I think the same can be said for Stu Bangas as well. I have been hearing his production across my album collection for a number of years already but I've only really aware and anticipating his music releases for the last two years or so. In that time he had production credits on albums from Apathy, Vinnie Paz and Sean Price, as well as the second installment of Watson and Holmes with Blacastan.
Ill Bill and Stu Bangas had never worked front to back on an entire album before, though Bill is no stranger to production from Stu Bangas with their first collaboration as early as 2013. Rumors of a full project from the two of them began as early as 2017 with the album finally arriving on March 29th of 2019 on a joint venture between Uncle Howie Records and Brutal Music.
Beginning with the title track, we see the concept of Cannibal Hulk applied to Bill himself as well as a fictional hallucinogen that transforms unsuspecting customers into cannibals. Stu's instrumentation is gloomy and menacing with alternating snares woven together by frantic piano melodies. I'm glad that Bill opens the record with such a long verse as well. A strong start and tone-setter.
The record keeps getting stronger with the second song "Antron Singleton". The song opens with a news clip before sinister guitars emerge with impactful snares and cymbals. I like that the cannibal theme is applied in a different way for each song. Ill Bill and Goretex have always had good chemistry but the frequency of their collaborations has picked up in recent years. This song is just so tough all the way through I can't play it without scowling.
"Yo Gamma Gamma" seems to sample some dialogue from a Hulk cartoon. Though its a short skit, it does demonstrate another example of how flexible the Cannibal Hulk theme is across the EP.
"World War Hulk" is kind of the posse cut with Goretex and Slaine lending vocals. I wasn't initially into this beat but, I've grown to appreciate the intricate drum breaks and wild guitars. Ill Bill has an entire bar dedicated to a sound effect but it does match the manic delivery of his verse. Goretex has a sharp verse it's clear these four artists are having a lot of fun on this one. The best feature on the album has to go to Slaine as he switches flow patterns and ends rhymes before and after snares while still pushing his vocabulary as far as he can.
The skits carry on with "Green Sabbath". Bill is always great at digging for news clips that convey the supposed bad influences of metal music. It's a cool throwback to the themes of the music videos from Black God White Devil.
My favourite beat can be found on "Russo's On The Bay". Stu laces strings over some real ominous keys. These keys sounds like a music box from a horror movie. The snares by itself is kinda thin and doesn't have much impact so I'm glad there's tambourines layered on every other snare hit. Vinnie Paz's contribution is as gruesome as it is extravagant. Ill Bill return fire with similar braggadocio and satanic references. "Russo's On The Bay" is another hit from Heavy Metal Kings and if there is a third installment to their groups catalog I hope they include beats from Stu Bangas.
An Ill Bill project isn't complete without references or nod to Bills late Uncle Howie. "Scumbags" brings us a sound byte of Uncle Howie reminding us to think before we judge. While it doesn't really tie into the next song it does help slow the record down a bit for the contemplative song that comes next.
My favourite song overall is "Joe Fixit" featuring Snak The Ripper. Stu's drums keep momentum up and are paired nicely with piano melodies and rising strings. Bills tone lessens but his language still stays pretty abrasive. I always get a chuckle out of Bills line "poop in Rihannas mouth/shoot up your mama's house." The hook is easy to memorize and I can see the chorus going over well in foreign markets with the crowd callouts that run in the background of the chorus. Snaks gets more personal as he references the different levels of success he's had throughout his career. I also gotta give Snak his props for using the word osteoporosis in a rhyme.
"Shiva Call" is another highlight on the record. Stu brings more melody with strings sections and gentler drums. The string section on this song might be my favourite bit of instrumentation on the record. Ill Bill slows down his flow a little bit. Shit, even Goretex seems to be rapping at a more reserved register as well. Bills verse has some highlights like "My friends rip ATMs out of wall with tow trucks." It's a similar vibe to "Bad Hombres" from Black God White Devil with a larger focus on acoustics and atmosphere.
We close the record with the first promotional single "Hulk Meat". Stu Bangas bring probably the spookiest beat on the record with haunting piano melodies and low rumbling drums. Bill and Goretex have cool enough verses I'm just not crazy of the direction they took with the hook. There's heavy pitch and distortion over the vocals. So much so that, I'm STILL trying to decipher what's he's even saying.
Pros: Ill Bill and Stu Bangas definitely were hands on with beat choices and the chemistry is really obvious off the first couple of tracks. Even when I'm not drawn towards a beat or some of the verse blend in, I can still appreciate the tentativeness of it all. It's as hard hitting as you want it to be but still plays with your expectations with songs that play with melody more than percussion like "World War Hulk" or "Shiva Call". Bills featured friends really deliver on their contributions as well.
Cons: Though the intentions of each song always succeed its still just a question of what I liked of not. There's a few beats and verses that in comparison to others that don't grasp my attention. The other gripe I can think of is with it being three years since a solo Ill Bill album, I would've liked to see a longer track listing.
In the end if Ill Bill and Stu Bangas end up making these collaborative projects a regular thing, similar to Watson and Holmes or any number of Bills side projects, I would look forward to it. Bangas understands the tone and range of Bills music and can tailor a perfect mix. I hope there's more full length projects they work together on even if I'm not loving 100% of it. Much like Czarface (another comic infused rap act) they could have their best album coming later in their discography.
