Non Phixion (pronounced ''Non-Fiction'') is an American
hip-hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
group from
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, New York City. Though the group did not become a household name during their initial period of activity, the Village Voice said Non Phixion was "integral to the timeline of
underground hip-hop
Underground hip hop (also known as underground rap or simply underground) traditionally refers to hip hop music that is outside the general mainstream canon or counter-cultural in nature, usually with a heavy emphasis on emotion, lyricism, and/or ...
." The group endured a series of missed opportunities on their way to their only LP release and broke up after their first decade. In the months leading up to the 20th anniversary of their formation, the group reunited and was still active and touring. Their logo is a direct nod to the Canadian metal band
Voivod.
History
In late 1994,
MC Serch
Michael Berrin (born May 6, 1967), better known by his stage name MC Serch, is an American rapper and record executive. He gained fame as part of the hip hop group 3rd Bass, who were active in the late 1980s and early 1990s and released three s ...
(of
3rd Bass
3rd Bass is an American hip hop group that was most active in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Formed by MC Serch, Pete Nice, and DJ Richie Rich, the group was notable for being one of the first successful interracial hip hop acts. Along with ...
fame) took protégé
Sabac Red
John Fuentes (born February 7, 1977), professionally known by his stage name SaBac Red (or simply Sabac), is an American rapper and audio engineer from New York City. He is a member of hip hop quartet Non Phixion and the "on hold" supergroup ...
and teamed up with DJ Eclipse and
Ill Bill
William Braunstein (born July 14, 1972), professionally known by his stage name Ill Bill, is an American rapper and record producer from Brooklyn, New York City. Having gained fame in the underground hip hop group Non Phixion, Ill Bill is known ...
(
La Coka Nostra
La Coka Nostra (short LCN) is an American hip hop music, hip hop Supergroup (music), supergroup currently composed that of Danny Boy (rapper), Danny Boy, Slaine (rapper), Slaine, DJ Lethal, and Ill Bill. In 2004, its creation started when Dann ...
/
Heavy Metal Kings), thereby creating the group known as Non Phixion.
, SMN News Goretex Interview Within six months, Goretex (now known as Lord Goat), a childhood friend of Ill Bill from
Glenwood Houses, had joined the crew after freestyling for MC Serch in Bill's
Starrett City
Starrett City (also known as the Spring Creek Towers) is a housing development in the Spring Creek section of East New York in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is located on a peninsula on the north shore of Jamaica Bay, bounded by Fr ...
apartment.
Designer Magazine Interview Six months later, they had released their first single, "Legacy". It went on to sell over 25,000 copies worldwide, with little distribution, establishing the group as an international touring force.
Matador Records Non Phixion Biography Necro was a member during the beginning of the group.
MC Serch secured the group a deal by letting them choose what label they desired, which was with major label
Geffen Records
Geffen Records (formerly The David Geffen Company from 1980 to 1992 and Geffen Records Inc. from 1993 to 2004) is an American record label, founded in late 1980 by David Geffen. Originally a music subsidiary of the company known as Geffen Pi ...
, due to their growing roster of like-minded artists such as
Killah Priest
Walter Reed (born August 16, 1970), better known by his stage name Killah Priest, is an American rapper, a member of Sunz of Man, and a Wu-Tang Clan affiliate who was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He is known for his intensely spiritual ...
,
the Roots
The Roots are an American Hip-hop, hip hop band formed in 1987 by singer Black Thought, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and drummer Questlove, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''T ...
, and
GZA
Gary Eldridge Grice (born August 22, 1966), better known by his stage names GZA ( ) and the Genius, is an American rapper. A founding member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan, GZA is the group's "spiritual head", being both the first member in ...
.
Russell Simmons
Russell Wendell Simmons (born October 4, 1957) is an American entrepreneur, writer and record executive. He co-founded the hip-hop label Def Jam Recordings, and created the clothing fashion lines Phat Farm, Argyleculture, and Tantris. He has p ...
was also interested in the group after Serch brought them to his penthouse for a live meeting and performance, which due to scheduling never came to fruition. Serch kept releasing singles for the group through his own independent imprint Serchlite, and they continued to garner underground worldwide notoriety.
Grandslam Magazine MC Serch Interview Eventually, a series of miscommunications and incidents between the group and Serch over the mysterious whereabouts of money led to Non Phixion being dropped by the label during a merger with
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc. established in 1972, though MCA had released recordings under that name in the UK from the 1960s. The label achieved success in the 1970s through the 1980s, often by acquiring other ...
, by way of then-owner
Seagram
The Seagram Company Ltd. (which trade name, traded as Seagram's) was a Canadian multinational beverage and during the last few years of its existence, entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate formerly headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. ...
