727 Clique has an army of Pinoy emcees possessing unique characters with their corresponding rap styles. Illicit’s ILL CITY 16 Tracks Album is one of those albums where you’ll never look at 727 Clique the same after hearing these ILL-tracks.
1st track, Amen. Amen is a formal statement or agreement after a prayer. An almost 2-minute track that narrates this prayer-like song for the common society nowadays. Rich versus poor, the usual Juan that just lives for another day, the strong and the weak. “Master kahit di namix..” Astig na track to start off the ILL CITY 16 Tracks Album.
Ililigtas ung lulon sa ilusyon ng iba
Heneraysong mas lamang ung baba sa gitna
Unahan sa taas, inaangat ang lahat
Pinapagana ko yung utak mo, ika’y alila
2nd track, my personal favorite, Ang Gara ng Mundo. Alam mo ung common slang dati pa na pag sinabing “ang gara”, may double meaning siya na either gara as “cool” or “awesome” sa English or gara as parang “badtrip” ka sa certain situations. Parang track na ito, living in this reality is both good and bad. Beauty and beast at the same time. The beat and everything para kang nakikinig ng jazzy track na sarap patugtugin tuwing siesta.
Ang gara ang gara
Di mapaliwanag ang hirap sakyan
Minsan gusto pumara
Kaso ang daming dalangin, hangarin
Gustong matupad simula pa ‘nung bata
Angelic, Ayos lang, BYGMFU (Bitch You Got Me Fuck Up) na pang relationship ish themed tracks. Angelic describing this lovely and “angelic” being his fond of tapos tra-transistion sa Ayo$ lang, where in may be that previous angel did some hurting. We know we’ve been there before kaya mapapasabi ka nalang na “Ayos Lang” matapos na maraming sakripisyo. “Binusog ka sa pag ibig kaso di matakaw“, yung tipong di ka niya nasuklian sa kabila ng lahat? Tapos after ‘neto lahat mag sink in eh BYGMFU agad right, andito ka na sa puntong na realize mo na lahat ng mali, bitch!
Pero no worries, mapapalitan ito ng saya sa 6th track na Chill Relax. What else do you turn into if you want this said relaxation? Mary Jane, of course.
Ika’y mag chill, relax
Ilusyon lang lahat
Ginugulo ka lang nila
Gusto ka mailang
“Gagawa ng di malilimutan, pedeng ikwento sa apo” parang yung ginawa ata nila Droppout & Rhyne sa track na Wag Ka Maingay 
na malamang talgang ‘di kalimot-limot 
na malamang talgang ‘di kalimot-limot
“Ill simula’t sapul…” sabi ni Illicit sa 7th track. Another personal favorite where you can hear how “ILL” is Illicit doing his game in the Pinoy rap scene. Parang fast-paced track na pede mo itulad sa track ni Rakim na R.A.K.I.M na self-titled track wherein you’ll hear him spit na parang pinakikilala niya sino siya as a rapper, same goes with the track, ILL.
Ill simulat sapul
Sobrang angas parang impossible na sapul
Tapos inulit ulit
Isang pursyento lang ang swerte, inulit ulit
Kunin track. An honest track for me and one of my fave, as well where you will discover and differentiate a true talented rapper from not. Yung habol lang ay pera versus sa desire niyang makalapag na sarili niyang likha. Sabi nga,
Kukunin mo parin no matter what the result is kasi nga you’re loving the journey behind it. Panalo ka na dun palang sa situation na iyon.
Pag merong pera, dun lang yung tunay na kalayaan
WORD!
Sabi ko kay Mark kunin namen
Pag merong negatibong payo, wag mo kausapin
Ako na yung bahala sa sulat, ikaw sa beat
Sukat ko yung galing kahit laging kulang sa gig
Marvel movies nga may origin stories bawat super heroes, sinimulan ni Illicit, siyempre meron din. Parang track ng Nagsimula lahat sa. I love the beat behind this track lalo yung blending nung babaeng kumakanta sa background, boom bap style ata ito na naka slow-paced at masarap sa tengga.
