Vakill facts for kids

Donald Mason, known to many as Vakill, is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois. He was born on March 21, 1975. Vakill is well-known for being part of a Chicago hip hop group called The Molemen. He has also released three of his own studio albums.

Vakill's Early Life

Vakill grew up on the South Side of Chicago. He became interested in hip hop when he was only eight years old. At first, he focused on break dancing, which is a cool dance style.

In the 1980s, Vakill started to focus on rhyming and writing songs. He found inspiration from famous lyricists (songwriters) like Kool G Rap, Pharoahe Monch, and Nas. In 1991, he met a classmate named Ed Zamudio. Ed later became known as Panik. Vakill and Panik, along with producers Memo and PNS, formed the group called The Molemen.

Vakill's Music Journey

Vakill started his solo music career in 1995. He released a cassette tape called Who's Afraid?. He stayed active in the local music scene during the late 1990s. He worked with many other artists and released several singles. A single is a song released on its own. One of his most famous singles was "Keep the Fame" from 1996. He worked on this song with Percee P and Rhymefest.

In the years that followed, Vakill added songs to albums by The Molemen. For example, "Finyl Thought" was on their 1997 EP Below the Ground. An EP is a shorter music collection than an album. "Know the Bidness" was on their 1998 EP Buried Alive. "Urban Legend" appeared on the 2001 album Chicago City Limits, Vol. 1. Also, "The Equinox" and "Face Down" were on the 2001 album Ritual of the Molemen. In 2001, Vakill released a collection of his own songs called Kill Em All. This collection included all the songs from Who's Afraid? and other songs he recorded in the 1990s.

Vakill released his first full album, The Darkest Cloud, in 2003. It was released by Molemen Records. The album was produced by Molemen members Panik and Memo, along with DJ Contakt and Mixx Massacre. It featured the single "End of Days." Even though many people liked the album, it mostly stayed popular within the "underground" rap scene. This means it was known by dedicated fans but not by everyone.

Three years later, in 2006, Vakill released his second album, Worst Fears Confirmed. This album also had production from The Molemen. It featured other talented lyricists like Ras Kass and Royce Da 5'9". In 2011, he released his third studio album, The Armor of God.

Vakill's Albums

EPs and Singles

• Who's Afraid? (EP, 1995)
• "Flows You Can't Imagine" (Single, 2000)
• "Out the Speakers" (Single, 2000)
• "Va2K" (Single, 2000)
• "End of Days" (Single, 2003)
• "World War V" (TBA)

Songs Vakill Appeared On

Vakill has also been featured on many songs by other artists and groups. Here are some of them:

• 1996 "Keep the Fame" (from the single "Taste of Chicago" b/w "Keep the Fame")
• 1997 "Finyl Thought" (from the Molemen EP Below the Ground)
• 1998 "Know the Bittness" (from the Molemen EP Buried Alive)
• 2001 "Urban Legend" (from the Molemen album Chicago City Limits, Vol. 1)
• 2001 "The Equinox", "Face Down" (from the Molemen album Ritual of the Molemen)
• 2002 "It's On" (from the DJ Vadim album U.S.S.R.: The Art of Listening)
• 2005 "Can You Relate" (from the Molemen compilation Lost Sessions)
• 2006 "Cold War (Remix)", "Under the Gun" (from the Molemen compilation Chicago City Limits, Vol. 2)
• 2006 "V" (from the Molemen album Killing Fields)
• 2013 "Cypher" (off Juellz Album "Jewelz")