.

Following their attempt at a major label release, the members of Non Phixion spent their time performing live around the world at such places as
Roskilde Festival
The Roskilde Festival is a Danish music festival held annually south of Roskilde. It is one of the largest music festivals in Europe and the largest in the Nordic countries. It was created in 1971 by two high school students and a promoter. In 1 ...
, and
Hultsfred Festival
The Hultsfred Festival () was an annual music festival held in Hultsfred, Sweden. It took place at the lake Hulingen for three days in June or July, from Thursday to Saturday. Since the first festival in 1986, its attendance increased from 7,5 ...
opening for contemporaries such as
Gang Starr
Gang Starr was an American Hip-hop, hip hop duo, consisting of Houston-born record producer DJ Premier and Boston-based rapper Guru (rapper), Guru.
Gang Starr was at its height from 1989 to 2003, and is considered a widely influential MC-and-pr ...
,
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them ...
,
Black Moon
Black moon is a term first recorded in 2016. It is not a term used in astronomy. No single, universally accepted definition exists. Among the meanings ascribed to it are these: a second new moon that appears in the same month; the third new moon i ...
,
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to Rage) was an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1991. It consisted of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim ...
,
Fat Joe
Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper. He began recording as a member of Hip-hop, hip hop group D.I.T.C., Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.) in 1992, and pursued a sol ...
,
Beastie Boys
The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...
,
Portishead,
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age (commonly abbreviated as QOTSA or QotSA) is an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1996. The band was founded by vocalist and guitarist Josh Homme shortly before he returned to his native Palm Desert, California. ...
,
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American Hip hop music, hip hop group formed in South Gate, California in 1988. One of the first Latin groups to gain mainstream recognition in hip hop, they have sold over 20 million albums worldwide, and have obtained multi ...
, GZA,
The Beatnuts
The Beatnuts is an American hip hop group and production duo from New York City. Its current members are JuJu and Psycho Les. JuJu (born Jerry Tineo on December 14, 1968) is a Dominican American from Corona and Psycho Les (born Lester Fernandez ...
,
Mos Def
Yasiin Bey ( ; born Dante Terrell Smith; December 11, 1973), formerly known as Mos Def ( ), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. A prominent figure in conscious hip hop, he is recognized for his use of wordplay and commentary on social an ...
, and The Roots.
After 1998 saw the release of their "I Shot Reagan" 12" on Uncle Howie Records, Non Phixion secured a deal for a full-length with
Matador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts.
History
Matador was created in 1989 by Chris Lombardi in his New York City ap ...
, however, this never came to fruition.
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...
manager
Paul Rosenberg showed interest in managing Non Phixion, but due to timing this also never happened. Around 2000,
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay Rubin (, ; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is a co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records.
Rubin helped popularize hip hop by produci ...
was attempting to bring Non Phixion to
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
and executive produce their record, but this too never materialized. Ultimately, their debut LP ''
The Future Is Now'' was released on Ill Bill's own Uncle Howie Records on March 26, 2002.
, HipHopDX Ill Bill Interview ''The Future Is Now'' features the production of hip hop giants such as
Pete Rock
Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapping, rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned along ...
,
Large Professor
William Paul Mitchell (born March 21, 1972), better known by the stage name of Large Professor (also Extra P. and Large Pro), is an American rapper and music producer. Based in New York City, he is known as a founding member of the underground ...
,
DJ Premier
Christopher Edward Martin (born March 21, 1966), known professionally as DJ Premier (also known as Preemo), is an American record producer and DJ. He has been frequently lauded as one of hip hop's greatest producers by publications such as '' ...
, The Beatnuts, Ill Bill's brother Necro, and Dave 1 from funk band
Chromeo
Chromeo is a Canadian electro-funk duo from Montreal, formed in 2002 by musicians David "Dave 1" Macklovitch and Patrick "P-Thugg" Gemayel. Their sound draws from soul music, dance music, rock, synth-pop, disco and funk.
As of 2024, the band h ...
. A
heavy metal remix for "The CIA Is Trying To Kill Me" produced by
T-Ray
Terahertz radiation – also known as submillimeter radiation, terahertz waves, tremendously high frequency
(THF), T-rays, T-waves, T-light, T-lux or THz – consists of electromagnetic waves within the International Telecommunicat ...
was also included and features
Christian Olde Wolbers
Christian Francis Olde Wolbers (born 5 August 1972) is a Belgian musician, record producer, and songwriter. He is the current bassist and backing vocalist of the rap metal/nu metal band Powerflo. He is also a former bassist of the thrash metal ...
