The Great Divide

"Wilson's vivid imagination and cheeky humour, teamed with Trillion's dense, melodic beats make 'The Great Divide' the most innovative hip hop release out of NZ.”
- Awakenings Records [Aus]

"Maaan I really love this shit!”
- Soulstate [UK]

Enter Billy Wilson - reigning king of uncool, Wellington's only anti-rapper is back for the first time ever…

Natural accent hip hop doesn't seem to have a very big following in NZ, unlike almost everywhere else in the world, where using accents & language related to the country of the artist is championed. Well, Jody Lloyd's [Trillion, Dark Tower] local label She'll Be Right Records, is set to change all that, thanks to the release of Billy Wilson's 'The Great Divide'.

"No bravado, no American accent… Billy takes care of the words… while Jody provides his finest production & backing tracks to date. Wilson's lyrics are smart & insightful, incorporating everything from the ridiculous to the sublime.”
- avement

Fuelled by fried egg and gherkin sandwiches & cups of herbal tea, Billy & Jody set about matching Billy's notebook entries with tunes from Jody's beat catalogues, all of this taking place during Billy's holidays from art school. 'The Great Divide' has emerged from this process & has largely been shaped by the restraints of geography & time. However, this is no disjointed collection of tracks, 'The Great Divide' is one of the most engaging NZ hip hop albums around!

"The album does have an exploratory nature, but one with hip hop sensibilities. 'The Great Divide' offers something genuinely new, which to me is appealing in itself. The guys have worked hard to develop an entirely original project.”
- ozhiphop.com

"Beautifully honest and the production is so tight. It's more than hip hop, it's music! Very inspiring.”
- Michael

"One of the most innovative & accomplished NZ hip hop releases I've ever heard.”
- Pavement