Basementality - Kings & Kingdoms - 1995

First time I've heard about Basementality was in 2014 when my man Madhuman uploaded the track "After Hours" on his Youtube channel. At the time, I had no more info about Basementality, I didn't know if it was a solo artist or a group and who were the members exactly, except this MC named Jon Doe who rhymed all over that song...

The only thing I knew about this Philly-based artist at the time was his debut 12-Inch "Ease Back" released in 1993 on Rumblin' Records.

12" - 1993 - Rumblin' Records 

On the A-side of this wax, the tracks "Do What I Gotta Do" produced by DJ Destro and "Is Yoo Wit It" produced by Dj Jazz, are performed by Jon Doe. On the other side, the excellent "Ease Back" also produced by DJ Jazz, is performed by Rumbletown, a group consisted of Jon Doe, Thorobredz & Black Anthem. For those who don't remember Dj Jazz, he's the same producer who worked with Pauly Yamz in 1995.

In fact, Basementality is not a group like the tape cover could make you think of, but "Kings and Kingdoms" is the second Jon Doe's solo project dropped in 1995, who was also known at the time as the legendary graffiti writer named DENSKE. This 6-Track EP was originally released on Spray Fumes Music Inc on Tape and vinyl. To be honest, I didn't know about the existence of the vinyl version before Jon Doe's interview...

Which part of Philly were you from exactly ?

Jon Doe : "My Family was originally from South Philly. But at the time when the record came out, I came together with my crew, I was in South West Philly. but I came up down North, North Philly the Badlands."

When did you first start music ?

Jon Doe : "I first started music in the House party/DJ scene in South West Philly. I’m sure you probably already know that the most legendary DJs in the art of turntablism come from South West Philly... Cash Money, Jazzy Jeff and DJ Miz... so I was around when they were still playing house parties and stuff, I was real real young. So I used to see them all the time with their emcees, one of my cousins was an emcee, he was from West Philly, and he used to be around B-Force (Pioneering MC crew from West Philly), Graffiti and all that … cause graffiti also plays a heavy part of my life too."

When did you start rapping as Jon Doe ?

Jon Doe : "The Name Jon doe is like a direct reflection of the graffiti… it's like what the graffiti writers are in the art, right…. a known unknown… so that's what Jon Doe was, like an alternative to DENSKE. I've been rapping I guess, you know what I'm saying, since watching all the old school guys since 82, 83 but I guess about 86 that's when I really started, you know, drop some game on them in 86, 87, so by the time 90 came around, the opportunity to make a record came."   

How did the connection happen with Destro & Dj Jazz for the release of your debut single in 1993 ?

Jon Doe : "Destro lived in my neighborhood, he lived right around the corner. He was just one of the neighborhood DJs at that time. Destro went on to do like 3 songs on Usher's confessions and then he stops with the production which was crazy because that dude was crazy nice... crazy nice. He was the DJ for The Rhythm Radicals, who were a Public Enemy style group, signed to Luke Skywalkerrr Records."

The single actually came out in 92, we finished it in 91 though, but it was 93 when it's started bubblin'. DJ Jazz is a legendary DJ from South Philly who made a classic record here in Philly called "Rock The Go Go". I was managed by Kenny Pedan who was the guy who took me down here to meet Jazz and Jazz was the one who gave us the beat for "Ease Back". He did that beat on The Sp1200 triggerring an Akai S-950.

Destro did "Do What I Gotta Do" which was really him reprogramming something that I did on a Gemini sampler and 4-track tascam that I used as a sequencer. Destro redid it on the MPC 62.

It was recorded at A Touch Of Jazz, Jazzy Jeff's studio, who was a mentor during that time. I was even Jeff's tour MC for a minute. But I got in trouble and rap took a backseat for 5 years. 

And Jazz went on to do "Boomshake The Room", which was a pretty big hit from Will Smith & Jazzy Jeff and I guess it was the last of his productions credits too, which is a shame because Jazz is as nasty as Pete Rock & Large Professor, easily. Dudes still collect and trade records with him like Kenny Dope, and a couple of other people still go back and forth with him, because his record collection is crazy, absolutely crazy...

