Mars ILL
Mars ILL’s Raw Material is one of those records that never get old. The Atlanta-based duo's debut album has made hard-line critics bite their tongues and turned casual listeners into diehard fans. Christians and not have been drawn to their relevant and honest lyrics.
DJ Dust’s rugged, melodic beats and manCHILD’s frantic, intellectual rhyming are a perfect fit. Even the cover art depicting a mailbox with the group’s name in graffiti lettering has become embedded in the minds of many hip-hop fans.
“We basically wrote most of the songs over the course of '99 while we were touring,” manCHILD says. “We just wanted, and still want, to make good music. We feel that if we can do that and show people who we are and what's important to us, it's all worth it.”
After a triumphant intro track featuring shout-outs from a wide variety of hip-hop artists including Blackalicious, an intense string sample sets the stage for Sphere of Hip-Hop. It’s a song that concentrates on the universal appeal of hip-hop culture. manCHILD describes the paradoxes within the culture with lines like, “It’s black and it’s white, it’s wrong and it’s right. It’s full blown promotion and it’s don’t believe the hype.”
Love’s Not (feat. Rahlo) focuses on different examples of how the world has perverted God’s original view of love. The lyrics are complimented by a powerful beat by Scott Matellic- containing a laidback bassline, sparse keys and light flute.
Monotone is another track that stands out on the album. In the first verse, manCHILD puts on a drab voice to point out how predictable and dull the music industry has become. In the second verse, he cleverly uses popular abbreviations to expand on his discussion. A haunting piano and heavy scratching help to make this track especially memorable.
Raw Material is a very diverse album. There are deep songs like Who Will Answer (feat. Remnant), Abolition of manCHILD, Touch and Go (feat. Sev Statik), Fade to Black (feat. Sintaxtheterrific) and Sounds of Music (feat. Rahlo and Sintaxtheterrific).
There are fun and humorous songs like Rap Fans (feat. Sharlok Poems of L.A. Symphony), Compound Fractures (feat. Sintaxtheterrific), Unsound and Try Again (feat. Flynn of L.A. Symphony and Rahlo).
For the turntable enthusiast, there is DJ Dust showcases on Send a Man, We’ll Live Underground and Indulgent Instrumentals #1 and #2.
“On top of him being one of the most talented cats out there, he’s incredibly humble,” manCHILD says of Dust. “That combination is really unique. His beats challenge me to come correct when I write.”
Dust and manCHILD joined forces in late 1998. Raw Material was originally released in 2000 on Sphere of Hip Hop Records and was re-released on Uprok Records in 2001.
The album’s success has led to Mars ILL getting appearances on numerous projects like the John Reuben, DJ Maj, Unknown Prophets, Playdough, KJ-52, Sinners Prayer, Freddie Bruno, BK and Associates, numerous compilations and more. It also enabled Mars ILL to tour extensively and release their family project Deepspace 5 - The Night We Called It A Day, also on Uprok Records. |
