Music stories from clients who trusted Mind The Wax to press their music on vinyl!
Meet Mista Ill, an artist from Belgium who got bitten by the Hip-Hop-bug since an early age. He has been making music for over 15 years but on 2024 he finally released his first solo album.
He is heavy focusing on the Boom Bap – 90’s sound and produced, mixed and recorded everything by himself!
Which artists or genres have influenced your musical style?
Mainly 90’s New York Hip-Hop inspires me to this day, with artists like Nas, Mob Deep, Lord Finesse, Gang Starr, Large Professor, Godfather Don, and the list goes on.
What was the inspiration behind your album and what the album is about?
I always wanted my first album to reflect who I am as a person and I wanted songs that vary from braggadocios, to storytelling or positive songs. Album-wise ‘Illmatic’ from Nas was always a big inspiration because it has always been one of my favorite albums. So in the small half hour length of the album I really tried to paint a picture of who I am and what my sound is.
Can you share a bit about your musical journey and how it led to this particular album?
I started writing rhymes around the age of 12 or 13, I can’t remember exactly. After a few years of making beats by myself and big stacks of lyrics on paper, I bought a cheap microphone and started recording my own songs. This eventually lead to me joining a Belgian Hip-Hop-Label called ‘Phatmark Collective’, a group of likeminded friends and artists. In the past 10 years since joining them I was mainly very busy with building up my career as a tattoo artist.
When Covid hit, I couldn’t work as I am a tattoo-artist, witch meant I suddenly had a lot of free time and I was able to put a bigger focus on releasing my music. Since I was already working on a few songs, I decided it was the perfect time for me to finish my first album. I haven’t stopped since then, so here we are!
“Persistence is the art of it, giving up the opposite,
losing is the hardest bit, laziness the cause of it.
And in case you had forgotten it,
my motivation is lasting, never moderate.”
Which tools and equipment used in the production process of this album?
I have a pretty small setup actually, witch is mainly: a laptop, midi keyboard, mixer, turntables, a mic and studio monitor-speakers.
What were the challenges or interesting aspects of the production?
I guess the biggest challenge was trying to figure out how I would present myself to the world with this first album. Like what sound or lyrics match me the best as a person and artist. This was at times difficult since there’s many sounds and styles I like within the ‘Boom Bap’ sound.
Any collaborations that took part and you would like to highlight?
I only have 2 featurings from other vocalists on this album; I chose to pick Aminah and Jaja since they are both also members of the Phatmark Collective, and they are personal friends. Also I have Deejay Tweet, who provided many of the scratches on this album. Together with these 3 people I also created a project where we combine all our solo-songs in 1 live show we already did one show as a test and are happy to announce that we have more show coming up.
What are the vinyl specifications you decided to press your album?
The album was pressed on 140 gr black color vinyl with a full color jacket sleeve and it contains 12 tracks.
—
All beats produced by Mista Ill
All lyrics & vocals by Mista Ill
with featurings by Aminah on track 8 & by Jaja on Track 2
Scratches on track 6 &10 done by Mista Ill & on track 1, 5 & 8 by Dj Tweet Mixing done by Mista Ill
Mastering done by Yourstruly aka Tradd
Photography by Daniël Lavrovski
Label: Phatmark Collective
How does the experience of listening to your music on vinyl differ from other formats?
It is just an amazing feeling to put the needle on the record and hear your own music coming out of it for the first time. It has been a dream of mine for many years and it’s just so tangible in comparison to for example online streaming. The fact you can hold the album in your hands is amazing.
Where fans can find and purchase the album, including online platforms and physical stores?
People can stream it on almost all online streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Tidal, and so one..
I have an Instagram page called mista_ill_ where I post anything music related and all the latest news.
Also I have a webshop where people can buy merchandise like T-shirts, CD’s and vinyl.
https://mistaill.com/
The vinyl will also be available in a few record shops in Belgium.
Are there any exclusive releases, limited editions, or promotions related to the vinyl pressing?
I guess people can check out the 3 Music videos I made witch they can find on YouTube.
My latest video for the track ‘Give Me Abreak’ is an animation-video witch I made myself and is created by making a somewhere between 1500-2000 drawings with may iPad.
How do you envision your audience connecting with this album?
I think a lot of people who like the Boom Bap style of Hip-Hop will love the sound of the beats on this album.
When it comes to the lyrics I think a lot of people might relate to the storytelling on the track ‘M2G’ where I talk about moving from a small town to the city.
Also on the track ‘I Got Love’ I think a lot of people might relate to what I’m talking about.
Are there any messages or emotions you hope listeners will take away?
Like I said before, I tried to touch on different subjects on the album, so I hope many listeners might take away different things from their listening experience.
Do you want to know more about Mista Ill?
Click on the below links to stay connected and support his music!
Vinyl pressing by Mind The Wax
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