Hip-Hop.Ru - ILL BILL

Q. Describe your style of Hip Hop for the uneducated readers?

My music is adrenaline rap. The kinda music you listen to before you jump out of a plane or rob a bank. It’s goon music. If you like hardcore shit, you’ll dig what I’m doing. If you listen to that spineless, soft type shit, don’t bother. My music ain’t for you.

Q. What are your main inspirations and influences for your music and lyrics?

Everything influences me from extreme music like NWA and Slayer to movies like “Goodfellas” and “Fight Club” to goons like Rick Rubin, Charles Bronson and Chopper Reade. Just growing up in Brooklyn my entire life has had an affect on how I make my music.

Q. What was it like growing up in a predominately black area and being a white MC, and do you feel now with the success of Eminem that white MC’s are taken more seriously within the African American community?

Well, it made me more aware of race and racism than the average white kid and rhyming just made it even more obvious. I don’t think Eminem’s success has changed the way black people view white emcees. For the most part, white emcees are looked at skeptically even before they even start rhyming and have to be twice as nice as anybody else to get props. It’s always been that way and I don’t know if it’ll ever change.

Q. Necro and yourself seem to work brilliantly together, is there any brotherly rivalry between you, being that you both work in the same business?

We’re brothers, so there’s always a friendly sort of competitivness between us I think, but us being related also allows us to connect in a way we can’t do with anybody else, so it’s a bugged out kinda deal with us. One thing I know for sure, his production seems to fit what I’m doing lyrically better than any other producer I’ve ever worked with and there’s just a certain vibe we have when we work together that goes back to when we were kids. It’s not something that’s easy to explain. It just comes out like this. If it ain’t broken tho, why even give it much thought, ya know?

Q. “What’s Wrong With Bill” is your debut solo album, what was it like doing your solo record compared to your recordings with Non Phixion?

Well, in a way its harder and in a way it’s easier. It’s harder cos with a solo joint I gotta carry the weight of the entire project on my back. But it’s also kinda easier to not have to check with anybody else if I have an idea and have to compromise on concepts. I can do exactly what I want and don’t have to deal with anybody else’s opinions. It felt good to get a bunch of shit off my chest that I couldn’t get across on the Non Phixion album.

Q. Necro, your brother and one of the illest beat makers in the game produced the whole album which is dropping on his label - “Psycho Logical Records”, did you feel there was an advantage dropping it on a separate label to your own?

Well, just the idea of doing an entire album with Necro was dope to me and the timing just made more sense to release it on Psycho+Logical. Why should I put my eggs all in one basket, ya know? My next album will feature a bunch of joints produced by Necro and some other producers and be released on my label, Uncle Howie.

Q. Break down your favourite track for the readers?

My favourites change all the time but right now my favourite track is “The Anatomy Of A School Shooting” and it’s written from the point of view of one of the Columbine High School Massacre shooters, Eric Harris. It’s just crazy visual and my idea is to take you into the mind of a tortured soul and see what this fucked up kid was thinking before and after he was involved in this fucked up event. It’s really sad that innocent people had to die that day but there’s a moral to the story and people just need to learn to co-exist and not push the wrong people around cos the kid you least expect to snap, will snap the fuck out and it could be a horrific result. The person you sleep on could be the one to put you in your place or worse yet, put you in the dirt.

Q. What was it like shooting the video for “Chasing The Dragon” and what is the concept of the clip?

It was dope as fuck. We’ve done a couple of videos so far but this was by far the most expensive and most professional video I’ve ever been involved in. Dale Rusteghini directed it and he actually just did a Fear Factory video that he shot in Australia that came out sick. He’s also worked with other friends of ours like Hatebreed and we just hit it off with him and grinded it out. The concept is Me and Necro just wiling out in front of the camera in an abandoned warehouse with a bunch of goons and goonettes, some pitbulls and some raw energy. Anybody that sees it and knows what time it is, will love it.

Q. You were involved in a death metal group as a youngster and have included a “Mosh-Pit Remix” of “Chasing The Dragon” on the album which I think works really well, will you be recording more tracks like this in the future?

