Third Eye Entertainment EP - 1998

EP - 1998 - Third Eye Ent.

This is a various compilation released in 1998 on Third Eye Entertainment, an Indie hip-hop label from Virginia managed by Peter Haynes aka Pete Twist. The EP is composed of 8 tracks performed by different artists from Norfolk VA, with productions by 3rd Eye (Pete Twist & Joe City), Nottz, Superb & Dj EL. 

Pete Twist at Third Eye Studio - Photo courtesy of Pete Haynes

On the A-side, the tracks "Final Exam", "The Lyric" and "Bang Material" are performed by Gypcees, a crew of female emcees who originally consisted of Gangalee, Ghagged, MFW, Seven, Kweenie Lox, So_ul and Madam Melodious. 
"Final Exam" was produced by Nottz, "The Lyric" was produced by 3rd Eye and "Bang Material" was produced by Superb.

From the Left : Ke Turner (Ghagged) / Madam Melodious / So-ul  / Kweenie Lox & Gangalee - Photo courtesy of Markesha Turner

From the Left : Ke Turner (Ghagged) / Kweenie Lox / GangaLee & Madam Melodious - Photo courtesy of Markesha Turner

Ghagged : "Gangalee is originally from New York and came to VA for college at Norfolk State. I was already in VA working with an entertainment company. I met her when she came to the Third Eye studio and she overheard me in the booth. She told me to give her a call because she had an all womens group that she thought I'd be a good in. I decided to link up with her... it was around 1997-1998.

Her group was already called Gypcees. She had 2 other emcees she had on board back in NY where they already established the name.

So Gangalee was already recording at Third Eye for some time and the studio was becoming to go to place for many artists. So of course Superb and Nottz would go there to record, make beats etc... our paths inevitably crossed and they decided to throw us some tracks..."

On the B-side the tracks "88 Flashback" featuring P.K, "Ocean View" and "Elane, Elane" are performed by the Norfolk-based emcee Doomzday. The instrumentals were respectively produced by Nottz, 3rd Eye and Dj El.

Doomzday : "Got the name in Government class from the Doomzday bomb. Also graduated from the same Highschool as Pharell.. Met Pete Haynes from Thirdeye in 95 and the journey began... Had to compete with Nas, Biggie, Dmx, Wu-Tang and Jay-z during this era so I studied them and became just as good.... I dream my rhymes, wake up and write my dreams, my pen game is endorsed by higher sources I can't even take the credit...And like Redman once stated "I'm a 24hr lyricist I sleep in my work boots"....

My parents moved to Buffalo NY and I moved into Third Eye studio's and that's when we began my portfolio of music...I used to write 3 songs a day to make sure that I had enough range and variety to win..."

Doomzday - Photo courtesy of Dayshon Gramm

Doomzday :"Dj El was a friend of Joe City and Pete Twist the producers at Thirdeye. He just happened to stop by one day and landed a track on the Ep... Nottz was giving us beats in exchange for studiotime at Thirdeye untill he got his first break with Busta Rhymes...Then we would link up from time to time to play new music from one another..."

Third group of the comp is a group named Suspects who consisted of Doomzday, P.K, Kash, Dillion, Sayas, Psycho, Rah and Stone Da Rula, hailing from Norfolk except P.K who was from Yonkers, NY.  
They recorded 2 tracks on the EP titled "Street Of Renasiance" and "Spanish Norfolk", both produced by 3rd Eye. I don't know if we can consider that Doomzday, P.K and Kash were the Suspects front men but they were the voices you heard the most on the tracks.

From the Left : Doomzday, Kashdillion, PK, Psycho, Rah and Sayas - Photo courtesy of Dayshon Gramm

Everything stopped in 2000 when the studio got robbed and all the studio equipment was stolen. It was the end of 3rd Eye Studio and everybody split in different directions...

Mad Props to Markesha Turner and Dayshon Gramm.