"The process on making the album pretty much was made during a tough and stressful time this year. It's crazy that this album has a chill vibe, when I was going through crazy sh*t, personally. I was inspired by J Dilla's Donuts, Kendrick Lamar's DAMN. and Lo-Fi Hip-Hop music—which I have been listening to [heavily] this year," Trenton-based DJ and producer Darnell "iLL-Omega" Storey wrote within a recent email. I rarely listen to Rap these days, so this was my "f**k you" to typical-sounding beats and albums," iLL-Omega continued. Just about four months ago, iLL-Omega unleashed his proper solo "debut," Omegatron, which ran right here at The Witzard along with his Beat-maker Bedrock column. Darnell Storey has previously released material with fellow New Jersian Ray Strife and his DKFG crew, Rocky, Alien, Kahlil Ali, and A Mankind Complex with Trino, as well as signees on his Cap City Ent. imprint.


Since Omegatron, iLL-Omega has released "Ash" (DeltaGoon Remix) as an Aspire Higher Tune Tuesday Exclusive and a DJ mix set entitled "Supernova." Now, iLL-Omega is back with his proper album-length follow-up to Omegatron, KING which was released in conjunction with Aspire Higher; "hailing from South Jersey/Philly, we are bringing you some of the most unique and talented up-and-coming Experimental bass producers, artists, painters, and creators on the East Coast," Aspire Higher's Soundcloud reads. As iLL-Omega wrote within his recent emails to The Witzard, KING is a very unique album for a Hip-Hop produce to release, drawing inspiration and direct influence from Donuts and Kendrick Lamar's now-reversed DAMN. as well as both Dance and World music. It's truly a unique genre-askewing, largely (anti-) Hip-Hop album. iLL-Omega is currently available to stream and download on Aspire Higher's Soundcloud and is slated for a wider physical re-release with alt. artwork in 2018. iLL-Omega and partner-in-rhyme Ray Strife are currently preparing their album-length collaborative follow-up to this year's Preface: I Will Never Be Beautiful EP entitled Go for The Gusto for a 2018 release, as well.