DJ Muggs vs. Ill Bill

Ill Bill doesn't explore a great deal of new lyrical territory on Kill Devil Hills, his new collaboration with veteran West Coast producer DJ Muggs. If you've heard Bill rhyme as part of Non-Phixion or La Coka Nostra, or on his previous solo albums (What's Wrong with Bill? and The Hour of Reprisal), chances are you have a solid idea of what's coming. The album is filled with dark, gnarly, New World Order-fearing conspiracy rap. But just because it's similar to his previous output doesn't mean it's tired. Kill Devil Hills finds Bill sounding like a better version of himself. At almost 40 years old, with nearly two decades in the game, the veteran MC has never sounded sharper or more lyrical. On tracks like "Chase Manhattan" and "2013," Bill spits daggers, delivering his rhyming version of InfoWars with laser focus and intricate wordplay. Muggs's dark, gothic backing provides Bill with the perfect landscape. The string-heavy beats of "Illuminati 666" and "Secrets Worth Dying For" are a fascinating mix of classic boom-bap hip-hop and horror movie atmospherics. Kill Devil Hills may not be groundbreaking, but it does represent an evolutionary step for both Ill Bill and Muggs.