Isa pang smooth and nakakalutang na track, “…sinong magsasalba, kung lahat sagot ay ewan..” one of lines from Panalangin. Pedeng pede mo i-compare sa Lord give me a sign ni DMX kaso pang gobas moments and slow-paced but don’t get wrong with the track, as it packs lessons from everyday lives, man. One thing na napansin ko sa tracks as I listen to them one by one in order, palalim ng palalim and nakaka-amaze how Illicit put them words in one track. A Pinoy hiphop’s prayer ba kamo na hindi naman gospel rap yet it sends chill on your spines? Panalangin is the go-to.
Ako’y linisin, buharin ang mga sala
Sa ngalan ng Ama, bigyan lakas ang mga bata
Kayanin ang lahat, kahit mahirap, madapa pa
Sa pag tayo, alam namin kung sino ang kasama
Naranasan mo naba magka-problema? Akala mo tapos kana, wala ng kwenta, parang naipit sa daan, di maka bwelta, nalibot na yung kalye, dahil kaka-rekta… tanong ni Illicit sa track na Problems. We know, we all have been here one way or another.
Gumagalaw ako ng mag isa, nagsusulat
Kung ano ako ngayon, wala naman silang ambagSana dalhin ng musika, awit sa pag gunita
Alalahin ang lahat, kamustahin mo kung mabuti ba
Dimo masasabi, baka huli naPara sa mga tropang akala ay nalimot
Para sa magulang na laging nakasimangot
Para sa nagtratrabaho para din sa TAMBAY
Yea, sinusulit ang iyong buhay
Fave lines ko mentioned sa taas, daym sampal sa mukha yung “para sa nagtratrabaho para din sa TAMBAY..”, kung tambay ka ata narinig mo un, punyeta kilos na men! Sulitin mo nga naman buhay mo.
One more bone-crushing track hidden in the words of Sarap Isipin. Sabi sayo, as we move forward, them tracks is getting deeper. Parang nahiwalay sa katawan mo ung soul na hiphop part sayo bigla and sabay kayo nagtinginan and napasabi ng “puta, lupit nung linyang ‘yon”. Check them below lines that made me a fan of the track. Eto ung tipong i-di-dissect mo each words talaga, madama mo lang essence nung pinapahiwatig niya from the song.
Meron ka na wala ako, pero di mo kaya ung kaya ko
Natatawa nalang sa nangyayari, seryoso ‘to pag lumagare
Di na bale, pinapakinggan lang nila ung gusto marinig
Hinahalikan pang labas na anyo, jan naka base kung sino daig
Diwa lang ang puhunan ko, pasasalamat nila ung kita ko
Hanggang sa mahuli, na bihag ko
Asan ang pera, bago ilabas
Siguradong patay, ito ang ebedensiya
Takbo na 142 naging sitenta
Malayo pa ang biyahe, pero parang narating ko na
Pamilyar ung pakiramdam at kahit na walang pahinga
And I encourage you to listen to them on the track itself, malupit I tell you, Sarap Isipin, right? and definitely Sarap Pakinggan…
15track but not the least, Dati. Reminds me of Bugoy’s line from one of them hustler tracks that says: “totoo na ang milyon na dati nating biruan”. Can’t remember the exact track that has it (mag mamarathon pa ko ‘neto ng Bugoy tracks) pero it just simply means they both just dreamt of it way back, and now it came true or becoming a reality. Eyes on the price, ika nga ng self-made billionaires.
And lastly, the last track that will leave a final mark for the “ILL CITY 16 Tracks Album”, Illcity6. Malupitang parang outro track, solid. Gusto ko siya i-compare sa 1st track ng E. 1999 Eternal ng Bone Thugs, Da Introduction with all that distorted demonic voices pero with Illcity6, it’s the last track with the same style na parang nagsanib sa iisang boses ung buong 727 dun sa distorted voice na ‘yon.
This album is not for the common, trendy, kinain-na-ng-systema-ng-makabagong-hiphop listener that will rely on the beats ala trap shit and all. This is old school style, a lyrical heavy piece with a modern twist by Illicit that conveys everyday life stories many can relate to. Again, sarap pakinggan sa tengga. Although, you will notice tracks are less than 2 minutes long, ang aangas parin ng mga bitaw, lakas maka-tease! Sa sobrang ganda ng ILL CITY 16 Tracks Album, nakakabitin.
Link to the album playlist here: https://youtu.be/StFTxgCj-pg
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