Willie Isz

Willie Isz combine the talents of a pair of musical nonconformists: Khujo Goodie, of Goodie Mob fame, and Jneiro Jarel, the mind behind Dr. Who Dat? With such an off-kilter combo, it's little surprise that, like Gnarls Barkley (a pair similarly featuring a Goodie Mob member and a trailblazing producer), the resulting duo creates concoctions that test the boundaries of what can be defined as hip-hop. Willie Isz flip fiercer and grittier than their cousin Gnarls, alternating rap and croon around deep funk and hard techno delivered at a roadrunner pace. Taking the Willie from the members' fathers' names and the Isz from hungry creatures featured in the 1990s cable cartoon The Maxx, Khujo and Jneiro coalesced around a shared love for their home state of Georgia and for turning music on its ear. Their 2009 debut, Georgiavania, switched styleswith just about every step, often morphing as many as three times on one track, mixing crunk, bounce, snap, and other pat Southern rap sounds with everything from Philly soul to experimental rock to techno. The eclectic record earned critical love from sources ranging from XLR8R and Remix to Pitchfork. ~ Jason Thurston, All Music Guide...

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