March 28, 2024
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ILL Skills

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What’s Up, Fam? It’s Johnny O. and we are back with what I thought was the quickness, but damn time goes by quick. Either way, it’s that time again for another edition of the Faygoluvers’ Underground Spotlight. The place where we get a chance to take a more in depth look at some of the underground’s best up and coming artists.

This time around we got a chance to interview, Nebraska’s own Ill Skills. If you’ve never heard of the man before, he literally does everything from owning a record store, recording his own music and running his own label. He opens up about his beginnings as a poet and being locked up, amongst many other things that have pushed him forward in this industry. So, as always let’s just jump right into this thing…

 

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Johnny O: First, thank you for taking time out for this interview. So, for those who may not have heard of you before can you give the family a brief introduction?

ILL Skills: No problem, I go by ill skills. I have been recording music independently for about 8 years now. I own an independent label by the name of underdawgs music which is really just consists of myself and a couple other artists. I also own a small music store in my city that has been open for alittle over a year. I spend a lot of time pushing other artist’s music along with my own. So music is a huge part of my life in all aspects.

JO: No one likes to be put in a box, so to speak, but if you had to, how would you describe your style to perspective fans?

IS: Well I always feel funny answering this question because like you said nobody likes to be put in a box. I guess the best way to describe my style is simply by saying its reality rap. I focus mainly on my life experiencesand struggles. Occasionally I like to do some more off the wall songs but I primarily stick to the journey of my life.

JO: You were born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska… how was/is the music scene up there?

IS: I would say it’s growing by the day but when I first started scratching in a pad there was not much of a scene at all. Clubs would open on the Northside and start setting up shows but they were normally shut down quick due to shootings in the parking lot so there were not many shows at all. Imoved out to Nebraska’s capital, Lincoln. After about a year out here was when I finally did my first show and studio sessions became almost a daily thing. Overall the scene has expanded a lot but I feel we still got a ways to go.

JO: You’ve been doing this for quite a while, how have thingschanged for you over the years?

IS: When I first started a friend of mine who goes by Young Drasticc was getting free studio time and started inviting me in to work on songs with him. I really didn’t know much about counting bars or organizing my thoughts on paper at the time so I was just winging it. I’ve come a long way since those days though. I rap with confidence and passion in my music now. At first all I wanted to do was work with other artists and include anyone I knew who was wanting to get in the studio with me. My focus has changed a lot, I work alone most of the time and do a lot more solo music. Most of the artists I have helped out over the years quit rapping or went their own way. You find out who is just doing it for fun or fame and who is really in for the love of music and to make it a career real quick.

JO: One thing we should definitely mention is that you actually started off writing poetry before making the switch to your musical career. What was it that caused this change in direction for you?

IS: I got locked up when I was 15 and that was what got me in to writing poems. It was more of just a way to pass the time. When I was later incarcerated again at 20 I was writing up to 4 poems a day. People were paying me to write poems to their girls and kids for them. When I got out I was reading some of them to a few of my homies and they kept saying my poems sounded like a rap verse. They kept pushing me to write raps instead so I said what the hell and gave it a try. After my first few rhymes were wrote I knew this was the direction I wanted to keep moving in.

JO: Do you think that starting as a poet affected your lyrical writing process in one way or another?

IS: Oh yeah it definitely did. I was already use to writing inthat rhyme format so it made it pretty easy to make the transition. It was the rapping it out loud and learning how to do it on beat that was the struggle. Once I got past that fear I loved every minute of it.

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JO: You’ve shared worked and shared the stage with severalbig names, including; Lil Wyte, Jelly Roll, Twiztid, Bone Thugs, and the Kottonmouth Kings among many others. If you had the chance though to reach out to any artist for a collaboration, who would you love to work with and why?

IS: Honestly that is such I hard question for me to answer because people ask me all the time who my favorite rapper is or who’s in my top 10 and I feel so many artists have their own unique style that it’s hard to say I favor one over another. I have always wanted to do a song with Bun B or Techn9ne, that would be an honor. Bun B is just a all around respectable artist anda rap legend. As for Tech n9ne I admire his drive and hustle, he turned Strange in to one of the biggest movements in the game right now. I recently got to work with Trae Tha Truth on a song for my upcoming album Negative Influence and I have been a long time listener of his music so that was a blessing.

JO:  You also currently run and operate your own music store? What made you decide to open your own music store and how has it been so far?

IS: I decided to open the store because we had a music store outhere similar to mine but it closed down a few years back and since then I felt like we have had that gap that needed to be filled again so I invested what little money I had and took the leap. So far it’s had its ups and downs but I’m always looking for new ways to improve it and new artists to put on the shelf.

