With the release of the new music video ‘Downfall,’ Detroit hardcore group Illmatic is getting ready to bring on their full-length album real soon. The band have already released a four-song EP in October 2021, and this time, they have shared some insights as to how it came to be, how the band name was decided, and the current local hardcore scene in Detroit. Illmatic also feature a member of Suicide Kings, and talk about that, as well as future activities.
Have a look at what the members of Illmatic shared about the band, and everything that is around them.
Can you tell me the story behind the formation of the band? When exactly did it turn out to be a solid lineup?
Yeah it was something I was trying to put together for a while, a HC band with a big hip-hop influence. I would make random posts on FB and Instagram about wanting to do this, and nobody would bite. I was talking with Bill more about our love for horror movies and masks (our guitar player Bill also makes awesome mask stands) when he said he would be down to start working, and that’s how it started. Around June or so, me and Bill would just get together and work on riffs, tempos, lyrics etc. … and after about a month or so of us just vibing out, Bill brought Casey and Dan into the picture, and there ya go. We started practicing at Casey’s barber shop and wrote our four-song EP by fall of 2021
What are the main influences of Illmatic? Which artists have put inspiration behind your musical endeavor?
The whole band is a fan of metal and hardcore, punk and other genres outside of the spectrum of course. I think the main influences of Illmatic are taken from the hardcore/metal genre, but I think I bring the main hip-hop influence into the band. I know the other guys are fans as well but with the last decade being involved with the Suicide Kings and working mainly in Hip Hop I add most of that element along with the rhythm section of Casey and Dan (those guys have been playing together for years and were super tight before me and Bill came into the picture) I think some artists that have influenced this project are Biohazard, Madball, Mobb Deep,Suicidal Tendencies, E Town Concrete, Ice T, and, of course, NAS.
How did the name Illmatic come to be? Is there an actual (or given) meaning to it?
Well, the name Illmatic is the name of the debut album from Nas back in ’94 which, to me, is the heart of the golden era of hip hop. The name was my idea from the get go; I didn’t have a band ye, but I knew I wanted to call it Illmatic. As far as the name’s meaning … Nas had said in an interview long ago that it refers to being “The Ultimate,” “The Most Supreme,” “Beyond Ill.” I always liked that. The name has always stuck with me, and if you could blend life, music, the streets and struggle into one word … it’s Illmatic for me! Plus, for any new jacks that wanna say, “Dude they stole the name of a Nas record,” we’re paying homage, dirtbag! Letting people that know right off the bat with a name like Illmatic, we blending this hip hop and hardcore shit.
What is the story behind the song “Downfall”? What are the lyrical contents of it?
So the lyrical content is basically dealing w embracing the truth and being ok with it, knowing your on a path to hell and putting one foot in front of the other yelling “bring it on.” I actually wrote the hook before I wrote the lyrics, which is usually the opposite of how I write a song, even in hip hop. I remember Bill coming over, and in a cloud of blunt smoke saying, “Yo, check this riff out I just wrote.” Man, I heard it and was like, “G, this is it; this is the single.” We had the hook written before the blunt was done.
What were your experiences in making the music video for “Downfall?” How long did it actually take to finish the whole work?
Man, making the video was super chill and a great experience. We worked with my man Papo from Envysion Entertainment; he shoots for a good portion of Detroit hip hop artist’s around the city, and we were stoked to work with him for this video. If I’m correct I think we’re the first HC band he’s worked with and he gave us exactly what we wanted. The shoot literally took four hours or so, Detroit is our city so we knew where we wanted to shoot. The cemetery is Woodmere cemetery in Southwest Detroit, a famous spot, and my Italian grandparents are buried there. A shot in the Russell Industrial district, sketchy ally and some live footage from a show. We couldn’t have asked for a better result
What are the differences between the musical direction and artistic vision between Suicide Kings and Illmatic? Is there a difference between the songwriting processes?
Well the Suicide Kings is me the MC and producer King Cole, so just two people (even though people always think there is more cause we work w an array of hip hop artists), and a big difference is working with a producer who makes beats and having a three-piece band. Other than the obvious differences musically, artistically, I feel because I am writing the lyrics for both projects, they are very similar, at least to me. For me, HC and hip hop have always gone hand in hand.
In 1988, I had Slayer, NWA, Anthrax, Too Short, Suicidal Tendencies, and Ice T tapes dubed from by brother with different names written on them so my moms didn’t know what they were; that should tell you how long I’ve been fucking with both. Always trying to shed light on things that some won’t. With music you can be honest; you can tell it like it is. Maybe some people don’t relate with what I talk about; maybe some do, I’m just painting the picture the way I see it; you don’t have to look.
As far as the writing process between the two projects, it’s pretty much the same; 99% of the time, I hear the music, and when it catches me, I just dive into writing, whatever’s on my mind. Very rarely do I have this big elaborate writing process where I’ve been sitting on these lyrics for years just waiting for the right song.
How has the local hardcore scene changed throughout the years in Detroit? What changes have been significant over the past few years?
Man, I’m an old guy, so I don’t want to get into that discussion too deep. For me, my last hardcore band was in 2007, so I haven’t played for a whil,e but all my friends in Detroit have held it down for the last 17 years, Ante Up, Poison Tounges, Tyrant, H8 INC, Smash Your Enemies, Cold as Life—Those are all my people, and like I said, they have been going for decades now, so I can’t say nothing bad about Detroit hardcore.
I think the biggest changes for me are just weird, stupid shit, like not seeing everyone you know at shows anymore. Obviously this is Detroit, and its still violent, but I miss the old days (’97-2004 or so) where you could go to a Cold as Life show and not know whats gonna happen, I mean for real stabbings, riots … it sounds cliche, but you asked. Real talk, there is a much larger platform now than ever for metal, hardcore etc., and that’s awesome!
How has the journey of Illmatic been so far? Do you have any interesting memory to share?
So far so good; We’re just getting going with a release of a four-song EP No New Friends in October of 2021, and the video for “Downfall” just dropped at the beginning of March 2022. No interesting memories with this band so far, but I’m sure that will all change when we start touring more.
What are the future plans of the band? Where do you see yourselves after 10 years? Any last words for the listeners?
Near future is the release of a full-length; we have about seven new songs that we’ve been working on and are going into the studio to demo them out shortly. Right now, we’re looking to play shows and just get out there to let people know who we are. If anybody is interested in booking Illmatic, you can contact us directly at Illmatichardcore@gmail.com.
We do have some cool features (that are) hardcore and hip-hop related for this upcoming full-length, but I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag just yet; you’ll have to wait for the record to come out to find out who they are. I think we plan on shooting another video for one of the songs off the EP with Envysion Entertainment again before the full-length comes out, so be on the lookout for that.
—
Watch the video for ‘Downfall’ here:
For more from Illmatic, find them on Bandcamp.
Photo courtesy of Illmatic
