Formerly a member of early 2000’s staple Non Phixion, Ill Bill has built worldwide acclaim as an edgy proponent of remaining true to Hip Hop’s roots. An acquired taste for certain, his hardcore repertoire has served an audience driven to appreciate the cold depiction of New York that coincides with the chip on his shoulder—both products of being raised in a far more frantic era. Handing out trophies to the elements that shaped his being, The Grimy Awards is Ill Bill’s latest addition to what has become quite an extensive catalog over time.
A probable inspiration to the demented routine of his younger blood brother Necro, Ill Bill’s form is off-putting and uncompromising without signs of easing up. Putting his rolodex to good use, The Grimy Awards is a celebration of the underground’s elite and his place within it, as scratched hooks and abrasive raps are sure to delight the stereotypical “backpacker” crowd. Perfectly capable of holding his own, Bill enlists the help of up and coming Action Bronson affiliate Mayhem Lauren to wax nostalgic on their old stomping grounds on “L’Amour East,” while “Power” features vets O.C. and Cormega, the three proudly repping the spoils of independently controlling their careers. As its title suggests, the gritty outlook of “Severed Heads Of State” has El-P behind the boards along with dropping a guest verse, and the similar style of Jedi Mind Tricks aids Ill Bill’s lyrical slaughter on “120% Darkside Justice,” songs not designed for the faint of heart.
Though Ill Bill possesses strengths in flowing, The Grimy Awards stands out on the merits of its production lineup suited to please golden age enthusiasts missing the East Coast’s prior domination. For starters, Pete Rock provides the soundtrack for “When I Die,” a tribute to the late Uncle Howie (his name and voice a fixture in the minds of Ill Bill’s fans), as well as the complicated delivery in the philosophy found on “Truth.” Another legend to land two spots is Large Professor, responsible for “Acid Reflux,” an homage to the LSD hallucinogenic and “Canarsie High” where Bill’s dropping out to get a GED is rationalized by losing faith in society. On the same dark path, Psycho Les handles duties on “How To Survive The Apocalypse” and in a rare moment of positivity, “World Premier” closes the album saluting Gang Starr’s beat maker extraordinaire, with its very subject lacing the track.
Violently ominous, Ill Bill provides a rather jarring listen, as The Grimy Awards sticks steadfast to an abrasive script. While longtime fans will likely praise Bill’s dedication to holding down his loyal following, the limited amount of calm here will cause the unintiated to wonder if he just lacks the desire to leave the comfort of his bubble and cross over and ward off anyone yet to familiarize themselves with his work by this point.
Fair review, I would say.
great album, top notch production, as a fan of bill you know what he is he raps a bout drugs,sex, and violence and thats why i listen. i wouldnt what him to rap about strip clubs and skateboarding, great ablum stays true to himself, his fans, and family
Why in the world would Ill Bill leave the “bubble to cross over” to those yet unfamiliar with his work? Now do you ask rappers to sell out all the time in your reviews or are you just a main stream hip hop head that doesn’t know a thing or two about the subject matter and thinks radio hip hop play now a days is what’s hot?
Seriously, this album is for the true hip hop heads. It’s for those who were born in the 70’s or early 80’s that are 30yrs and older who miss this type of raw material.
COULDNT AGREE MORE! CLASSIC ALBUM
Dope dope dope.
Albums fucking fire!
Raw Hip Hop
bill fell off with this album…
he sounds white and nerdy on almost every track!!!!!!!!!!!!
bills flow used to be butter and now he sounds like he gets winded brushing his teeth…. dudes trying way too hard
album pretty much sucks but i like the large pro tracks the muggs joint and the psycho les track got a hot beat
LOL @ c-lance
his little minute made epic beats are TRASH
LOL @ underground rappers obsessed with heavy metal
metal heads dont like them either
There are so many things wrong about this comment. By you saying he fell off with this album indicates you’re a fan but with all this negativity I’m not seeing it. Also if you’re still one of those people stuck in the rap is only for blacks age you need to mature a little. And what the hell us wrong with a rap artist liking other genres of music? Also to generalize just all underground artists loving metal is idiotic.. overall you’re a idiot
YOU JUST A HATER!
Ill Bill never disappoints, solid listen
Can’t see a better hardcore rap album coming out this year! Solid from front to back. Easily one of my favourite rappers out there right now in any sub-genre of rap.
offical
Fire
Large pro, pete rock, and premier on the boards?! Bill went epic on this one.
5 Stars
Beautiful album
aaa
The Hour of Reprisal iz much betta #justsayin
Yeah, I think so. I couldn’t even play this whole album without skipping. The Hour Of Reprisal remains as his best work. This album had a lots of potential to be a better album, but it’s not in my opinion. 🙁
cornball emo-metal bullshit and what the fuck is Braunstein looking up at the sky for, is he hoping it’s gonna rain Nathan’s hot dogs now or what?
