Album Notes

Really quick spin: "Up And Up Presents... Gods'Illa The Album"

Hip-hop fans are sick of both overly preachy and hard-partying rappers -- most artists are aware of this, but the trio Gods’Illa actually tackles the problem. On their debut album, “Up and Up Presents…Gods’Illa the Album,” brothers Acem, Truth and Powerful, who hail from the DMV and New York, address the issue head-on and attempt to bring a bit of fun and humor to social commentary.

“So who is Gods’Illa?/Cause I ain’t never heard ‘em/Prolly just another group of rappers talkin’ murder/And I ain’t tryna hear that/If they fake pro-black, they can take their [expletive] back to Africa with all that,” goes the opening line of “Who is...”

“Stuck” is a break-up to make-up song that recalls Slum Village, while “Run On” takes the Burt Bacharach-penned “This Guy’s in Love With You” and remarkably turns it into a super-charged hip-hop burner. The album, released digitally today, also shows love to go-go, but not by merely borrowing its distinctive percussion, as so many artists have done--instead there are guest verses from D.C. heavy-hitters Tre of UCB and Black Boo from Mambo Sauce.

When it comes to hip-hop, no album ever truly offers something for everybody, but Gods’Illa has impressively created something that should appeal to almost anyone.