MENTAL ILLNESS
THE DEBUT ALBUM FROM THE
ILL CHARACTERS

ILL CHARACTERS
aren’t your average hip hop group.

Four of the members are black, two are white, and one is biracial. Three are from the South, three are from the East, and one is from the Midwest. Their spiritual affiliations range from Islam to Buddhism. After producing the critically acclaimed independent film CONVERSATION FOR A DOLLAR, the ILL CHARACTERS are slated to release their first LP, entitled MENTAL ILLNESS, on November 19, 2002.
What makes the ILL CHARACTER sound so unique is the diversity of its creators. The combination of divergent accents, cadences, and rhyme patterns creates a powerful, complex, and completely original group sound.
The ILL CHARACTERS possess a special blend of personal charisma and physical appeal that fascinates audiences. Their material is edgy enough to satisfy the hardest underground hip hop fan, but also engaging and approachable enough to attract mainstream listeners.
MENTAL ILLNESS is at once a return and a departure. It is a return to the traditional values of hip hop music - intelligent lyrics, inventive rap styles, and creative beats. But it is a departure from the present incarnation of hip hop culture and its obsession with material wealth and exultation of style over substance.
MENTAL ILLNESS is something of an anomaly among hip hop records. With complete in-house production, the album contains no samples and features live instrumentation from many talented musicians including funk jazz guitarist Zedrick Kelley, Memphis vocalist Ashley Elise, and Greek percussionist Geno Kalkanoglu.
The lyrical content contains no references to guns or jewelry. Brilliantly displaying their lyrical versatility, the ILL CHARACTERS have taken great care to provide the listener with an outstanding musical variety throughout the MENTAL ILLNESS album. Rock, blues, dance, electronic, and even salsa influences are evident throughout the album. Like the ILL CHARACTERS themselves, each track possesses a distinct identity that sets it apart from the others. Some songs are serious and meaningful, while others are playful and light hearted.
Groundbreaking in its originality, MENTAL ILLNESS is an essential Hip Hop album for the new millennium.