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Artist : Q-ILL
Album Title : Tokyo Avant-Garde
Styles : Organic Hip-Hop / Jazzy Hip-Hop
Label : Delfonic Recordings
Reference Code :
GNCL-1024
Released : 2005/04/27
Running Time : 55:41
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REVIEW >>> The man's previous effort even though cherished in the underground circles did not receive the status it deserved and now Q-ILL has teamed up with Delfonic Recordings / Geneon for the new album and it's time to put the new material to the test right here on Culture Universal. What comes across the first thing when inserting the cd to the closest cd player available is the pure joy and fun that the artist obviously had while recording this album. This to an average listener means great japanese hip-hop that is similar to the golden ages of japanese hip-hop from the mid 1990's to the start of the new millennium. To people not familiar with the sounds from the golden age let's just say that the album comes across relaxing and showcases what hip-hop in Japan is about, rhyming with passion without 1 million dollar producers who waste too much time on catchy hooks and forget the music itself in the process. Let the honesty of the new Culture Universal reviews continue when i'd say that Q-ILL definetely is not the world's best MC but the best thing about this is that he doesn't want to be that and not that it matters when the production is on the level where it becomes more than just a listening experience and more of a fuzzy feeling inside knowing you haven't spent your money this wisely in a while. When i said Q-ILL's not the most acclaimed rapper to ever grace the Japanese hip-hop scene i meant in no way that he's wack or just average quite the opposite in fact. On the lyrical level this is his best work yet and shows an example for many of today's young mc's how to do it properly from the beginning to the end. The production is pure relaxation for the ears and Q-ILL has this strange old school vibe to his raps that perfectly fits on the sophisticated jazzy mood of the release. Apart from the intro of the release the album comes with 12 full tracks of real jazz combined with rap, no bullshit. It is a shame that artists such as Q-ILL have to suffer from the low budgets of independent labels when they well deserve to replace the chart topping club material that can't even be compared to a real musical achievement such as this album. Not to be judgemental to any people who prefer that type of music but honestly as a real hip-hop head for the past 15 years this is the style of hip-hop i would love to see on top of the charts and embraced by the millions that spend their hard earned money on the new 50 Cent releases instead. Well one can always dream and at least be happy that people like Q-ILL still exist in the scene to bring us the music we live, love and cherish during our everyday lifes. Even by forcing myself by knocking my head to wall to say something bad about the album is almost impossible. To any mature and sophisticated listener of hip-hop music this album is a gem in any kind of stack of recent hip-hop albums from anywhere on the globe. Now if only we could have releases like this every month and get people to actually buy them we wouldn't have to worry about hip-hop being killed by the major labels and the money hungry "businessmen" that run them. Easily the best hip-hop release of the year only rivalled by the earlier reviewed album Looptroop - Fort Europa. Rating : Words By : Jesse Viinikainen |
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INFO >>> Q-ILL started his career in 1996 in Yokohama, Japan by performing at clubs and by experimenting with rapping and producing at home. In 1999 he joined his own jazz band Diytokion and kept performing with them before releasing his debut album "High Life" in 2000 on Chill Side Records. Won the special jury prize on the annual B-Boy Park (the largest annual hip-hop event in Japan) during 2000 and went into the studio to record his sophomore effort "Out Of Cosmos In the Brain" that was eventually released under Chill Side in 2002. Tokyo Avant Garde is Q-ILL's third album and his first under his new label Delfonic Recordings. |
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02. Tokion Jazz