Def Ill

Def Ill (real name: Felix Schager; born January 11, 1989 ) is an Austrian rapper, music producer and co-founder of the band "Fireclath Soundsystem". He also appears under the name "Governor General (Ruffian) Rugged". He is a member of the formations "Ill Mindz", "Mus Bus", "Boombokkz Recordz", "Clockwork Blackness" & "Mördaoffn". He is mainly known for his doubletime rap technique , his concerts and his style of music that focuses on content. His texts are in "Def Ill" German, but mostly in Austrian slang . As his alter ego "Ruffian" he raps in patois .

history

Def Ill started rapping in 1996 at the age of seven. His first guest appearance appeared in 2001 on the Texta single Understood on the 2002 album Blickwinkel . The video for the single is included on the Paroli DVD from Texta. In 2003 he appeared in the hookline of Das kleine ABC on the backbone sound carrier Konfrontation . In January of the same year he released the song Zerberus on Hip Hop Connection Tape Vol. 2 with his then DJ "Mr Tuzzaud" . In December, Hip Hop Connection Vol. 3 was followed by the song Licker , which was produced by Loco .

In 2005 he released his demo CD Milk in self-distribution. A year later, his first album, Der Rote Faden, followed on CD in self-distribution, which he produced with his long-time producer and childhood friend “Loco”. The rappers Thaiman, Akinyemi (Hinterland), Polifame, Average , Bauxl (The Answer) and Wenzel Washington had guest appearances on this album . The song Higher was played by the radio station FM4 and made Def Ill better known. Also in 2006, his guest appearance appeared on the song Dubeam on the Attwenger Remix album called Dog2 . At the same time "Def Ill" & " Digga Mindz " formed the group "Ill Mindz". Def Ill also became an integral part of the Boombokkz Recordz label .

Through his collaboration as "Governor General Rugged" with Joseph Cotton, he met "Biga * Ranx" in Paris, with whom he founded the dancehall group "Mus Bus". The debut CD Mus Bus - Cuz wi mus bus followed in 2009 . In the same year Der Rote Faden was released as a 12 "record. It featured five works from the debut studio album Der Rote Faden and new songs, such as Süchtig , for which Def Ill's first official YouTube video was released.

He also garnered further attention with various downloadable titles and guest appearances. In his song Ghostwriter , he imitated several Austrian rappers. This was followed by a ghostwriter Pt. 2 and Ghostwrita Pt. 3 .

The mixtape I gib kan Fick was released in 2010 . Here some of the artist's favorite rap tracks have been covered and rewritten, mixed with previously unreleased material. This CD also features a controversial cover version of the Kool Savas hit King of Rap , on which he attacked parts of the Austrian rap scene. In a "Tribe Vibes" interview, however, he justified the title as a "parody".

In 2011 he released the CD Stakkatoflow together with DJ Chrisfader , which is largely a collection of double-time / triplet-time tracks that have been created to date. At the same time, the Ill Mindz debut album Real Recognize Real was released , which was also released as vinyl in 2013 in best of form .

In 2012 his second official solo album Reefa Mawdness was released , which was produced by Konstantin Diggn, Digga Mindz, Stixx, Def Ill, Tobrock. This album features guest appearances by Agent Olivia Orange, Alice Harper, Digga Mindz, Kinetical and Skero. The Youtube video single by Konstantin Diggn produced Fuemriss was played by FM4. This was followed by Reefa Remix Mawdness Vol. 1 as well as the limited Art Editions and Smokers Editions , which he produced in collaboration with his longtime accomplice "Eliot". The "Max Powa" remix of the song Hoib so Wued also ran on FM4 and was in 2013 on the FM4 Sound Selection 28 - Compilation released.

He published over 300 videos and songs on his YouTube channel "generalrugged". He received special attention through a series called "Def Ill's One Take Show", in the episodes of which have so far appeared alongside Def Ill, "Biga * Ranx", "Kinetical", Don Dada Rio and the Jamaican artist "G-Mac".

