Brooklyn’s Q-Unique and Ill Bill have a lot of career overlap. Both are MCs who also produce. Both hail from crews that were courted by major labels in the mid-1990s before finding homes in the indie circuit with The Arsonists and Non Phixion, respectively. Both men have had career booms through going solo and working with elite producers such as The Beatnuts, DJ Premier, and Pete Rock. Bill actually signed Q in the mid-2000s to his Uncle Howie Records, where they released Vengeance Is Mine.

Years later, the former graffiti writers link up again for a 7″ single, “Listen To The Words.” The beat pulls from the Freestyle Music movement of the early ’80s, featuring Shannon, Lisa Lisa, and others. You don’t hear this everyday in Hip-Hop, and with hardcore mic control, it plays especially well and balanced.

Related: Ill Bill (of Non Phixion) – Truth (Prod. Pete Rock)