The crew on the record was called Rumbletown and that was like a thing about Philly because Philly is nice with the hands (fighting) … and so the people on the record was me, The Thorobredz which was group (J-Khahn & Price), J-Khahn was easily doing the Jay-z's style raps before a lot of people. He was a groundbreaking MC, and Price was a dude doing interesting things, a superb story teller and he was a nasty emcee too. The last on the record is Black Anthem who had an amazing voice."

Who were the members of Basementality exactly ?

Jon Doe : "There was no Basementality crew, like no members in particular and the people in the front of the cover were all graffiti writers, those are homies who has been down with me since day one, so on the front of the cover there's me (DENSKE), OMNE, GRANZ, NM & ERX, so you know what I'm saying, it was an ill night time shoot that I decided to use for the cover. If anything it was just me and my DJ, DJ Capone.

We were the TOP graffiti crew in the city at that time. ATP, All Time Pimps. Most of us were also in WAB 1, We Ain't Bullshittin. We single handedly brought graffiti back from the brink of extinction in Philadelphia."

"REP YOU TATIONS ; How Far Do You Go 2 Get 1?" - DENSKE - 1995 - Photo courtesy of Jon Doe

Why the Basementality EP never came out on vinyl  ?

Jon Doe : "I did do wax with that one, 300 copies were pressed. The problem was that I didn't get it mastered, which is ironic because now I do Mastering for a living. It was a big mistake at the time. I was about to get locked up … because you know the spot were I was from … you know shit happens. I went to jail for 5 years and that's why I never went any further."

Photo courtesy of Bo Nedelchev

Jon Doe : "The second one on Basementality record, that was me and Dj Capone. Capone was a legend on the streets, that was my dude, god rest his soul… that was a 6 song EP, my man and I, we did that one together. We paid for it."

Could you give me more info about DJ Capone ? did he produce all the tracks of the Basementality project ?

Jon Doe : "No, I did all that tracks. I've been messing around with beats for a long time and like in the early days even on the record, on the Ease Back Record, the third song, "Honey Don't Front" I produced that, and Jazz re edited it on the SP12 triggering a S-9-50. 

But He was redid it from a track that I made with the same Gemini sampler and the 4-track, which is funny too cause the sampler was stolen for me by the legendary B-Bill aka Boostin Billy (RIP) from Brooklyn, one of the original Lo Life founders, and that same Gemini sampler that he stole for me to do beats with is what I used to make those beats."

Front : Jon Doe / Back : DJ Capone 

Jon Doe : "Capone was a stone cold B-Boy but he was a real street dude, from 2nd and Ontario (North Philly) from a crew called At The Top, which is a drug corner, a crack corner … it was one of those crack corners that used to average around a million dollars a month, it was like 10 or 15 of those spots in the hood that used to make money like that, like on a regular basis, and their crew was one of them. That was my dude and I miss him. His birthday was the day after mine. 

Cap was a real DJ too, his family was apparently from NY and his son's mother from New York, so he used to go there regularly for new flavours and new sounds, he was a vicious DJ and definitely dedicated to the art, to the lifestyle of Hip-hop definitely."

Do some Jon Doe's unreleased material exist ?

Jon Doe : "Ironically there is a couple of demos that I did , that are online actually, you can probably see them on youtube, a couple of other joints that I did with Destro, working out some ideas. The song wasn't even finished, but it was coming out really good."

Last words for the end ? 

Jon Doe : "Jazzy Jeff was a really good dude too... let me just say that, cause when I got in trouble, Jeff stood up for me, he sent a letter to the Judge on my behalf and I really appreciate that, cause you know what I'm saying... he didn't have to put his name or his reputation on the line but he did, I'll always appreciate him for that. He tried to show me how to be patient, but I was living a fast life. I wish I woulda listened..."

Mad Props to Jon Doe, thanks for the interview !
Big thanks to Bo Nedelchev aka Madhuman for the track "Self".