Bill & Isiah

Bill & Isiah is a 2023 collaborative album by Detroit rappers Valid and Stretch Money. It was released on red vinyl (catalog FNR-004) and on cassette through Rebel Nation The Label.

The story

The two MCs met through their mutual friend Supa Emcee. After Valid brought Stretch Money onto a remix of “ULUV,” they decided to make a full album together. They named it after the Detroit Pistons’ Bill Laimbeer and Isiah Thomas and based its mood on the team’s “Bad Boys” era of the late 1980s.

Sound and production

The album is laid out like a basketball game, with quarters and a halftime show. It opens with “89’ Cadillacs,” which samples commentary from a Pistons–Celtics game. JMAC, Dub Musik, Pig Pen, Eddie Logix, Chuck Cross Slot-A and Canasta produced the tracks under DJ Head’s supervision. Anthony Rizzo recorded, mixed and mastered it at Sound Smith Studios. “Revenge” features a church choir, and “Sentimental” features Kelly Kerr. Other tracks include “Game Film,” “Commentate” and “Eastern Conference Finals.”

Legacy

The first video, for “Sentimental,” used visuals inspired by Richard Simmons. The second, for “Commentate,” recreated the NBA Jam arcade game. The album joined Valid’s boom-bap background with the street rap of Stretch Money’s 2006 debut.

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