JO: So, where can fans find more of your music?

IS: I’m doing my best to get on every site I can but you can find me on

Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ILLSKILLS

Followme on twitter and Instagram at @illskills402

Soundcloud at https://soundcloud.com/dan-sukafree-illskills

Audiomack at http://www.audiomack.com/artist/illskills402 to download my mixtapes free!

Reverbnation at https://www.reverbnation.com/illskills1

YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/UnderdawgsMusic

and https://www.youtube.com/user/IllSkillsVEVO

I also have a website www.underdawgsmusic.com but I’m currently working on updating it so not all the information is up to date. You can also find some of my music on Spotify, i-tunes, Amazon and pretty much all major distribution sites.

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JO:  Is there currently anything in the works that you can let us in on?

IS: I’m always working on something, I just released my album called Mafioso I did with my homie Cremro from out in Florida that featured Lil Flip, High Rolla, Haystak and more and A collaboration mixtape I did called Lyrics of mass Destruction that featured Lil Wyte, Young Buck, Villan & Mason who are on my label as well as many other artists. I’m looking at setting a release date for my next album Negative Influence very soon featuring Spice 1, JellyRoll, Trae Tha Truth, Haystak, Stevie Stone, Lil Wyte and more! My next project after that will be titled Terrorizing the Radio.

JO: Over the years you’ve no doubt had some rough times, we all have, but what or who would you say have kept you going throughout the years?

IS: I would say my closest friends are the main ones who have kept pushing me. There is only about a hand full of them left but I love them and appreciate everything they do to help support my dream. I was shot in the chest a few years back and went straight from the hospital to the studio, the lobby was filled with friends and supporters that were waiting to find out if I was okay. The doctor made a joke asking if I was setting up a show out there or something. That gave me a big push to cherish every day I got on this earth and spend more time in the studio and less in the streets. More recently my biggest motivators have been my fans. The positive messages I receive in my inbox, the shares and all the stories of how my music has helped them through hard times and gives me hope that I chose the right path to go down.

JO:  Who would you say have been your biggest influences in your career?

IS: I’m a music junkie, I grew up listening to everything from Nirvana to Ice Cube. Listening to 2 live crew and Dj Quick would get me in trouble at school because I always had my headphones with me. But honestly the CWB movement, the juggalo movement, the strange music movement have all played a big influence in why I believed my goals were obtainable. You don’t always need some big label like Def Jam standing behind you to gain fans and start making money off what you love most. I love the underground scene and artists like Tech n9ne and I.C.P. have shown the world how powerful an underground movement can become.

JO: Who or what are you currently listening to?

IS: I listen to a lot of music but I would say the main ones I’ve been playing in my car lately have been Rittz new album top of the line and Jelly Roll new album sobriety sucks.

JO:  Can you tell us what it’s like to balance your own label, personal life, your music and owning a music store?

IS: Hectic! I got 2 young boys of my own with 2 different mothers and things didn’t work out with those relationships so I’m a single dad. So between having my kids every weekend, dealing with probation, working in my store as well as going to college full time it’s an everyday struggle still having the motivation to get in the studio and write and record. My life is pretty crazy most of the time and it feels like I’m being pulled in every direction all at once but I’m thankful for what I have and just keep pushing myself harder to do more.

JO:  Though I hate to say goodbye, how about a few shout outs before we really close this thing out?

IS: I got so many people I could name off but nobody has thatsort of time, so…. I can sum it up by saying I thank god, my family, my friends, my fans, all the fellow artists and producers I have worked with and my 2 beautiful sons that always know how to put a smile on their dad’s face. Oh and I definitely can’t forget to thank you guys for this interview and the opportunity to reach out to more listeners.

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Well, as always we have come to my least favorite part of these things… the end. I have to give  a big shoutout of my own to Ill Skills and the whole Underdawgs crew. I also want to take the time to thank all of my Faygoluvers Family and that includes everyone checking this out right now. If you enjoyed what you heard, saw or watched then head over to the links above or below to check out more from the one and only Ill Skills.

Now before I officially sign off, as always if you would like to be featured right here on the Underground Spotlight, shoot me an e-mail at [email protected]. Make sure to include a short bio, why you would like to/should be featured, a track or two and a couple of pics. Of course, don’t forget to include UGS or something similar in the subject line. So, until next time…

Peace,

Johnny O.

 

WEBSITES:

Ill Skills Official Facebook

Ill Skills Audiomack Page

Underdawgs Music Official Youtube 

Ill Skills Official Youtube 

 

 

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