In 2013, Def released Ill Unchained - Tribute to Django , a tribute to Quentin Tarantino's feature film Django Unchained . Unchained - Tribute to Django was produced by Konstantin Diggn and Def Ill and is available free of charge from Bandcamp . Since this year he has also been operating under the synonym "Ruffian" (an abbreviation of his long synonym "Governor General Ruffian Rugged"). He published his first free mixtape as "Ruffian" on the bandcamp page of "Fireclath Sound". He is currently working on an album and productions for "Fireclath Sound". Def Ill sells his music on Bandcamp & is distributed via Distrokid.

2017 & 2018 followed 2 tours with Kroko Jack & T-ser, the charity project "RAF (Refugees ain´t Fugitive)", the 60-track mixtape "Def Before Dishonor" & another mini-LP "No-Notstands- Notes ". In 2018 he founded the platform "COC" (Cabinet of Curiosities) with KS Kopfsache for pushing musicians he was friends with. In one year alone, over 8 publications for COC & Beatzarilla (Misses U - I am me & Marie - I rise).

Def Ill performed (sometimes under the name "(Governor General) Ruffian Rugged") in France, Germany, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands. Both solo performances and concerts by the “Fireclath Soundsystem” took place. At concerts he was supported by "Brother Louis" until 2014, 2014-2017 by "Highznberg" & since 2017 by KS Kopfsache. Eliot, KS Kopfsache, Thomas Schwarz and himself are mainly responsible for his videos.

In 2019 he founded the project "B4 - BringBoomBapBack" together with the New York rap legend Afu-Ra, the crowdfunding goal on wemakeit was able to achieve its goal and financed the production of the "B4 Ep". Also in 2019 Schager was signed as "Ruffian Rugged" on Brigante Records (FR) and listed among the top 100 fastest rappers in the world by the Youtube channel "NahDahVebb".

Political commitment

Def Ill often addresses current political issues in his texts. In 2009 he showed his solidarity with the student protests in Vienna's Audimax in the song Vom Audimax zur Fabrik , which he produced together with Loco and DJ Chrisfader . The song appeared on the Uni is on fire compilation. Def Ill is also a member of the formation "Mördaoffn" (with Manuel Manic & Benedikt Walter), with which he a. a. occurred in the occupied Audimax.

In 2013 Def Ill showed solidarity with the strikers in the Votive Church in the form of his remix of the Bandulu song Dem nuh know . This remix was only released online. On February 16, 2013, a large demonstration took place in front of the Votive Church. As part of this demonstration Def Ill joined with a Acapella - Medley on where he u. a. rapped that song. In August 2015 he published the song Zeltstädte to address the issue of what he believed to be “inhumane conditions” in (among others) Traiskirchen. This was followed by a report on the Austrian television station Puls 4.

In September 2015 "Zeltstädte Part 2" was published on Youtube, a 21-minute mammoth remix, which was produced by Konstantin Diggn and is Kinetical, T-Ser, Brother Louis, Demolux, Selbstlaut, Huckey (Texta), Kreiml (Wienzeile) , Highznberg (Normbruch Crew), Monobrother, Iriehead, Manuel Manic & Dready C featured.

In 2017 he published "RAF - Refugees ain´t Fugitive", a digital mixtape which is a subjective acoustic documentation of the "refugee crisis". All of the proceeds go to the "Flucht nach Vorn" association to finance language courses and leisure activities for young people who have fled. The income and transfers are recorded on Def Ill's Jimdo homepage .

Competitions and Awards

On June 3, 2011, Def Ill & Digga Mindz won the Red Bull “Beats & Rhymes” competition.

In April 2013 he was nominated for the Amadeus Award in the category “Best Hip Hop / RNB Act” .

December 2019 he won the UC10 Challenge from DJ Lil Sprite and was part of the song "Underground Choppers 10".

In January 2020 Marie & Def Ill (as Ruffian Rugged) were nominated for their song "Tryin" in the top 25 for the protest song contest.

