LONG AS THE VILLAIN WINS! ILLA STYLES TALKS TOP VILLAINS & VIDEO DEBUT

Richmond, VA – If you listen closely to Richmond rhyme vet Illa Styles’ lyrics, you will notice a stark reality in his storytelling; life is complicated and comprised of complex characters.

Styles himself is an evolving, multilayered artist. The balance he strikes between ratchet and righteous – and the evolution he has taken from young hustle to mentor – has the making of a compelling screenplay.

Styles’ growth has been detailed through music over his last three projects. 2016’s Art Imitates Life AKA Reality Raps still had its roots firmly planted in street culture with the hard banging lead single “Butta Leather” highlighting the truly aspirational theme at the DNA of hip-hop culture. 2018’s The Balance switched a gear for Styles and instantly became his most personal project in which he rhymed about his background, family, love, and fears.

Illa’s latest offering, 2019’s A Quarter ‘Til A Mil is a concept album that highlights his growth as a holistic and next-level creative mind. A Quarter ‘Til A Mil is educational, layered, and sometimes grimy. It’s constructed and delivered in a way that tells a comprehensive and cinematic story.  

A funny thing happens with villains; in order for a villain to be truly great; the audience (community) has to identify with the villain’s’ character. Once a person identifies with the villain’s character, the lines become blurred. “Is this person really bad?” you start asking yourself.

I’m of a certain age where the biggest villain of my childhood was The Nature Boy Ric Flair. He would cheat to win. He had no regard for the rules or the fans of the NWA. And he would take every opportunity he could to get on the mic and tell the world why he was better than you, and your favorite wrestler. But over time, something starting happening. I started rooting for Ric Flair. I wanted Ric Flair to win. Why was that? Did Ric Flair change? No, he didn’t change at all. It was me who was changing. As I got older, I started to identify with fine clothes and pretty women. I started understanding winning at all costs. I started to understand the mind of the villain and, in turn, the lines became blurred.

Last week, I reached out to Illa Styles to learn more about his new video “Long as the Villain Wins” and get a list of the villains he identifies with.

“The song and video speak towards the dilemma of having to take on a radical sometimes scrutinized approach in order to achieve desired results. Heroes play by the rules. Villains think outside of the box.”

Here are Illa Styles top villains in his own words:

Thanos: “The greatest display of villainy on film.  Infinity War was one of the first times that I saw a superhero movie told from the villain’s perspective. He was the character with the most camera time in a movie full of superheroes from across the galaxy. His concerns were that of overpopulation and not enough resources much like the issues we face globally. He went about rectifying it in one of the foulest ways and paid the ultimate price.”

The Joker: “The most iconic villain of all time. His face is the logo for villains, in my opinion.  No method to his madness except chaos.  There is no light without the dark.”

T1000: “One of the coolest villains ever introduced cinematically. The special effects that they used in the Terminator 2 were stunning. I remember watching as a youth in the 90s and the T1000’s liquid form made him nearly indestructible.  Plus, he was able to take on the form of whoever and whatever object he wanted, now that’s a villain.”

Nino Brown: “A product of his environment. He put his people in positions to win. Set up a pharmaceutical enterprise complete with his own offices (The Carter). A lot of his business acumen was A1, but his choice of products destroyed the neighborhood unmercifully. And, when he got jammed up he ratted on his own people only to get bodied by the same neighborhood he affected so negatively.  This performance made Wesley (Snipes) a legend.”

Scar: “I mean he threw his own brother down a cliff into a stampeding herd. Talk about cold. His jealousy and envy may have elevated his stature, shortly, but as a result, he lost the respect and trust of his family, not to mention failed to maintain the land. His own thirst for power is what did him in. Life lessons.”

Cover Photo shot by Conductor – Provided by Illa Styles