Ten years ago cousins Josh and Craig Simons first started making music in a small makeshift studio in a bedroom closet.Much of their music has never seen the light of day that is until a “now or never” career push at the start of this year.They’ve since found scores of local fans and signed a digital distribution contract with SunToucher Entertainment, a Sony Music affiliate.Now the hip hop duo are preparing to take centre stage at the Hollywood Music and Media Awards, recognising both mainstream and independent artists from around the globe on November 15.The musicians known, as ill-Logical Linguistics, have been nominated in the rap/ hip hop category for their song ‘Go Slow’, and also been invited to perform the party tune at the Fonda Theatre in California.Josh, also known as Fatz, raps and writes lyrics; Craig DJs and produces the beats.Since stepping on the scene the “response has been crazy”, Josh said.“It’s hard being in Bermuda, in an Island where everyone is surrounded by reggae, but we are a hybrid of everything we listen to put into one. We fall under the umbrella of hip hop, electronica and dub-step.“We released the song ‘Stained Paradise’ about Bermuda and our social ills and to get the support and feedback was just crazy.“It was like we had a mini-army being built behind us and it just blew up on Facebook and YouTube. ‘People have been like ‘Where are you guys coming from?’”The group opened up for Wayne Wonder at Chewstick’s BeachFest concert this summer; they were also lined up to take part in the Culturefest event before it was rained out.Although they had a low-key presence on the local music for years, Craig believes the wait has paid off.“We have just been in the studio background in the dungeons. We haven’t put anything out until this year because we spent so much time focusing on the sound, writing and making the beats and becoming who we are as artists.“We actually run a production company, iVibes Productions, which works with a lot of the other artists, but now we are shifting gears and we are focused on our own music just because we have done it for so long and we feel it’s time, we are finally ready. It’s now or never. We have gained so much experience working with other artists so it’s time for us to really do something now. “The entertainers said it was “amazing” how far they have come in the past year.The pair studied recording arts at Full Sail University in the US. In 2002 they were playing music out of their bedroom closets — a decade later they’re getting their first taste of international exposure.The pair said their career started making massive gains after meeting Theresa Minors, CEO of Playlist Management, back in April. After hearing how passionate they were about their music, and before even hearing their sound, Ms Minors made some calls to her contacts in the United States. “That’s when I realised this woman was serious,” Craig said.Josh added: “Without [our management team] we could have still been in limbo so everything changed when they came on board.”They describe their style as “raw, hard-core rap”, with some songs dealing with relationships, politics, violence, broken homes and poverty.Others are considered more light “party music”, touching on having fun on the Island’s beaches with pretty women and their dream of making it big in the industry.“I like to think we make music you can feel and not just hear and it comes from our experiences throughout life, our ups and downs, like broken hearts,” Josh said.They ultimately want to see their music accepted in the mainstream and for people to come away from their songs having learned something. However the pair said they hope they never lose their underground fans and authentic sound.Josh wants to travel the world with his music, while Craig said his dream would be to own a major recording studio and spend “24/7” producing beats.“Music is everything,” Craig said. “For us it’s like breathing, the most important thing we have going in our lives.“We don’t sit down and say ‘let’s make music’, everything is just natural. We don’t breathe, we music.”ill-Logical Linguistics are in the process of finishing their album ‘Hung and Drunk Over’. They are also looking for sponsorship to help with some of the costs associated with taking part in the Hollywood Music and Media Awards. For more information e-mail pr.playlistmanagement@gmail.com .