’s of UFO abductions and the end of the world as we know it (“2013″), but there are many other conivvance themed subjects he touches on as well that fit a lil’ bit better on your average Hip-Hop head.

While he brilliantly works his captivated audience into a frenzy with campy, uber-descriptive verses that provide raw imagery in bulk on “Amputated Saint”, Bill is always careful to sound deliberatley plausible. His words get hurled around like bricks and he makes no bones about deivering them in a manner that would suggest he really believes everything he kicks…adding all the more to the very engaging mystique that this album possesses.

“Kill Devil Hills” is best, I think, when Bill joins forces with other MC’s and sort of is pushed into the direction of collaboration. “Trouble Shooters” is one of the album’s beaming tracks; it finds Bill going in alongside a very poised Sean Price, Sick Jacken and the legendary O.C., who himself absolutely rips shit down. Over Muggs’ blisteringly good boom bap all three MC’s got off somethin’ mean and right now I think I’m hard pressed to name a collaboration this year that eclipses this goody.

Another high point on this effort that came courtesy of collaboration is “Chase Manhattan”; an innately New York sounding type of track where Muggs gets a chance to flex his versatility on the boards and Raekwon & Bill get to go on a heist together. Again Muggs’ masterful production steals the show, but doesn’t over power it’s performers in any way.

Muggs and Ill Bill find a great rhythm from end to end on on this LP…Muggs’ moody, blues and soul inspired, drum heavy concoctions fit Bill’s unhinged brand of paranoia very well and the entire LP shines as perhaps Bill’s best work to date and certainly amongst Muggs’ most pramount endeavors. The guest spots don’t overrun the album and every feature is well selected and compliments Bill’s steez. “Kill Devil Hills” is undoubtedly the cult classic, underground hardcore release that so many of us hoped and thought it would be. Not being disappointed by this album is really a huge thing for Hip-Hop and should garner Bill that much more notability in the barren land that the underground Hip-Hop scene can be. His performances here all were aesthetically and aurally on point. He knew his strengths coming in and played to them mightily. Maybe the conspiracy driven themes get a lil’ tiring in spots, but for the most part the dosage Bill injects you with are just fine and do more to entertain than anything else.

$18.75 out of $20.00

-Dominick “Big D O” Ledezma

Category: Reviews