A four-man squad out of New York, Non Phixion first emerged back in 1996, with their debut single, “Legacy”/”No Tomorrow,” which epitomized its rugged production, fierce flows, and intricate lyrics. Several excellent 12s followed, and label offers began pouring in. Deals were signed, only to fall through every time, leaving its growing fanbase patiently waiting for an ever-delayed full-length. Now, in 2002, The Future Is Now has finally arrived, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Lyrically, the group comes with a distinct blend of wordy, paranoid concepts and unapologetic thug antics. They’ll wax poetic about the CIA, Enron, bin Laden, genetic engineering, and the Middle East, then just bug out — unleashing coke-fiend pride, murderous threats, and plans of making snuff films with porn queen Tara Patrick. But complex wordplay and advanced lyricism make it clear that Non Phixion might actually know what they’re talking about. It’s this mix of informed knowledge, gutter-core reality, and pop-culture crassness that sets them apart from every other group.
As far as the beats go, they’ve enlisted a serious crew of all-star producers, including OG’s like Premier, Pete Rock, and Large Professor (whose “We Are the Future” is insane). Frequent collaborator Necro also lends a hand, and guest spots also come from MF Doom and the Beatnuts.
Though many emcees pepper their rhymes with Illuminati references just to sound smarter, the whole government-conspiracy-meets-Brooklyn-goons angle has been Non Phixion’s MO since day one. In a time plagued by shady elections, classroom massacres, corporate cover-ups, and biological terrorism, their music is more poignant than ever. It’s raw hip-hop for the Jihad generation.
