ILLA J
BLASTAH BEATZ
MS.TRINITI
PRYSLEZZ
T.I.T.S
ILLA J Interview
Interview By: The Boy Hollywood
CHAMP: What’s up man? What are you up to at the current moment?
ILLA J: You know just pretty much working on my next project and at the same time I’m eventually getting ready to tour.
CHAMP: Is this going to be a promo tour or a tour in regards to the previous project?
ILLA J: It’s kind of a promo tour. I definitely might be on the road with Frank and Dank, and maybe also some Slum. We’re just putting it together, but I will definitely be on the road this year.
CHAMP: You dropped “Yancey Boys” in the last quarter of ’08 through Delicious Vinyl. How are you feeling about the response of the album thus far?
ILLA J: It’s good and one thing I knew definitely coming out with that album is that it has to grow with time. For some people it takes a second to take in but I’ve been getting some good responses. Some people may like it some people may not. But we do it for the love of the music.
CHAMP: That’s what’s up! Now all joints are produced by J Dilla, I spoke to L Zi when he was up here a few months ago and he told me it was going to be awhile before anyone was able to spit on Dilla beats because there were none on his album. How did you get the beats and was it a situation where only you can spit on them? Or has that situation resolved?
ILLA J: As far as the tracks on the album those are tracks Delicious Vinyl already had from way back in ’95. All the tracks on the album my brother made from 1995- 1998. What they were going to do originally was make a compilation album with various artists who worked with my brother. What ended up happening was I met up with Mike Ross and he heard some of my music and pretty much he saw me perform my show and he told me why don’t you just do the whole album? So that’s how it went.
CHAMP: No doubt. Going back to Yancey Boys, what was the direction you were trying to take with this album?
ILLA J: Well definitely musically it’s not a “single driven” album. It was more about letting it flow. Since the production was already done I wanted to write on it and not take anything away from the track. I put everything together as if my brother were in the studio with me. It’s just not my album; it’s my brothers as well. I recorded it thinking about how he wanted it and what he would do with it.
CHAMP: You have recently relocated from the D to LA. What’s the reason behind the move and what’s the deal with the Yancey Studios?
ILLA J: I moved to LA because I came out here in ’04 when my brother was here and I really liked it, so when I got the opportunity to get out into the West Coast I took it. I love Detroit but like I love it out here in LA. It’s a good place to be an artist and as far as the Yancey Boy studios it’s a tribute to my brother. It gives me an opportunity to shine my light musically.
CHAMP: You were quoted “Dilla beats sound so right in any whip, and how in a hooptie it will sound like you’re in a Phantom”. What is it about a Dilla beat that captures the soul immediately?
ILLA J: Well first off it’s what he put into his music. He puts his heart into and you have to feel it when you listen to it. He truly was dedicated and loved his craft. You can just tell he put his heart into it.
CHAMP: Do you produce as well or is it just strictly rapping or singing with you?
ILLA J: I produce as well too. Right now I’m working on my second album and I’m doing the majority of the production on it.
CHAMP: Who do we have featured on the “Yancey Boys”?
ILLA J: I go my boy Frank Nitty from Frank and Dank, he’s on the interlude explaining that my whole family is into music and he lets everyone know I’m just not doing it because my brother did it. J Rock did the cuts on a couple of tracks. Then I got my boy Affion on a track “DFTF”, and actually its one of the next singles we did a video for. Then we have “Sounds Like Love” featuring Debi Nova.
CHAMP: Affion who appeared in your video “R You Listening?” how is your relationship with homeboy?
ILLA J: That’s my boy! I had met him through my brother in LA. I linked up with Affion and just started banging out tracks. When I did the album I called him up and said we had to do a joint. The track that he’s actually on at the time I just had two verses on it and I said he would sound so good on the track. After he did the verse I was like hey, do the hook too. I just played the point guard on that joint.
CHAMP: Got you! You said you were working on a new project; do we have a name for the title yet?
ILLA J: Right now I’m trying to bang out track-by-track out, and taking out the ones I don’t want to use. So far I wrote at least 30 or more songs but I think 7 joints are going through the final decision.
CHAMP: Do we have a release day set up or are you taking your time with it?
ILLA J: I’m taking my time with it but you never know I might finish it soon but when it’s ready I will definitely release it.
CHAMP: We’re heading into the second quarter of ‘09, what else can we expect from ILLA J this year?
ILLA J: I’m definitely going to be working with Slum Village. They’re working on some stuff. They got some heat. Frank and Dank we’re just taking it back from what started off our whole crew. Just look out for Slum and Frank and Dank.
Illa J- "R U Listenin"
