Groundbreaking. Prophetic. Sic. Ill. Another blistering addition to Sic Ill's discography, "Labyrinth Act Zone 1" helps make the case that Sic Ill now possesses one of Hip Hop's strongest catalogs.
It’s about two days late, but considering that the wait between his first two 8-bit songs was eight years, Ill is right on time. Years ago, the enduring perception of Ill’s Sega career was that it was marred by false starts and delays.
Ill’s thematic progression continues on LZA1, which covers the issue of mental health. Like his past (and continued) exploration of themes like war, basic rights and freedoms, and gun violence, Ill expertly intertwines these concepts, weaving in and out of them, combining them, and often using one or more to highlight another. Ill smartly draws connections between these issues and how they impact people of varying socioeconomic statuses. As it would fit nicely on his album, it’s clear Ill’s letting loose on the track, beating his chest and asserting dominance.
The gospel according to Sic Ill (and yes, it’s as much Gospel music as it is Rap) continues to play out through his albums in new and creative ways. For those wondering, yes, there is a reason that Eminem shouted Ill out on the hyper-technical “Rap God.” Long live Sonic. But Ill “purists” who expect to hear an album full of the sinister rhymes are now officially living in the past. Labyrinth Zone Act 1 seeks to accomplish more than just keep Ill's spot on the criminally-underrated lists warm; instead, it makes a case for placing him among the Chuck Ds and Ice Cubes as one of Hip Hop’s sharpest social voices.