Yup, definitely. I really dig the way the remix came out and I wanna start doing more songs like this in the future. We’re definitely gonna be incorporating more guitars into songs cos the intensity just translates dope when we perform these kinda tracks live. It’s ill. Moshpits and stage diving just get me even more into it when we rock out live. Reminds me of the hardcore shows I used to go to back in the days.

Q. Along with fellow Non Phixion members Goretex & Sabac, Necro and Mr Hyde also feature on your album making it a total in-house project. What was the reason for not calling in some other well known artists like so many other debut releases feature recently?

Cos I think that’s weak and played out to have mad people you don’t know on your album. I feel like my team is the sickest out right now, so why would I need anybody else?

Q. Uncle Howie features on your album and has appeared on some Non Phixion freestyles of late, will we see a solo track from him soon?

Haha…I hope so. He’s getting some shit together and he’s always writing shit down in his little pad so who knows. I’d like to put out an entire Uncle Howie album if possible. I think the people wanna hear that and so do we, so don’t be surprised if in a year from now you hear an announcement about it.

Q. Have you ever been involved in any production and is it something you see doing or contributing to in the future?

I added my two cents in on my solo album and I’m always involved behind the scenes with anything I rhyme on, but I haven’t made any beats on my own in years. I did a few of the beats on the “ILL BILL – The Early Years” CD. I might get back into it but right now, my rhymes and running Uncle Howie are keeping me busy enough, ya know?

Q. Uncle Howie Records has released older Non Phixion classics recently included the welcomed “Black Helicopters” re-print. Will we see the “How To Kill A Cop” record re-printed anytime soon?

Yeah, Necro is re-releasing it on Psycho+Logical soon. We were just talking about it the other day. Look out for that soon.

Q. You are the CEO of Uncle Howie Records which has recently released a wide variety of singles from Immortal Technique & Q-Unique amongst others. Do you plan to keep releasing other artists in the future?

Yup, we have 2 brand-new singles coming out this month from both Q-Unique & Immortal Technique, plus new records coming soon from both E-Dot & Block McCloud. We’re all about putting out dope shit, so keep on the look out cos we’re just getting started. And also look out for Q-Unique’s debut solo album “Vengeance Is Mine”, out in stores this August.

Q. What has been the biggest change now you run your own label compared to when you were signed to the now defunct label – Landspeed Records?

I don’t have to chase assholes around to collect my money anymore. I get paid directly now. I’ve cut out the middleman finally. I feel like I just got outta jail.

Q. Sabac, Goretex and yourself appeared on the last Jedi Mind Tricks full length, how did you hook up with them and will you be working with again in the future?

I don’t even remember how we met up but those dudes are mad kool and we’d definitely work with them again. In fact, Vinnie Paz makes an appearance on Sabac’s solo album. Hot joint right there. Another Necro-produced banger.

Q. What sort of music do you listen to and what were your last three purchases?

I listen to everything. Last 3 things I bought were the new Slayer Anthology CD/DVD set, Kanye West and Ghostface.

Q. You are known for being porn and weed fiend and have toured Amsterdam before, did you enjoy your time there and what did you get up to?

I got up to everything you’d imagine I got up to. Amsterdam is my favourite place to go in Europe and you know I had to be a scumbag. Can’t wait to go back. I make sure to stay an extra few days after any show we do there.

Q. The Green CD/DVD was a welcome treat for all of us Non Phixion fans, when can we expect the next album and will it feature the same producers from “The Future Is Now”?

Yeah, the CD/DVD is something for all the true heads that have supported us up until this point and for new people to finally get a visual idea of what we’re about. The DVD is two hours of live shows, interviews and the history of the group explained in our own words. The next album is called “Nuclear Truth” and we’re working on it now. So far, it looks like Necro will be doing about half of it, same as “The Future Is Now” and we have some surprises for the rest of the album but we’re still locking shit down so we’ll see what happens. Primo is supposed to be hitting us with some heat and we’d like to bring everybody else back as well. It’s still a work in progress tho, so we’ll see.

Q. Will we see Ill Bill or Non Phixion in Australia anytime soon?

Yes, you will. We’re working on coming over soon and with “What’s Wrong With Bill?” dropping in May and the rest of the crew dropping solo albums, it’s finally the time for us to show ya’ll what our live show is about. We should have been came to Australia by now, so it’s long overdue. See ya’ll in a minute.