Modill

In 2003 Chicago residents Racecar and K-Kruz launched the underground hip-hop outfit Modill as an MC-producer duo, adding ThaiOne Davis to the lineup a year later. Producer and drummer K-Kruz draws on Native Tongue-rap, jazz, Chicago soul, and electronica to craft the group’s airy, forward-looking textures, which frame introspective verses from Racecar and Davis. Racecar first crossed paths with Evanston, IL native K-Kruz in 2000 upon joining Chicago hip-hop band FreeBasic, where K-Kruz handled drums. The trio signed to local indie EV Productions; their debut 12-inch, Change Form!, surfaced in 2004 and included appearances by Chicago MCs and regular collaborators Diverse and LongShot. Davis made his recorded entrance as the third member on the follow-up single Moves in 2005, earning the group favorable notice. Their atmospheric, jazz-inflected first album, Midnight Green, arrived in 2006 to strong underground acclaim yet limited wider attention; the uneven focus on K-Kruz’s beats led the label to issue an instrumental edition in mid-2007.