SLD a.k.a Sick Lyrical Damager

It was a real pleasure in 2020 to listen to an unreleased track from Sick Lyrical Damager dropped by Chopped Herring Records. I've been a true fan of this MC since day one and I would have liked there was more SLD tracks on this "Shazam X – The Producer Project EP", but it was better than nothing.

EP - 2022 - Chopped Herring Records 

For those who don't know this excellent Bronx-based emcee and to make a quick recap about how everything started for Rodney Summers a.k.a Sick Lyrical Damager, you need to know that SLD and the legendary Andre the Giant a.k.a A.G. from Showbiz & AG grew up together in the same neighborhood in the South Bronx, Patterson Projects precisely. SLD and Showbiz also went to school together. 

Everything began in the mid 80s when A.G. wrote a song called "A Bomb In My Pocket". Rodney heard the verse and he told him that he'd write a verse for that song and that's what he did. A.G. heard the verse and then they became rap partners. The duo was called Rod Swift and Dre Smooth. For the info, an unfinished album was recorded with A.G. at that time, with productions handled by a kat named Double DEE a.k.a Devious Devastator. Rod has also recorded a full solo album with this producer, but everything still remains unreleased. After A.G. appeared on Lord Finesse first album in 1990, him and Showbiz became a group and Rod became Sick Lyrical Damager and went solo. 

The legendary Rhyme Inspector Percee-P who is also from Patterson Projects, grew up with Sick Lyrical Damager... they went to kindergarten together. Percee P introduced him to DJ/Producer Shazam X at the record shop Shazam worked at. After hearing him rapped, Shazam X took him under his wings and became his producer. He put him on his EP released on TNT Records (sub-label to Freeze records) around 1993-1994 with the single "Scary Thoughts".

EP - 1994 - TNT Records

In the mid 90s, SLD and Percee-P performed in LeFrak City in Queens and Vance Reid saw their performance. After that he signed them to his record label called Vmax Records. Percee-P's 12" (Nowhere Near Simple/ Don't Cum Strapped) and SLD's first 12" (Scary Thoughts / It's Over) will be released by this label in 1996.

12" - 1996 - Vmax Records 

A third 12" entitled "Respect Costs More Than Money" was released the same year, still produced by Shazam X. It came out after the other 12-Inches but the single was originally recorded prior the other tracks. In February 22nd 1996, SLD and Percee P were lived on the Stretch & Bobbito Show on WKCR for the Promo of this 12". Here is the freestyle aired that night :

After his deal ended with Vmax Records, SLD started his own label called Makin Millz Records and put his second single out "Makin Millz / Everybody" in 1998. Another wax to grab if you're enough lucky to find one for sale. 

12" - 1998 - Makin Millz Records  

For the info, in 2007 SLD added another name to his rap name... Lazy I... and put out a full album called "The Focus". 

And if like me, you're looking for more unreleased material recorded during the 90s, you need to know that a demo tape exists and was sold on ebay a few years ago. 2 demos from that tape are still unreleased... 

Mad Props to Rodney Summers