The Ill Semantic’s are back for 2014 and while it's been over 20 years since they formed they still have the ability to make really good, current hip hop music. Ill Semantics are getting ready to drop their third album and have delivered the first single titled You Got It feat. Scribe and K.One. What better combination?!
The beats, raps, lyrics and vocals are all solid it proves that when you are really good at what you do even after a long hiatus you will always make good music. As this is the start of NZ Music Month this is a song that you should be downloading to support Music Month. Now I'm anticipating the release of their album later in 2014.
Formed in 1993, and hailing from Orakei, East Auckland, sifting through members until the final line-up consisting of two MC's and a DJ. Patriarch, the nucleus of the group and founding member, Nemesis, New Zealand's most prolific female MC and DJ CXL, 2 x ITF North Island Champion and current DMC #2, beating Auckland's defending champion, P-Money.
Ill Semantics have established themselves over the years as the best authentic and purest Hip-Hop sound to emerge from urban New Zealand whilst still delivering songs that catch radio attention. Ill Semantics first appeared with Dawn Raid on the debut compilation Southside Story in 2000 which was followed up a year later with two songs featured on Southside Story 2: International, Unstoppable and the monster underground hit Verbal Assault which was the #1 song on bFM for five weeks. The success of this song led Ill Semantics to land a number of high profile performances with national and international artists such as Che Fu, Naughty by Nature, Nelly Furtado, and opening for Destinys Child, (Destinys Child's manager was so impressed with DJ CXL that they asked him to continue the rest of the world tour with them, which he unfortunately declined due to studio commitments).
The Ill Semantics name kept growing as they became recognised for their energetic live shows, and was strengthened even further when they collaberated with P-Money on the un-released single, Drop that Ish, which also went on to sit at the #1 spot on bFM for eight consecutive weeks and remaining in the charts for over half a year. Because of its popularity in 2002 it was featured on DJ Sir-Vere's Major Flavors 2 mix compilation.