The past few years have been rough for the insanely talented Houston MC, Anti-Lilly. While drudging through the monotony of a 9-5 job, the rapper suffered stretches of severe depression, and also faced the betrayal of a close friend. And so as any troubled artist would do, Anti-Lilly teamed up with the equally gifted, 22-year old producer Phoniks, and committed himself to expressing his mind in the form of an amazing record.
It’s Nice Outside is easily the best underground hip-hop album to come out in recent memory. The record’s brilliance is owed to the wide-ranging musical flair of the two men behind it, who reaffirm the well-known fact that nothing quite packs a punch like a capable rapper-producer duo. Listening to Anti-Lilly‘s flow, is much akin to slowly sipping a glass of smooth cognac. His cadence occasionally reminds of Kendrick Lamar, and his lyricism manages to be witty, conscious and poetic, all at once. Consider the lines: “And I’ve been writing prayers on this loose leaf/ Praying that Lucifer lose me/ Because this noose only moves me to speak the real/ Until we seek for health, we shall never be healed” from Loose Prayers. The jazzy, melodic production of Phoniks, meanwhile, provides the perfect envelope for Anti-lilly’s rhymes, giving the mix its creamy, chilled-out vibes.
Favorite Track: It’s Nice Outside, Loose Prayers, Every Season, Nobody’s Perfect, No Games
Track List
1. It’s Nice Outside 02:15
2. Sunshine (feat. Mariel) 02:27
3. Loose Prayers (feat. LC) 02:53
4. What Would You Do 03:32
5. Every Season (feat. Awon) 03:05
6. Nobody’s Perfect 03:20
7. Better Days 03:33
8. Happiness (feat. Scolla) 03:01
9. I Found Me 04:03
10. No Games (feat. Jon S & Devante Hunter) 03:23
11. Real Shit (Interlude) 01:40
12. Company Cigarettes 03:57
13. Way$ (feat. Mariel) 02:28
14. Product Of My Environment (feat. Devante Hunter) 02:44
15. Grow 04:18
16. Brick Buildings 04:13
17. Gibberish (feat. Devante Hunter) 03:42
Related Links
Anti-Lilly and Phoniks on Facebook
Anti-Lilly and Phoniks on Twitter
Anti-Lilly and Phoniks on SoundCloud
Anti-Lilly and Phoniks on YouTube
Anti-Lilly and Phoniks on Spotify