In the mid 90s, two singles were dropped by the group Blind Mice. Maybe some of you aren't familliar with this name but it means a lot to me. I was 21 when they dropped their first single and all I can say is that the track "How Many?" was on heavy rotation at home at that time.
Blind Mice was a rap duo from Brooklyn, Clinton Hill precisely and was composed of Shadow (Super Hydraulic Advanced Doer Of Words) and 5'6".
Shadow : "Shadow cuz I was kind of quiet back then... newly evolving into an artist and liked to play the back like a shadow I guess... 5'6" cuz he was kinda short but huge on talent... 5'6" was signed to Eric B and Rakim's first label at first.
My boy Rick a.k.a Rick Rhude introduced us... he knew 5'6" and myself... knew I was into production and 5'6" had a sick flow and figured we should work together.
Rick Rhude : "Well Shadow is a lifetime friend I knew him most of my life, Fivesixx is another longtime friend of mine. At the time they both were rapping but didn't know each other so I introduced them to one another. They quickly became cool and decided to form a group."
Shadow : " 'Blind' represents how Black people act like they're blind to the ways how they can uplift the race and escape their plight thru education and self promotion of each other.
'Mice' represents how we live in the ghetto... on top of each other huddled together... also if you take the initials B and M stands for Black Male which is the perspective we give you thru our music..."
They formed the group around 1993-1994 and released their first 12" single in 1996 on MCI Entertainment Records (Most Crush Illin Entertainment Records), a label founded in 1986-87 by Gazelle Alexander and his partner Gamal Tabb while they were in High School.
Gazelle : "Thomas Porter (Shadow's cousin) was managing Blind Mice. He went to high school with us. He brought the group to me because he knew we were constantly releasing records."
12" - 1996 - MCI Entertainment Records
Their first 12" is composed of two tracks, "A New Beginning" produced by Mic Smythe and "How Many?" produced by the well-known Shawn J Period and which is for me the lead single of the record.
Shadow : "I think Mic Smythe was 5'6 's boy... He was from Brooklyn and a cool dude too... we meet and instantly worked well with him. It was Rick who introduced me to Shawn J as well...he lived on his block."
Rick Rhude :"Later on as they were trying to get the group established, I moved to another part of Brooklyn called Bedstuy and that's where I became cool with a rap group called Down South. They were originally from Virginia and came up to live in NY and moved on my block. Shawn J was part of the group as the producer and I used to go over to their crib and he listen to his beats. Shawn always had fire beats, so I told him about my boys Blind Mice and he agreed to meet them. When he met them it was instant chemistry and they started working together shortly after. At the time Shawn was also doing beats for Mos Def and some other big names so I always appreciated the fact that he made time for Blind Mice and made them a priority."
One year later, they dropped their second and last 12" single on the same label. "The Book of BM" produced by 5'6" and "Paper Capers" (Chapter 1 & Chapter 2) produced by Shawn J Period.
By the way, you can find a review of this record in the Vibe Magazine issue of July 1996 :
From Vibe Magazine - July 1996
Like many groups of the 90s, Blind Mice ended after that without getting a record deal for the release of an album...
Massive Props to Shadow, Shawn J Period, Thomas Porter, Gazelle and Rick Rhude.
Peace Fellas !
Peace Fellas !
thanks
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