Da Rymskeme / Eyedl Mode

Let's get back in the early/mid 90s with some Bay Area indy hip-hop, which I think would deserve a vinyl treatment.

Everything began with the demo tape dropped by San Francisco-based emcee Da Rymskeme in 1992. This is a 4-track cassette tape produced by Da Rymskeme and J Def the Monk of Funk, and it marks the debut of the duo called Eyedl Mode who will be formed a few years later.

Here is the review from Bomb Hip-Hop magazine written in 1992 :

Artist : Da Rymskeme

Title : Self-titled Demo

« With a name like Da Rymskeme, You already get a clue of how dope this brother might be, and dope he is. On the first song « Mista Guitar Man », Rymskeme kicks a tribute to all the brothers out there who have that magic touch to strum a guitar. Speaking of guitars, check out the guitar riff on this track because it is straight-up-n-funky! On « Instincts » Rymskeme has a more laid back rhyme delivery which makes me feel like kickin’ back on a rockin’ chair, just chillin’ and groovin’. He starts to pick up the pace once again on the third song « Da Word » which contains some great samples looped on from A Tribe Called Quest. Another song for y’all who are curious to pay close attention to is « Pavement Trials of a Jester » , where he rhymes to the same beat De La Soul sampled and looped for their song « A RollerSkating Jam Named Saturday ». Rymskeme has a very unique and complex rhyme delivery that you have to listen to very closely, yet he is definitely on the bean-eating-fart-smelling funky tip! To find out more about Da Rymskeme you can contact David Paul Management at (415) 826-9479. »

From Left to Right : Da Rymskeme - J Def the Monk of Funk - Charizma & Peanut Butter Wolf - Photo courtesy of David Paul

Da Rymskeme and J Def the Monk of Funk appeared for the first time under the name Eyedl Mode in 1994 on the various compilation of unsigned Bay Area rap acts named Bomb Hip Hop Compilation .

 The duo released their first demo tape in 1995. It's entitled "Fogville" and it contains 22 tracks fully produced by the duo for Sleepwalking Music. This tape will be followed the same year by "Eyedlmode", which is a 5-track EP featuring G-Boogie of the group KNT (Kali Noize Terrorist / Knuckle Neck Tribe). Listen to those tracks and tell me what you think !

Photos courtesy of 12ManRambo