Here are some demos from a group called 20 Sides, from the Toronto,Ontario, Canada indie hip-hop scene. I don't know much about them, except that they were part of the Sassafras Click and another crew called Countless Endeavors. Stretch & Bobbito were the first to play one of their demos titled "20 Questions" in December 1995. The other demos, "Let Me Go" and "Assorted Nuts", were played in June and July 1996 on the Mastermind Street Jam radio show on Energy 108 (107.9FM), which served the Hamilton, Burlington and Toronto areas in the mid to late 90s.
Here is the first edition of Nas & DJ Premier's long anticipated album, entitled "Light-Years". It's available on double vinyl, CD & Cassette on Mass Appeal.
Baltimore-based MC Ill Conscious delivers his latest single, taken from the album "The Aggregation Of Marginal Gains" produced by Alcynoos and DJ Parental, which is still available to order on double vinyl via HHV Records.
" “Smashin’ Bricks Vol. 2” brings Sperrow and DJ STR back together with two heavy remixes and their instrumentals. Side A delivers DJ STR’s flip of Dilated Peoples – “The Platform”, while Side B features Sperrow’s rugged take on Big L – “Shoulda Used A Rubba”." - courtesy of Comin Tru Records / STR Records
In the mid-90s, when New York's underground was overflowing with raw talent, few names stood out with such an impact in so little time as AK Skills. Hailing from Edgemere Projects in Far Rockaway, Queens, he dropped only a handful of records, but what records they were !! Released on the cult imprint Tru Criminal Records, his two 12-inches are now considered essential pieces for any hip-hop vinyl collector.
The first, "Check The Flava / Nights of Fear" immediately set the tone... razor sharp rhymes over heavyweight productions. With Lord Finesse behind "Check The Flava" and Buckwild lacing "Nights of Fear", the record stands as a perfect snapshot of the D.I.T.C. golden era sound.
Both songs are available in their Clean, Dirty and Instrumentals versions. The 12" was reviewed in the Sure Shot Singles section of the Source Magazine in June 1996, and in the Please Listen To My Demo section of Beat Down Magazine.
The follow-up, "One Life Ta Live / East Ta West" only reinforced his reputation. "One Life Ta Live" is a raw Queens anthem, while "East Ta West" carries a heavy rolling vibe that resonated far beyond New York's borders. Both tracks were produced by Eddie James (of Mad Pack).
Eddie James shared a lot of information about AK Skills and the production of this 12" in an article written by Gino Sorcinelli in 2018. You can read it here.
What makes these two records so remarkable isn't their rarity today, but the way they capture a moment in New York hip-hop where underground talent thrived outside the mainstream spotlight. Tru Criminal Records, which was an independent record label founded in 1996 by Lee "Skill" Resnick and one of his friend named Alex Groothius a.k.a Gru Da Mastamind, may not have had a massive catalog but their releases are revered and AK Skills sits right at the heart of that legacy. Moreover, AK Skills dropped another single,"One Thing Or Another" produced by Buckwild, on the dope Tru Criminal Records EP released a year later. It also includes tracks from other groups that were part of the Tru Criminal Records roster : Street Smartz & God Sunz.
By the way, the Rap Is Outta Control Radio Show, with DJ Eclipse and DJ Riz, recently did a tribute show to Tru Criminal Records, which aired on December 7th 2025. AK Skills, FT of Street Smartz, Smokescreen of God Sunz and Lee "Skill" Resnick were in the studio. If you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, I definitely recommend it... they drop some cool stories about the crew members and the record label. They also played some unreleased material.
For record collectors, all these 12"s above are mandatory digs, not only do they represent the essence of 90s East Coast underground rap, but they also preserve the voice of an MC who deserved far more shine than he got. If you stumble upon these records in the bins, don't hesitate... they're true classics of 90s indie hip-hop. Peace
"Straight out of Copenhagen, Denmark back to 1997. Detail presents a pure hip-hop gem. After dropping the EP Peep The Detail in ’94, three years later he released his first and only solo album: Blue Eyed Soul. Produced by Detail, Merry Tee, the Copenhaniacs Typhoon, and DJ Sek. The album is finally getting the treatment it deserves: a 2LP reissue in a refreshed gatefold sleeve, complete with an additional track." - courtesy of Gramofix Records
