Illbliss brings the east into mafioso and the Igbo to the braggadocio. The illustrious Illy Chapo fresh from the birth of his daughter releases this unbridled tale of conquest, delivering words of wisdom/experience with his marked assuredness. The big man is so similar to the Notorious B.I.G in delivery as that suave flow combines effortlessly with layers upon layers of rhyme schemes and sometimes he even abandons bars midway and comes back to the sequence after delivering another set of bars. The cocky guttural rumblings explaining street codes, expounding keys to success and that Igbo hustling spirit are synonymous with Illy by now.
The old timer brings that old school smoothness and swag while talking about his achievements, accolades and thirst for more. His level of authority in his assertions his akin to Jay-Z as he conveys messages of gore in the streets whether it be music or business. Pure hip-hop beats handled by Black Intelligence, Major Bangz, Teck Zilla and XYZ enable Illygatti drop bars about his life, success and experiences on his way to the top. Illosophy is Illbliss explaining his template for success and the keys to his achievements.
Major Bangz’s production on “Player to Coach” introduces us to the album as Illbliss begins rapping with pure braggadocio as he talks about his journey so far. “Ruler 2” addresses narratives about his position in the business, rapping about your kids who don’t show enough respect. On “Lie down dia!” the man expounds solid thoughts on living reclusively, avoiding public eye and finding solace in music.
Now if you have been listening to Illy then you’d know one comparison that he has always made is between himself and the highlife legend Osadebe and on “Osadebe (Kenebe)” he raps about his achievements thanking god for everything (his new born daughter and wife). “Die There (Hustle)” is a street anthem dedicated to the hustle spirit and keeping up the tenacity in every sphere of life. He raps about continuously winning and no one doing it better.
The entire Illosophy is a dedication to Illbliss’ former Thoroughbreds member B Elect who died on the 8th of June this year although he doesn’t make any direct references to his former partner he is featured on “Grown Man Raps”. They rap about delivering matured lines, accentuated by experience. “Thankful” features Uzezi and they produce a record that screams an early B.I.G featuring Faith Evans combo as he raps about being thankful for everything life has brought him so far.
Look Illbliss is a legend in this music industry, his achievements when it comes to putting people on is almost on the Don Jazzy level, but even then, I still he is massively underrated in quarters. His rapping abilities are top level and should be respected as one of the best in the game. His longevity is unparalleled in the business and only a few can boast of his level of career wins while heading one of the biggest record labels in the country.
Illosophy is pure gratification of the art of rap in its truest form, there’s none of that pandering commerciality to it as it is delivered as wholesome as possible. As the name indicates, the album is a nuance of Illy’s philosophy on life based on his experiences as he spits with gusto backed by the affirmations of his achievements. It is a concise EP that helps Illbliss tell his stories of victories champagne glass in hand while overlooking intimidating terraces. A praiseworthy body of work.