If you missed Brooklyn-based Ill Bill coming through Humboldt County a few months back, this is your lucky weekend.

Ill Bill will be bringing his tell-it-like-it-is, you-all-better-wake-up style to three locations Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

For more than 20 years Ill Bill has been gripping microphones and his name can be found on the rosters of some of the most underground, underappreciated crews that have come and, some of them, have gone. Crews like Non Phixion, La Coka Nostra, Injustice and Secret Society.

He's currently touring on his latest solo record, “Hour of Reprisal,” which was released over the summer.

Being deep in hip-hop for a while he's seen first-hand the roller coaster the genre has been through since emerging from New York City in the '70s.

”I've seen it evolve into a huge worldwide culture that's bigger than any other culture to the youth of today,” Ill Bill recently wrote in an e-mail interview. “It came from a small area in the Bronx, NYC and spread like wildfire across the globe and is still growing and inspiring people everywhere. I remember when Run DMC's first album dropped in the early '80s. Now they're being nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. I've seen it grow up and still stay new and fresh to three different generations. That's incredible.”

And with that history, you could probably guess what his answer is to the now cliché hip-hop interview question that was made its way into a lot of interviews ever since Nas stated it a few years back, “Is hip-hop dead?”

”If it was, we wouldn't be doing this interview, would we?” Ill Bill wrote.

”Hour of Reprisal” features appearances from hip-hop staples B-Real, Jedi Mind Tricks, Immortal Technique and co-La Coka Nostra member Everlast.

But it also features appearances by non hip-hop acts like Soulfly, Kill Switch Engage and H.R. and Darryl Jenifer of Bad Brains.

”For me it was natural,” Ill Bill wrote. “Instead of trying to mix our sounds by rhyming on metal guitars, I brought those guys to the hip-hop side of things. I didn't have to tell them anything. They just did what they felt and with them being fans of Rap music too, it was something they were all excited to be a part of.”

And he's not only a rhyme sayer, but some of the beats on the record were made by Bill, and they hit just as hard as Ill Bill's rhymes. Other producers on the record include DJs Lethal, Premiere and Muggs.

And Ill Bill is looking forward to his return to Humboldt County.

”Good people, good food, good vibes. All good!,” Ill Bill wrote. “I love Humboldt and Humboldt shows me love in return.”

Ill Bill's three day tour of No. Hum starts tonight in Arcata at Mazzotti's on the Plaza with Sean Price and LCA. Doors at 9:30 p.m. and tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. The Cult Leader moves to the Red Fox Tavern Friday, again with Sean price and with Hiway and JO-B1. Doors at 9:30 p.m. and tickets are $15 in advance and $18 at the door. Saturday the show moves to Willow Creek Community Park with Sean price, LCA, White Trash Country Club, JO-B1 and RDH.

The Saturday show gets an early start, around 4:30 p.m., is all ages and general admission tickets are $20. It's also a rain or shine event.