On their debut self-titled EP, the duo of ‘ILLYZILLA’—Nigerian rapper iLLBLISS and producer/DJ Teck-Zilla—deliver the sound of two gifted artists at the top of their respective games. Lyrically, iLLBLISS commands the attention of his opposition and followers with an authoritative voice and tack-sharp bars. The immediacy of his rhymes is complemented perfectly by Teck’s always-on point production that injects modern touches into Golden Era Boom bap.

It’s obvious to anyone listening that these two were destined to work together, which makes the EP’s conception that much more magical. They wrote and recorded the six tracks in less than a week’s time—Dec. 26-31, 2018—and the end result is something you’d think they painstakingly crafted for months and months.

http://smarturl.it/illyzilla

Their instant-kinship is apparent throughout, especially on “Lead or Follow” which fuses iLLBLISS’ commanding wordplay over Teck-Zilla’s war drums and triumphant sample chops. To boot, Teck flips the soundscape at the 1:26 marker by swapping the triumphant baseline with a more ethereal aesthetic, proving that you can make raw beats while still being innovative.

It’s that same sense of balance that makes ILLYZILLA successful as a complete project. Everyone on here is bringing their best to the table without stepping on each other, and it provides a feeling of harmony that makes the EP such an addictive listen. Head over to your preferred digital retailer or streaming platform to support I’LLYZILLA,’ which is available now via Str8Buttah Productions!