Through their non-profit organisation, K.R.U. (Knowledge, Rhythm, and Understanding), Shaheed and DJ Supreme have transformed music into a movement – empowering young people in Birmingham, Alabama, and beyond. Now, with the release of ‘ILL Level’, they are more educational, motivational, and powerful than ever.
Every year Birmingham pays tribute to legendary producer, J Dilla with their “Dilla Day Bham”. This event saw Shaheed and DJ Supreme strike up a friendship with Dilla’s best friend, and closest collaborator, Phat Kat, and the three joined forces. Although Phat Kat is from Detroit, more than 700 miles from Birmingham, the trio recognised that the two cities share common threads of struggle, resilience, and cultural depth.
With their collaboration, ‘ILL Level’, they deliver an anthem of survival and strength, that finds its roots in those places that shaped them. Phat Kat swoops in with his bars over DJ Supreme’s hard-hitting beat, while Shaheed brings in his own rhymes, commanding and full of urgency and confidence. Together they bring a message calling for revolution, with the line, “I’m on an ill level because of my skill level…go tell the cops and Feds that I’m a real rebel” outstanding and unforgettable.
Directed by DeSean Motley, the music video for ‘ILL Level’ is bold in every single frame, with the goals of the artists and their mission set against a backdrop of a history of resilience. No location is as striking as Kelly Ingram Park in Birmingham, a central staging ground for large-scale Civil Rights demonstrations in the 60s, and these artists make clear that they are living the future that their communities fought so hard for.
A very special clip comes right at the end of the video. With a single point of her finger, we see Dilla’s mother, celebrating his legacy alongside them at the tribute in Birmingham, as she signals the importance of this collaboration and the many great things to come. It honours the past, and affirms the present, and shines a light showing the way forward.
Watch the music video for ‘ILL Level’ below, and find out more about Shaheed & DJ Supreme and their music online on Facebook, Instagram, and their official website.
