Feature | Need You

Even though I am more of an old-skool Hip-hop fan at heart, I always like to check in and see what’s new and on the rise in the Hip-hop arena today, and this is how I found 13Illy. Canada has a surprising amount of grade-A talent in the realms of R&B and rap, and 13Illy is no exception.

The first thing I noticed right away when listening to “Need You” is the sound quality of the track. The vocals, the layering, and the timing throughout the track are all really great, and it’s pretty amazing how independent artists like 13Illy can produce such high-end stuff these days that rivals anything a major label can put out.

To match this top-tier production, 13Illy busts out some crispy flow and fiery lyrics, but it’s the melody of his voice that really stands out. Whether you’re a hardcore hip-hop fan or more into the softer R&B side of things, I feel like 13Illy is a good bridge between the two by virtue of his tone and delivery.

Ultimately, the song is a love song at heart, but there is enough evocative power in 13Illy’s voice and personal pain in his thoughtful lyrics to transcend it beyond just that. It also gave me some late-night cruising vibes; fast cars, street food, city lights, that kind of thing, which is a nice added underlying mood.

After listening to “Need You” and a few of 13Illy’s other songs, it’s easy to see the potential for a bright future. That being said, and being that they are so young in their career, I look forward to seeing 13Illy find his distinct voice and identity as an artist as time goes on, and hope more uniquely original and groundbreaking expressions come out of his music as a result.

The world of music needs a real revolution now more than ever before – we need creative innovators, not empty imitators – and it will be interesting to see what part 13Illy plays in making that happen!