Roll N Roaster >>>> Ill Bill’s career
How come they won’t let us rate this?? Fix this sh** DX!!
happened to me too- rated it a 5 to bring it up from 3 but it didnt change the rating- and i will bombard this site with tons of exposure of this if they dont pull their heads out there asses
yeah seriously dude, I tried like 3 times already.. I even tried to drop that wack ass rapper J Cole down a notch with a one rating and that also didn’t go through!!
Then doesnt that tell you there is a site issue, not a conspiracy. Calm down, sure they will fix it soon.
only 3.5/5????????
Dope shit
3.5 ,uhhhhh naw! at least a 4. try again dx. another solid album from bill and i’m a real picky dude. i feel like dx loves to under rate real hip hop albums- we all know they have a hard time rating anything properly. do they just let 1 guy rate it? he reviews it then rates it? if i ran a site their would be multiple people rating the albums to safeguard from biased one dimensional reviewers who don’t have enough spectrum to appreciate different stuff. anybody that thinks this aint a 4/4 had drank too much aspartame and fluoride!
Shutup, save your money, hire a staff and start your own site. Motherfuckers always got something to bitch about but aint doing shit themselves. Can that shit fam
And stop posting under DATAPLAN fam, shit is not smart nor cool.
chea
What’s up with itunes and this album? I says the download is only partial and when I pre-ordered it had everything on it including the two or three videos etc. I can’t even buy it now through itunes. Plus I won’t hit the record store to purchase the CD until the weekend anyway. And yes, for artists I really like, I buy the digital and physical copy.
Test
Too abrasive? hiphopdx is a bunch of pussies. they hated on madchilds album last year too.
What’s funny is that it’s the same Monkey who reviewed MadChild’s album. If Dude doesn’t like Backpacker Boom Bap type Hip Hop then why have him review it?
5/5
the album is fire!, from the beginning to the end.
5/5 and potential to be a classic someday. how did this get a lower rating than dick ross? y’all need to lay off some of these reviewer monkeys cuz something is terribly wrong here
Just gave this a perfect five, let’s see if it registers…
Nope… man what the fuck HHDX?
Wouldn’t you think it would be obvious that this is Bill’s best album with production from DJ Muggs, Beatnuts, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, El-P, etc? I haven’t heard it yet, but like some of yall are saying the Reprisal album was better and that had like no big producers on it. I know an album’s not all about production but it is a huge part of it.
nice
album is a 4/5- but when i voted it wouldn’t register. conspiracy!
I.P. ADDRESS:ON FILE
HIPHOPDX//02/26/13
WARNING:
THIS SITE IS SUSPECTED OF INTENTIONALLY FIXING ALBUM RATINGS. WE HAVE RECEIVED -6- COMPLAINTS TODAY AND ARE CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN APPROPRIATE INVESTIGATION. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE. SITES LIKE HIPHOPDX CAN CAUSE SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL DAMAGE TO RECORDING ARTISTS BY FIXING ALBUM RATINGS. ALSO, SITES THAT ENGAGE IN RATINGS FIXING ARE COVERTLY MISLEADING THE SITES USERS. THE SITES USERS ARE THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE SITE (HIPHOPDX.COM) POSSIBLE AND ARE ALSO THE PEOPLE WHO PURCHASE ALBUMS.
*UNETHICAL WEBSITE CONDUCT -7/10
I.P. ADDRESS:ON FILE
HIPHOPDX//02/26/13
WARNING:
THIS SITE IS SUSPECTED OF INTENTIONALLY FIXING ALBUM RATINGS. WE HAVE RECEIVED -6- COMPLAINTS TODAY AND ARE CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN APPROPRIATE INVESTIGATION. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE. SITES LIKE HIPHOPDX CAN CAUSE SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL DAMAGE TO RECORDING ARTISTS BY FIXING ALBUM RATINGS. ALSO, SITES THAT ENGAGE IN RATINGS FIXING ARE COVERTLY MISLEADING THE SITES USERS. THE SITES USERS ARE THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE SITE (HIPHOPDX.COM) POSSIBLE AND ARE ALSO THE PEOPLE WHO PURCHASE ALBUMS.