,
Raymond Herrera
Raymond Herrera is an American musician, best known as the former drummer and founding member of the industrial metal band Fear Factory. He is also the former drummer for his previous band Brujeria and for industrial metal band Arkaea. He is a ...
from
Fear Factory
Fear Factory is an American industrial metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1989. Throughout the band's career, they have released ten full-length albums and have evolved through a succession of sounds, all in their main style of industrial met ...
, and guitarist
Stephen Carpenter
Stephen Carpenter ( /ˈstɛfən/ ''STEF-ən''; born August 3, 1970) is an American musician, known as the co-founder and lead guitarist of the alternative metal band Deftones.
His guitar technique makes use of both ringing open strings and ...
from
Deftones
Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by frontman Chino Moreno, lead guitarist Stephen Carpenter and drummer Abe Cunningham, with bassist Chi Cheng and keyboardist and tu ...
. ''The Future Is Now'' also contains a rare at the time guest appearance from
MF Doom. The cover artwork was created by Los Angeles artist
Mear One
Mear One (born 1971 as Kalen Ockerman) is an American artist and based in Los Angeles, known for his often-political and sometimes conspiracy theory-inspired street graffiti art. Mear One is associated with CBS (Can't Be Stopped – City Bomb Sq ...
from California graffiti crew C.B.S.
After the release of their seminal album, Non Phixion's members put out their first round of solo material: Ill Bill released ''
What's Wrong with Bill?'' on March 2, 2004; this was followed by Sabac's ''
Sabacolypse: A Change Gon' Come'' on June 15, 2004, and Goretex's ''The Art of Dying'' on October 26, 2004. All of their solo efforts were released on Necro's
Psycho+Logical-Records
Psycho may refer to:
Mind
* Psychopath
* Sociopath
* Someone with a personality disorder
* Someone with a psychological disorder
** Someone with psychosis
People with the nickname
* Karl Amoussou or Psycho, mixed martial artist
* Peter Ebdo ...
. The following year, Ill Bill and Goretex released an album with Necro and Mr. Hyde as The Circle of Tyrants on September 13. At the time, there was talk of another full-length Non Phixion album called ''The Nuclear Truth'' with the same producers and ideas being extended from ''The Future Is Now''.
, The Live and Direct Radio Show Non Phixion went on temporary hiatus in 2006 before a second LP was started. Goretex (now known as Lord Goat) left to work on solo material and develop his new record label, Supercoven.
Sabac moved to
Oakland
Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...
and Ill Bill started a new group with a number of other
emcees called
La Coka Nostra
La Coka Nostra (short LCN) is an American hip hop music, hip hop Supergroup (music), supergroup currently composed that of Danny Boy (rapper), Danny Boy, Slaine (rapper), Slaine, DJ Lethal, and Ill Bill. In 2004, its creation started when Dann ...
. MC Serch did not appear on Non Phixion's first album ''The Future Is Now''. All of Non Phixion's work and solo material are highly regarded in the underground hip hop scene, as well as other genres. In January 2003, Non Phixion contributed a track to the film ''
Biker Boyz
''Biker Boyz'' is a 2003 American sports action drama film, directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood and written by Bythewood and Craig Fernandez, based on the 2000 '' New Times LA'' article of the same name by Michael Gougis. The film is about a group ...
'', which starred
Kid Rock
Robert James Ritchie (born January 17, 1971), known professionally as Kid Rock, is an American musician, singer, rapper, and songwriter. After establishing himself in the Music of Detroit#Hip-hop, Detroit hip-hop scene, he broke through into m ...
and
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence John Fishburne III (born July 30, 1961) is an American actor. Throughout his career, he has gained recognition for his roles on stage and screen as militant and authoritative characters. List of awards and nominations received by Laur ...
. A track was also used for exploitation film ''Bully'', but was pulled at the last minute due to subject matter.
Goretex dropped his second solo record titled ''Electric Lucifer'' under the name "Gore Elohim", in November 2013 on Supercoven Records.
The band's logo was created by
Michel "Away" Langevin using the same font style that was used for his own futuristic metal band
Voivod.
Reunion
In 2020, Ill Bill, Sabac and Goretex (now known as Lord Goat) reunited on the DJ Skizz-produced song "Watch The City Burn" from Ill Bill's fifth solo studio album ''La Bella Medusa''.
[Archived a]
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine
Discography
Studio albums
*''
The Future Is Now'' (Landspeed Records, 2002)
Compilation albums
* ''The Past, the Present and the Future Is Now'' (Uncle Howie / Matador, 2000)
* ''The Green CD/DVD'' (Uncle Howie, 2004)
Singles
References
{{Authority control
Hip-hop groups from New York City
Horrorcore groups
Matador Records artists
Musical groups established in 1995
Underground hip-hop groups
Hardcore hip-hop groups