Discography

Solo releases

• 2005: Milk (self-distribution)
• 2006: The red thread (self-distributed CD, 2009 also as a 12 " record with further songs)
• 2008: Please Don't Stop the Boombap (limited promo CD )
• 2009: Mus Bus - Cuz wi mus bus (self-distributed CD with Biga * Ranx)
• 2010: I gib kan fick (Mixtape)
• 2011: Wauns mi mischn zarat was a LP (released on Bandcamp )
• 2011: Stakkatoflow (together with Chrisfader)
• 2012: Reefa Mawdness (2013 also as "Smokers Edition" and "Art Edition" with bonus material)
• 2013: Reefa Remix Mawdness Vol. 1
• 2013: Def Ills Harvest (Release via Bandcamp )
• 2013: Ruffian Roulette (as Ruffian)
• 2013: Def Ill Unchained - Tribute to Django
• 2013: Texta Classics - Remixed by Konstantin Diggn and Def Ill (via Bandcamp)
• 2013: I gib nu imma kan Fick mit Bluat (Free-Mixtape)
• 2014: Laima & Def Ill - WeenA2 (CD on Tonträger Records)
• 2014: Deflok the Demolisher (Free-Mixtape)
• 2017: RAF "Refugees Ain't Fugitive" (Charity Release)
• 2017: Def before Dishonor (Free Mixtape via Bandcamp)
• 2018: No-Notstands-Notes (digital mini-LP via Bandcamp and Distrokid)
• 2018: Planet Purge (Online album as Ruffian Rugged)
• 2019: Def Ill - Playtest (Online EP via Distrokid)
• 2019: Afu-Ra & Def Ill - B4 EP (digital /// Vinyl will follow for 2020 /// A LINZA TRILOGIE 1 )
• 2019: Pai Mei (as Ruffian Rugged /// Digital Single via Brigante Records)
• 2020: Battle Royale (Free Mixtape as Ruffian Rugged via Brigante Records)

Mixtapes with Fireclath sound system

• Fireclath & Kinetical - Kineticlath (2012)
• Fireclath - Real Empress Know the Difference (2012)
• Fireclath - Yall Know the Name (2012)
• Fireclath - Amsterdam Riddim (2012)
• Fireclath (DJ Mix-CD - Send on )
• Fireclath (DJ Mix-CD - Forward Ever Backward Never )
• Fireclath - (DJ Mix-CD - 2KCRIME )

Reviews

• Phekt: The most versatile rapper in Austria?

Web links

• 'About Hip Hop & The Art of Bunny Breeding' Interview with Def Ill
• Def Ills homepage on jimdo
• Def Ill's Youtube channel
• Discography at discogs.com

Individual evidence

1. ↑ DJ Phekt: The Linz rapper Def Ill interferes in the refugee discussion. In: FM4. Radio FM4 (ORF), April 5, 2017, accessed on January 23, 2020 (German). 
2. ↑ Julia Gschmeidler: "Human suffering drives me crazy" // Def Ill interview. In: Themessage.at. The Message, May 10, 2017, accessed January 23, 2020 . 
3. ↑ redbull.at: Report on the "Beats & Rhymes" competition (German, accessed on July 19, 2013)
4. ↑ amadeusawards.at: List of nominees for the Amadeus Awards 2013 in the Hip-Hop and R n 'B category ( memento of the original from June 24, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (German, accessed July 19, 2013) 
5. ↑ DJ Lil Sprite (Ft. 701bonez, DNA Tru Lyricist, Fenksta, Fluenci, K-Fix, Ruffian Rugged, SplytSecond & VBL) - Undaground Choppers 10. Accessed January 23, 2020 . 
6. ↑ Michael Fiedler: Protestsongcontest 2020. In: fm4.orf.at. Radio FM4 (ORF), January 13, 2020, accessed on January 23, 2020 (German). 
7. ↑ Product description on the website of www.dopeshit.at (accessed on February 19, 2014)
8. ↑ official Bandcamp release page Reefa Remix Mawdness Vol. 1 (accessed on February 19, 2014)
9. ↑ official Bandcamp release page Ruffian Roulette (accessed February 19, 2014)
10. ↑ official Bandcamp release page Def Ill Unchained - Tribute to Django (accessed February 19, 2014)