*UNETHICAL WEBSITE CONDUCT -7/10
I.P. ADDRESS:ON FILE
HIPHOPDX//02/26/13
WARNING:
THIS SITE IS SUSPECTED OF INTENTIONALLY FIXING ALBUM RATINGS. WE HAVE RECEIVED -6- COMPLAINTS TODAY AND ARE CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN APPROPRIATE INVESTIGATION. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE. SITES LIKE HIPHOPDX CAN CAUSE SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL DAMAGE TO RECORDING ARTISTS BY FIXING ALBUM RATINGS. ALSO, SITES THAT ENGAGE IN RATINGS FIXING ARE COVERTLY MISLEADING THE SITES USERS. THE SITES USERS ARE THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE SITE (HIPHOPDX.COM) POSSIBLE AND ARE ALSO THE PEOPLE WHO PURCHASE ALBUMS.
*UNETHICAL WEBSITE CONDUCT -7/10
I.P. ADDRESS:ON FILE
HIPHOPDX//02/26/13
WARNING:
THIS SITE IS SUSPECTED OF INTENTIONALLY FIXING ALBUM RATINGS. WE HAVE RECEIVED -6- COMPLAINTS TODAY AND ARE CURRENTLY ENGAGED IN APPROPRIATE INVESTIGATION. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE. SITES LIKE HIPHOPDX CAN CAUSE SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL DAMAGE TO RECORDING ARTISTS BY FIXING ALBUM RATINGS. ALSO, SITES THAT ENGAGE IN RATINGS FIXING ARE COVERTLY MISLEADING THE SITES USERS. THE SITES USERS ARE THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE SITE (HIPHOPDX.COM) POSSIBLE AND ARE ALSO THE PEOPLE WHO PURCHASE ALBUMS.
*UNETHICAL WEBSITE CONDUCT -7/10
You guys are hilarious. If something doesnt work its all of a sudden a conspiracy lol. Have you tried to rank anything else on the site today? Nothing is working, it’s not just this album review. The site was down a few days ago so they probably are working out a few bugs. Yall smoking too much weed or something, paranoid as shit haha
What do you expect from Ill bill fans, alldude does is rap about conspiracies
This album is fucking amazing. Great concept, banging production, and face melting lyrics! The dude reviewing this is an idiot, why wold Ill a ill make a soft album?
This album is dope. Wanna know why?……
This album comes from the heart. It has style,flow, charisma, truth and most importantly comes from a 20 year+ veteran of hip hop who has perfected his no b/s style and continues to blow up the hip hop scene.
This aint no Lil Wayne bling bling piece of crap song you listen to once and and are pissed you just lost 4 mins of your life, to me every time i listen to this album (like his other albums) i pick up on something different and learn something from his lyrics.
Keep em coming Bill
Much Respect
Wonder if this ^^ is really Chris Palko? = O
You just said exactly what I love most about Bill; you LEARN SOMETHING from his lyrics. Every single time. And THAT is rare nowadays. The Kill Devil Hills album to me is his best work, and no doubt a classic, and was like a class for me. I learned so much, it made me think so much and question so much. The day I saw the Exploding Octopus video, I immediately found, and read, Technological Slavery, and had it not been for Bill, i would’ve never know about the book, or read it. He enlightens his people, and that’s so fuckin respectable.
Fuckin love Ill Bill. This reviewer just doesn’t have good taste, obviously, and he’s entitled to that.
DJ Muggs, Beatnuts, DJ Premier, Pete Rock(x2), El-P, H.R, Large Professor(x2),Ayatollah, A-Trak, Lil Fame, O.C and Cormega… this is definitely his best album. Four beats suck on this album though he needs get of those Army Of The Pharoahs/ Jedi Mind Tricks beats!
dope white boy like me…killin’ niggs. hot album cover…best of the year…grimy like manhole. the beats being jackin’ hebrews.
Stop violating Opie…
…Fuckin White Boys.
Let’s see if they let me vote..
Bill always keeps it real! For that, I salute him! 5/5
wtf? average user rating was at 4 yesterday, now its back down to 3?? shady stuffs goin on. someoneat dx must not like bill. how does the average user rating go up and then down and their was a perfect 5 but now none? b.s.
I voted perfect 5.
I think the dude who reviewed this is from the UK. No wonder he doesn’t understand this.
No offence, but I’m from the UK and I understand Ill Bill and love his music. The reviewer may be wrong, but it’s nothing to do with his nationality. You get stupid people everywhere.
4/5. Hour of Reprisal still his best album, so far.
Awesome
ARRRGH!! Very good!
ill bill mutha fuckaa
Ill Bill is still out to kill and drill wack rappers..
Strong effort…. the reviewer on that new dope
5
So amazing, love it.
I find myself confused more than any other time I’ve read a review on this site. I listened to the album, and thought it was great….production & lyrics. If this is one of his weaker releases, than I need to get back to his older stuff and bump it. Its one thing to have top notch producers on an album, but the actual rapper blows…but thats not the case here at all. I’m not screaming classic by any means, but its alot better than this review would indicate.
