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Mars Ill is an up and coming hip hop act that does its best to take the sounds of modern rap and mix it with old school styles a la Public Enemy. Since I have known DJ Dust since he was 14, this comes as no surprise to me, having watched him recite the album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back from memory.

Backbreakanomics treads familiar ground, in that it portrays pictures of street life (“Alpha Male,” The Calm Before”), but also shows some insight and different perspectives on the Christian life as well (“Inside Out,” “Sideline Speech”).  “Speech” in particular speaks of the need for people to act, rather than talk and watch.  “Eighty-Eight” is a shout out to a local indie radio station in Atlanta, a dying breed.

“Black Box Artist (Boom Bap)” is a homage to old school rappers.  Vocalist Manchild takes an old lyric, restructures it to fit his style, and makes it his own with a more modern soundtrack.  “Breathe Slow” takes a long view of life, hoping for perspective.  Planes and Trains features Pigeon John (LA Symphony) on guest vocals. “Let Me” could be the companion piece to “Sideline Speech,” spurring the singer to action in taking the lead to fix problems, rather than bemoaning his fate and waiting for someone else to help.

It should be noted that I am not a fan of hip hop, but Mars Ill speaks in such a way that I temporarily forget that while listening to Backbreakanomics.  DJ Dust works seamlessly in mixing the music samples in, while Manchild’s vocals complement them well.  Much like Arrested Development in the 90’s, this could be the group that breaks through my anti-hip hop bias.

Brian A. Smith   1/4/2004