Ill Conscious x Mute Won "Acres of Diamonds" (Album Stream)

Acres of Diamonds is the 4th LP by Baltimore lyricist ILL Conscious, which is solely produced by Camden, NJ’s Mute Won. With Baltimore and Camden being similar in its grungy aesthetic, the artistic chemistry between ILL and Mute will serve as promising to the listener. The level of introspection and conceptual songs make this album more personable conjoined with a theatrical soundtrack. The 15 track LP features DJ Grazzhoppa, Rome Streetz, Planet Asia, Snook Da Crook (Dirt Platoon), DJ TMB, Omnia Azar, Jamil Honesty, Mandriq, King Magnetic, Dink and more. Big fan of Ill Conscious... I recall reading a post where he discussed losing his notebook of rhymes a while back - that musta been devastating. He's got a dope pen and raw delivery, dig into the new album below...

Ill Conscious & Marshtini "Import Export" (EP Stream)

Import Export is a project orchestrated by renowned Baltimore emcee, ILL Conscious, and Norwegian producer, Marshtini, from the super group, Loop.Holes. With Kool DJ KC Fly on the cuts, this EP will take you on a journey through classic boom bap beats and thought-provoking rhymes. The EP was slated to be released in 2016, but stay unreleased... until now. ILL says that the demand for the project was high, so they decided to release the project ahead of his upcoming LP, Acres of Diamonds. He also adds that there are bonus tracks included with the purchase of the EP. Y'all know I'm a fan of ILL's intricate wordplay and message-driven lyric, so dig into another fine effort below, and, as always, hit up the archives for additional content from ILL Conscious, as well as Loop.Holes.

Ill Conscious "The Epic of Gilgamesh" (EP Stream)

The Epic of Gilgamesh is the new 7-track collaborative EP from Baltimore's Ill Conscious and West Coast producer Aloeight. The EP features Estee Nack, DJ Grazzhoppa, Planet Asia, Omnia Azar, King Los, Eligh and Myea. I know Ill Conscious was working on a new LP, but read on his social media that he had lost his rhyme book, which is a damn tragedy. At the same time, I appreciate MCs who write their lyrics down on paper, giving it that tangible feel and it's clear from his rhyme style that he has golden era sensibilities. Ill can rhyme, man. This is another solid project in a ever-growing catalog, dig into it below and when this pandemic is over, make sure you catch one of his live shows...

Ill Conscious "Logistix" (Album Stream)

Baltimore wordsmith, Ill Conscious, is back with his latest effort, Logistix. 11-tracks of superb beats and sharp rhymes featuring fellow lyricists Jay Royale, Code Nine, Recognize Ali, J. Scienide, Supreme Cerebral, and more. Ill Conscious is a superior eMCee and he enlists some of the best in the underground to join him on this record, do not hesitate to purchase it via Bandcamp. Listen below and dig into the tags to go back through his catalog of great releases if you haven't already!

Ill Conscious, Dirt Platoon & Guy Grams "Parimore" (EP Stream)

The Parimore EP features some of Baltimore’s finest lyricists - Ill Conscious, Guy Grams, and Dirt Platoon - alongside DJ Brans, DJ Low Cut, Street Wyze, and more on production. The 6-track EP displays seasoned lyricism over dope production, period! Baltimore has a nice movement going on in the underground, which is definitely translating overseas, where I'm sure their names ring out. Each MC brings their own style, but it meshes well together as a collective release. Dig into the EP...

Ill Conscious & MZ Boom Bap "Sorcery" (EP Stream)

A dope 5-track EP from Portugal's boombap producer, MZ Boom Bap & Baltimore's super lyrical MC, Ill Conscious. The EP has features from King Magnetic, Omnia Azar, Cyn Hawkes and DJ Grazzhoppa. I've been following Ill Conscious for a few years and he's definitely carrying the torch for MCs who hold lyrics, flow and delivery at the forefront of their craft, while still pushing it forward. Vinyl is also available (in limited quantities) via Vinyl Digital in Germany. I hope to do some work with Ill Conscious in the coming year, I definitely wanna support his movements. Peep the new EP below...

Ill Conscious "The Underachiever" (Mixtape Stream)

Dropping on Ill Catz Records (a Belgian label), Ill Conscious' debut mixtape from back in '09-10, "The Underachiever." I'm told this release is limited to about 100 physical cassettes and it's the 9th release from the Ill Catz label. As they also work on pressing "The Prerequisite" to cassette next, we get to dig back into this throwback mix. The 18-track offering features original cuts produced by Mizfitz Sound, Da Cypher, Tom Delay, Josh Grooves, T-Mos, Skratch Zilla, Sinitus Tempo and a nice blend of freestyles over industry beats - Exhibit C & Devil In A Blue Dress to name a few - spread throughout. It's dope that young artists are aware that their back catalogs hold value & can be leverage for new $ too! I've only been to Belgium once (2010, European Tour with Eternia), it's a shame I never crossed paths with the good folks at Ill Catz Records, I wish them much success. Stream "The Underachiever Mixtape" below and order a copy of the limited edition cassettes HERE.

Ill Conscious "The Prerequisite" (Album Stream)

There are marketing books that'll tell you, "If you try and let the music speak for itself, no one will hear it." With that, it saddens me to see albums released in the digital age without a press release or at least a blurb, to provide context with which to listen to the music (or post about it). And yet, I've seen many albums with little to no press, no backstory, no nothing that sell out and are cult classics, spreading like wildfire through the forums and torrents and social media accounts of fans. Enter Ill Conscious, a supreme lyricist from Baltimore, MD. He put out projects with Chopped Herring that caught my attention (2015), because I'm a vinyl head & a Hip-Hop head, who keeps an ear to the street. There's no way a super-lyrical MC of Ill Conscious' caliber is gonna fly below MY radar, no sir lol. That said, I still can't provide any context to the releases, unless I bug the man for an interview. With that understanding, this post is only able to share that this latest release is a 10-track offering, which features Supreme Cerebral, DJ Audas, Jay Royale, DJ TMB, Yung Miss, Guy Grams, DJ Grazzhoppa & Papitas. The breadcrumbs I just dropped, I hope you dig for more info on these artists. A great blend of beats and great lyrics; reminiscent of the 90s, in 2018.

Ill Conscious "The Essence" (Album Stream)

Chopped Herring Records, the titan of underground, exclusive vinyl releases has caught my eyes and ears yet again. Their latest future-classic is from Ill Conscious, a Baltimore lyricist, who steps to the plate with his debut LP, The Essence. The production on the LP is handled by Loop Holes, MWP, Cold Legistics, illMeasured, Nascent and TooNorth. As for features, we got Dirt Platoon, Shameeka Dream, Yung Miss, and Cyn Hawkes across the 15-track offering. I considered sending a message to Bob Lipitch and inquire as to how his UK-based label came across this B-More spitter, when I'm always looking for MCs of his caliber, lol. Instead, I sent humble props and a guarantee he'd be seeing my money on the release, which he did. Truth is, Chopping Herring Records has been a leader at diggin' and finding gems, so no surprises here! Now, hear what I hear, stream it below...