Infinite Sounds UK: Exclusive Single Review: Definition of Ill / I Ain't Playin' With Y'all by Phill Most Chill and Krash Slaughta

Definition Of Ill / I Ain’t Playin With Y’all

Phill Most Chill & Krash Slaughta

I think that it's fair to say that when you think of legendary names in the Hip Hop scene, you can’t go much wrong with Phill Most Chill (Devastating Two, JORUN PMC, The Fabreeze Brothers, The Analog Mutants) and Krash Slaughta (II Tone Committee, Monkey Mafia, All Time High).

These two represent some of the best there is with that live breath and bleed Hip Hop. Phill Most Chill grew up in Connecticut, USA in the late 1970’s where he first began his journey with what would become Hip Hop. Over the year he has been an emcee, DeeJay, producer, writer, and even an artist. His aliases include Baritone Triplove, Soulman and Lovemoney, and he has recorded with the likes of DJ Format on The Foremost, Paul Nice (R.I.P) on The Fabreeze Brothers and DJ Snafu & DJ Grazzhoppa as the Analog Mutants. PMC literally has Hip Hop running through his veins and I simply don’t have the room here to fully list all his achievements over the course of the last fifty years. Krash Slaughta, from Livingstone Scotland, is a world-renowned DeeJay, Turntablist, Scratch DeeJay and Producer. He was one of the pioneers of the UK Hip Hop scene and part of some of the legendary UK crews including II Tone Committee and the Big Beat legends Monkey Mafia.

Now I have reviewed work by both these legendary figures and their talents never cease to amaze and blow me away every time they play through my speakers. So, it is truly something special to finally have both these two together on this single. But, beyond that they are also working on an album together which promises to be one of the highlights of the year. But, before that album graces our ears, we get to be treated to this initial single offering.

So, let's get into it right now, no messing…

The A-Side is Definition of Ill and, right out the gate, this one hits with this energetic, pulse pounding, speaker busting sound of heavy drums and horns. This is the sort of boom bap sound that has your ears and everything in-between, vibrating. Here we find that Phill Most Chill has a thing or two to say about what defines being Ill within Hip Hop; the first two verses see him demonstrate what it is to be an ill emcee, with intricate, slick rhymes and devastating flows, PMC hits you with the kind of rap skills which can only come with a few decades worth of continually practicing and honing your skills. He follows this with one final verse that is all about Krash Slaughta and why he is one of the best at what he does. But, once PMC has laid it all out and told you all you need to know, it’s time for Krash to give you the Definition of Slaughta, with an outstanding display of styles as he cuts and scratches on two turntables with just two slices of premium quality wax.

Flipping to the B-Side its time for I Ain’t Playin with Y’all; where a classic head nod beat is the foundation which is over laid with guitar vibes and Krash Slaughta on the cut, so as you bounce and groove to the sound, the cuts slice through your awareness, allowing the essence of Hip Hop to permeate every cell of your body. Now that PMC has defined exactly what it is to be Ill, its time for him to show that being one of the most ill means that there is no time to playing. PMC gives us another three verses that go full on with a masterclass in just how to put words to their best use, which is exactly what Hip Hop is all about. There is also a warning here too, if you’re one of those rappers what thinks they can play the rap game, then PMC is here to take you out and diss you to your face if that’s what it takes because, he ain’t playing here, this is serious business, and PMC has the skills to pay the bills and much more. But this one ain’t over just yet because there is still time for Krash Slaughta to get on the decks once more and show that he ain’t playing either; if you’re not serious, then you’re likely to come away cut down to size and not half the person you used to be.

Overall, there is one thing that you can say unequivocally about this single, which is this: across two tracks and a little under seven minutes, Phill Most Chill and Krash Slaughta, show you that you need not spend any more time wondering if Hip Hop is dead or not; not only is Hip Hop not dead but, this display of real Hip Hop vibes has the power to jumpstart the heart of anyone who might have given up on the scene.

Let’s just be real here for a second; Phill Most Chill puts on the kind of display of rap lyricism that is the heart of what Hip Hop music is, and I could spend ages talking about his vocals, rap style and so on but, there is no need for me to do that because it’s all right here for you to hear; and talking about hearing things, Krash Slaughta doesn’t only show why he is one of the best turntablists but, he brings the sound and the cuts which are the very soul of Hip Hop music. So, between them, these two incredible talented individuals, come together, almost merging into one, to bring you the very heart and soul of Hip Hop music in one 7-inch record.

In fact, you can sum up this record in these few words “This is what Hip Hop is about”, it’s really that simple.

This release also has one surprise left in store for you all. Beyond the banging Hip Hop sound and incredible lyricism, the guys have two cover variants. First there is the dope graff cover from Glasgow writer Mak One, which you can see above, and has that classic Hip Hop/B-Boy inspired cover. But there is also an incredible Limited Edition cover artwork, courtesy of Daddy Bones, that is inspired by Andy Warhol's famed Banana cover art for the self titled album by The Velvet Underground & Nico from 1966, which featured a peelable banana that, when removed, revealed a pink coloured fruit with obvious sexual connotations, which was perfect for the kind of avant-garde movements around at that time. However, the Limited Edition Definition of Ill cover features a yellow microphone, which is also peelable, with a full colour back cover. So, what does peeling off the microphone reveal? Well, for the answer to that, you'll just have to grab yourself a copy and see. It is also worth noting that both cover variants also have different designs for the vinyl labels as well; you can have a sneak peek at the artwork for the Limited Edition below for an idea of what to expect...