ILL DOOTS | photo by Rachel Del Sordo for WXPN | racheldelsordophotography.com
Ill Doots’ frontman Phantom is now named US, and that’s the title of his new mixtape too
Long-time Philly based artist collective Ill Doots have been making music as a collective for a decade, dropping numerous projects and performing all around the area. The group is back with Us, an eponymous project spearheaded by frontman MC Anthony Martinez-Briggs, FKA Phantom. Featuring production from Ill Doots as a group, Anwar Marshall, andSimon Martinez of Flanafi and Killiam Shakespeare, Us is a beautifully executed selection of boom-bap flavored hip-hop tracks.
Martinez-Briggs’ rhymes on the project are fast, clever, and powerful. He takes lyrical shots with no remorse throughout the project, firing at flat-earthers on “(I)nterlude” and bringing braggadocios bars on “Cool As.” The production on Us is equally varied, with each producer bringing something different to the table. Whether its the haunting vocal lines on “At War,” the mellow guitar samples on “Breadwinner,” or the tight percussion of the title track, Us does not disappoint in the slightest. Martinez-Briggs touches on the name change on “Vessel” as he raps, “Phantom era is ending so I emerge as my best, a rebirth, it’s only us, you’re one of us.”
Check out the tape for free below. Ill Doots will be performing with Khemist and Oh He Dead on August 1st, tickets are available here.