The upcoming vinyl release of the album "Contact" by Springfield, Ohio-based rapper BigShawnDon on the Gramofix Records label reminds me that Ohio's 90s hip-hop scene has largely remained under the radar. While a handful of artists and groups managed to break through at the time, such as J Rawls, MHZ, Universal Dialect, Southpaw, Blueprint or MOOD, many others never reached a wider audience.
This cassette "Mekka Born Sound - Street Life" released in 1998, documents some of those overlooked artists. Mekka Born Sound was a record label based in Colombus, Ohio, founded around 1997 and managed by DJ O-Sharp and Sherod Jones who also handled all the productions. The tape features artists and groups such as I&J, Nashon, Screw & Flage, D'Marco and Empire, a duo comprised of Walla Bee and Marlon.
Information about Mekka Born Sound and its artists was nearly impossible to find, so the best option was to reach out directly to DJ O-Sharp, who kindly took the time to respond and provide some details.
DJ O-Sharp : " Sherod Jones and I went to the same high school but grew up in different neighborhoods. I am from Agler Green and he's from Walnut Creek. He's actually one year older than me. We both have a strong passion for music and especially hip hop culture, from bboying on down to graffiti. The artists on the Street Life tape are all people we grew up with and some are even family members. Nashon is Sherod's little brother. Walla Bee is my nephew; his rhyme partner Marlon grew up in Walnut Creek with Nashon and Sherod. Demarco is actually from the Bronx; he was here for school at Ohio State. He was looking for studio time and found us, he's more like a brother than a friend. Screw and Flage are from the neighborhood. I met I&J at an open mic and I was so lost in his rap style. Mekka Born Sound was initially conceived as a way to produce artists from home and seek out a record deal first, later we served as the recording studio for MHZ'z, Lone Catalyst, Rashad and Rufus Blaque. There is so much unreleased music, and all those artists went on to do more music beyond Mekka Born Sound. "