Ill Bill with more heat.
Its alright but it just seems like a step below his previous albums. He’s been hanging out with Vinnie Paz too much he’s starting to pick up that corniness from him….. Still has some great moments tho
Paz is the Man…Ur an Idiot.
i’m not gonna sugar coat it. ill bill fell off. have you seen this guys live show in recent years? really sad. he stands in one place and raps one line, takes a huge breath while someone else finishes the bar for him and uses this weird PA style voice that sounds nothing like the record. breath control is shit. clarity is shit. loud mumbles. back in 99 non phixion had one of the best live shows in rap. long time ago. bill is a thinker he still has cool concepts and says some cool stuff and he even got some cool beats here but the music is just not very good. that canarsie high song has a great beat, but bill sounds horrible on it. he tried making a brendas got a baby type record and failed miserably. i wish large pro gave that beat to nas. all in all i gotta respect the fact hes still here doing his thing, but as a fan from long ago i’m ready to walk away. also really bizarre to me that necro and bill are brothers both making underground rap music with similar audiences and they can’t get it together to make some music. they would both benefit from eachothers help.
Dude hes 100% hip hop!!!
Most playback live or even just rap over theire songs…
I see ur point but common now!!!
Not true at all. i caught a Bill and Vinny show in sweden a couple of months ago and he killed it. Great energy all the way through. i seen him 3 times since 2002 with Non phixion and he is definately a super consistent live performer and no way near fallen off.
I think Ill Bill knows what he’s doing…he just adapts to the crowd
I am a fan of bill but……. With the production line up prior to the release looks almost too good to be true and of course it was…Some nice tracks overall a solid album front to back not at all…Some of the beat selection were boring a lazy…Dj premier produced track decent not the best beat he could have brought to the table society is brainwashed was a lot nicer…
is where this album went, so it seems. shit’s nice. you need to listen to it more than once or twice. not the cleanest listen musically, and it’s an acquired taste. but this is smart, ignorant, and creative at once. it’s like Dr. Frankenstein’s master piece. Right on the same level of HOR
Stupid review..scratched hooks and abrasive raps are sure to delight the stereotypical “backpacker” crowd? WOW
sucks…
hour of reprisal was dope this is garbage , no substance wack production
If that is true, tell me that’s not IRONIC as fuck. So, the production on this album is wack, but the album has Pete Rock, The Beatnuts, DJ Premier, Large Professor, EL-P, AND DJ Muggs?!!! HAHA, that shit is crazy. Shit, even Ayatollah’s on there. It’s hard to see how an album could be wack with that lineup.
No substance? Hahahaha, what a joke. Bill is on another level with this album. Clearly he surpassed your ability to comprehend, don’t be a hater cause of it.
man your str8 smoking crack rocks if u think hour of reprisal was better than this………i love bill and everything but hour of reprisal was a piece of poop
I am shocked to find these low ratings in here. A below 4 rating is a real shame and just wrong. I think this album is showing Bill at his best. Definately one of the top albums of 13 so far. Pz.
i agree with u, its disappointing that this great album has a rating lower than four. This is definitely one of 2013’s most rapped album together with czarface
best of 2013 so far, and will stay in the to 5 for sure in my books, thank you for another amazing album bill!! and the people not enjoyin the album can dive off a cliff, lol, one..
What’s so great about an artist of Bill’s caliber is he makes the kind of album HE wants to make – and has drawn a fan base off THAT – he’ll never be famous, but who gives a fuck he does what he wants to do and eats off that. That’s important. Whether you like the album or not it’s the effort of a professional.
Love this album
Dope. Bill is the MAN
Good record, big production, dudes can spit, but topically misses me sometimes. Overall nice project tho.
Topically misses you?
great album
Bill does it again.
Notice all the angry backpackers who feel the need to respond to negative comments about this album. Get a life you obnoxious douchebags everybody is entitled to their own opinion. Personally, I like the album but I’m not gonna spill period blood over every motherfucker out here with the opposite view of it. The world would be boring as fuck if we all did the same thing.
Anyway, favorite tracks are power (Mega killed that shit), Severed heads of State with El & the joint about the Unabomber. Havent had time to really get into the whole thing yet but I liked it so far
Ohhh, Your shit got exposed son. This man speaks truth!
Dope release – 4 stars.
Everything is great minus the one with Vinnie and Jus. Beat was awful, and the hook was also. Everyhting else on the album, great.
it’s a song for the fans…
Like Paul Baloff at studio 54 live
“Ultimate Revenge Tour” VHS, all time greatest
great record. anything less than 4 stars and I would have to second guess what you’re listening to.
fuck ya haters