Illa j and Potatohead People Carves out His Own Melodic Niche in Hip Hop with ‘seeds’ [stream]

Illa J's "Seeds" is an instant head-nodder, a track on which he flawlessly maneuvers through producer duo eerie, mad-scientist-lab beat. Throughout, Illa, who also goes by "John Regal," spits as if he hadn't rehearsed the lines (he also mentions that he doesn't write down his lyrics). It sounds almost like a freestyle as Illa informs us, in the "Yancey Boys'" alien-like tradition, that he is "not of this earth, yo, my skills are from Mars."

Illa's consistency is that he is able to sound innovative and creative in both his lyrical ability as well as his melodic singing, occasionally jumping from one to the other. These are skills that he, no doubt, shared with his older brother the late J Dilla. But Illa is cultivating his own melodic niche in Hip Hop. His confidence, determination, and his vision of success are reflected in the lines "money don't grow on trees but I can grow it in my mind if I plant those seeds." And, when he spits "low key killing them incognito" he reinforces that he is executing his music to the best level without much fanfare and all the while, Vancouver based Potatohead People's sinister, almost paranormal beat thumps onward and upward.