By Ben Richardson
Brooklyn MC Ill Bill, a.k.a., William Braunstein, recently passed through San Francisco, touring to support his new LP The Hour of Reprisal (Uncle Howie).
The album showcases Ill Bill’s formidable microphone talents, and the ex-Non Phixion MC spits hellfire over 18 martial sounding tracks, taking full advantage of production by such luminaries as DJ Premier, Cypress Hill’s DJ Muggs, and DJ Lethal of House of Pain and more recently Limp Bizkit. In addition to appearances by hip-hop household names like Wu Tang princeling Raekwon, Immortal Technique, and B-Real, the recording includes contributions from artists better known in metal and hardcore circles: Howard Jones of Killswitch Engage, H.R. and Daryl Jenifer of the Bad Brains, and Max Calavera of Sepultura.
Reached by phone from a stop on his continuing tour, Bill discussed the disc, being a new father, and the state of music and the world.
New projects: Ill Bill’s “Glenwood Projects.”