Ill Seer

The only Canadian member of UK hip-hop crew Delegates of Culture, whom he met while acquiring his Master of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge, Ill Seer raps with a commanding voice that portrays an anger and intensity that often seems at odds with his philosophical and spiritual lyrics. His love for hip-hop is evident, and as a doctorate student in Theology he has been able to present his case for hip-hop in odd venues like 100 Huntley Street and 360Vision; he even presented a paper on the art of freestyle to both the Canadian Society for Aesthetics and the American Academy of Religion. The title of Seer’s solo debut refers to a brain nutrient, and is the first clue that this release will require some thought; a quick listen will be your second clue. Whether you prefer to study his personal lessons or just sit back and enjoy the sounds, Ill Seer has loaded his first album with a nice collection of beats: like Beat Mason’s slow-building, extremely layered, rocking contribution for the title track; Dorc’s dark, heavy production for the angry "Theory vs Practice” featuring Vangel; or Gavod’s Nirvana-like guitars over a Bee109 beat for "Livin’ Godly (Refrain).” But the most interesting song on Phosphatidylserine is "My Proposal (October 9th, 2002),” possibly the first time anyone has ever included a proposal to their girlfriend on an album, and over a groovy Timbuktu beat, no less. On the other side of the spectrum from much of the mainstream club-hop that’s clogging up the shelves, Ill Seer’s Phosphatidylserine is guaranteed to entertain over multiple plays.