E.C. Illa - Natural Born Illa
Reviewed By: ULTIMATECDLINK
Album Rate: 4 out of 5 Stars
E.C. Illa is one of the most respected rappers in Chicago. This is the follow-up album to "Power Moves". Illa handled the production duties on this album which includes guest appearances from Yung Buk, Legendary Traxster, Rasco, Planet Asia, & J.U.I.C.E.
1. Light The Fuse (intro)
2. Too Raw (f/ Father Tyme)-- this track got a beat like the score from a horror film with some scratchin mixed in as well. E.C. Illa lays down some nice vocals. Nice track worth checkin out.
3. Uncle Buk (interlude)-- Yung Buk from Psychodrama does a little talkin here
4. Made In Chicago-- this track has a read laid back beat. E.C. Illa has got a nice flow and raps at a good tempo. He basically reps the Windy City and describes how it's his kind of town.
5. I Ain't Trippin-- another track with a mid-tempo beat with a little record scratchin in it. You also get a blues feel with the guitar strummin at times. E.C. Illa comes with a tight flow on the track in which he says he's "had it with rap magazines".
6. What You Want (f/ The Legendary Traxster)-- this track has got a heavy bass beat with a little piano play mixed in. The flows on this one are tight and the track is definitely worth checkin out.
7. Don't Get Me Started-- the beat on this track sounds like it came outta New York. E.C. Illa comes hard on this track. I'm feelin this track.
8. Prisoners of Belief (interlude)-- more talkin by Yung Buk of Psychodrama
9. B-Boys-- this is an attempt at an up-tempo track. But it feels really out of place at this point on the album. The track really isn't bad though. I had to listen to this one a couple of times but it's a nice track. Beat on it is pretty tight.
10. Salute (f/ J.U.I.C.E.)-- the beat on this track feels like it came off TLC's "No Scrubs". This track has a old school east coast feel to it. But J.U.I.C.E. and E.C. Illa step to the mic pretty nicely.
11. Keep It Goin-- this track has a heavy bass beat with some scratchin in it. Nothing really special about this track.
12. You Talkin To Me?-- the intro to this track starts off with the classic Robert DiNero lines "you talkin to me..." which also doubles as the hook. Illa comes tight as fuck on this one. Very nice track.
13. Blast Off (f/ Rubberoom)-- this track has got a very heavy bass beat. Rubberoom comes pretty tight on the mic. This is the first time I think that E.C. Illa raps faster than normal on this album. Still no tongue twistin though.
14. Go Get It (f/ Profound & Ang 13)-- this track has got a nice tempo to it with a deep bassline. Both Profound and Ang 13 come hard lyrically. E.C. Illa also lays some tight lyrics.
15. Sik Flows-- this beat on this track reminds me a little of Texas rap. E.C. Illa drops a couple of tight verses on here. The song got a pretty catchy hook too.
16. Ill At Will (f/ Rasco & Planet Asia)-- this track got a laid back tempo. It has the feel of an old school east coast freestyle session. I'm not really feelin this one. Planet Asia does lay down a tight verse though.
17. Torment (f/ Prime & Matlock)-- the bass-heavy beat on this one is pretty tight. It has a dark, disturbed Eminem "Stan"-feel to it. The lyrics are hard all the wey around.
18. No Remorse-- this track has got a dark eerie feel to it as well. This track is Illa rappin about how he ain't got no regrets about anything. Pretty tight track.
19. Might As Well-- this track is about how hard it was for E.C. Illa to make it in the music biz and how everyone including his mom told him to give it up and get a job. But he said fuck it and he's "going for broke". This is a nice way to end the album.
Overall, this album was unlike any other that I've heard from the Midwest. I really thought that he'd bring the fast rappin, tongue-twistin that those of us who live outside the Chicago area come to associate with Chicago rap. But this album doesn't really have that Midwest feel that I expected. E.C. Illa definitely got some skills but the album wasn't as tight as I expected. I was really looking forward to hearing Yung Buk but all he did was the interludes. Pick this one up if you are looking for tight Chicago rap--but not if you expect the tongue twistin style.
E.C. Illa - Natural Born Illa