Looking for that next big group or artist to inspire, motivate you, and fill your headphones with glorious beats has become difficult these days, largely due to the music industry becoming  so diluted with thousands of wannabe artists; but would you have guessed that the most original and innovative hip-hop is being produced right under your nose?

What’s happening in the big-name clubs, large venues and hot-spots is not the backbone of the industry, but rather the guys and girls showing their craft through hard work on the ground.

Cape Town’s local hip-hop group Ill Skillz, comprising of Jimmy Flexx and Uno July, have poured their heart into their new album, entitled Notes from the Native Yards (Native Yards being the name designated to the townships by apartheid-era town planners), and it speaks volumes where other artists don’t dare to treat.

These aren’t a couple of kids tinkering around with beats and rhymes, these are hip hop artists who have honed their skills over many years of learning from the greats. Listen carefully, this is Ill Skillz!

Jack Daniel’s has given us an awesome look into Ill Skillz through their new short documentary, which aims to unearth the underlying talent of SA’s music landscape, and find those unsigned artists and give them the recognition and platform that they deserve.