Here is a compilation album that I'm still looking for ... It's called Street Vibes Vol.1 and it was released in 1994 and distributed by Poisoned Ivy Entertainment Inc. from Hoboken, New Jersey (the same crew who produced the Punk Barbarians album "Sex, Props, Cream... And The Drama In Between" in 1996).
The members of Poisoned Ivy Ent. met at Princeton University in the early 90s. The crew was also a DJs collective known under the name of FOPO and some of the members (D. Groovy, Seyfu & J) hosted the infamous Vibes and Vapors Show on the Princeton University's student-run community radio station 103.3 WPRB. The Street Vibes compilation is an album of demos sent by the listeners to this radio show and most of them are recorded by artists who came from New Jersey.
D.Groovy : "Poisoned Ivy Entertainment was myself, Mark Hines, Selwyn Seyfu Hinds, J Weaver, and Greg Battle. We all met at Princeton University over a number of years. Street Vibes was born out of necessity, as a way to pay the bills at our home made studio on 20 Nassau St. We were into digital recording far before anyone else in hip-hop. That's what happens to put Princeton nerds together... We innovate. The connection was immediate. We were friends first, then J and I noticed we both brought turntables to school. Mark and Greg started a production team together. We later joined forces with Selwyn, after he got back from Desert Storm. We formed Voltron, and the rest is history."
Street Vibes Vol.1 features groups or MCs named Logic, Dogheart, V, D1, Da Wick, Dubside Collective, Bizear Intellectual, The Muck Men, Infinite Cypher, Only B & DJ Swoop. There are no info about those artists online (not even on Discogs for now)... so let me give you some about them and more about the productions :
First artist featuring on the comp is called LOGIC. LOGIC was an MC born in the Bronx, NY and raised in Ewing Township, NJ near Trenton. He was the producer of his own demo "Bust a Funky Rhyme" which is definitely the best joint of the album.
LOGIC was a member of The BUMS (Black Unique Musical Style) a local group out of Princeton, New Jersey formed in the early 90s (not to be confused with The B.U.M.S from Oakland,Ca).
They were friends of Vibes And Vapors Radio Show and friends in production as well. You will hear a couple of freestyles from LOGIC and some of the BUMS on Vibes and Vapors archives.
LOGIC was always around his cousin Derek a.k.a DJ Scratch so he started to DJ also. It just took off from there. He started rhyming, then after that started making beats. Hip-Hop was definitely his first love. "Bust a Funky Rhyme" was Logic's first foray as a soloist. According to D Groovy, "Bust a Funky Rhyme" came out of Logic's need to say that line whenever he freestyled to buy time for his next line so it was an inside joke for them. He was gifted and what a pity that he didn't release something else officially after that...
Sadly, Eddie Fennell a.k.a LOGIC passed away March 8, 2014 at the age of 40. Rest In Peace Mr Bust a Funky Rhyme...
DOGHEART was a crew from Vineland, NJ comprised of Snively, KuKubyrd, Brownmon & Jolly. Their demo "Sleepin'" was produced by Mario Claudio, DJ Cruz and Chris Orazi. The third track of the album "Wanna Wah Kay Why" was recorded by V from Upper Montclair, NJ and was produced Madgroove Productions and the Next one "Fakes" was recorded by D1 a duo consisting of DJ Puerto Rico & Pistol Pete from Princeton,NJ.
DA WICK was from Delair, NJ and recorded the last demo of the A-side of the wax. The track is titled "If Ya Can't Maintain..." and is produced by D.J. Jr.
DUBSIDE COLLECTIVE was a crew from Philly, PA consisting of 3 groups named Soulcraft, Official Drama and Double-Speak a.k.a Doublespeek, and 3 soloists named Malice, Brainiak the Overlord and Subconscious. Their track "Souls Of The Streets" which is the first track of the B-side was produced by Stoupe a.k.a Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind. A few members of this crew will become Jedi Mind Trick after that.
BIZEAR INTELLECTUAL a.k.a Bize Intellect was originally from Princeton. Based in Philly afterwards, he became a member of the AIF Crew (All In the Family) with Jay Meeks, Jinx Trilogy & DJ Cratez. His track "Silent Attack" was produced by 2 Heads From The Left.
Bizear Intellectual is now known under the name of Stoneface. For the story, I've read in a Hip-Hop DX article that in 1999, he was shot in the head at close range, died twice on the operating table and came back to life without his sight, an incident detailed by Stoneface on A&E's I Survived … Beyond and Back series.
Next track of the wax "Monkey Say, Monkey Do" is produced and performed by THE MUCK MEN which was a duo from Mt Holly, NJ. It is followed by INFINITE CYPHER and their joint titled "Step Into the Cipher" produced by Red Devil and Blase for Bowl O' Soul. The Compilation ends with the joint "Lusty Love" performed by ONLY B & DJ SWOOP, but no info about them sorry.
A second volume of the Street Vibes compilation series was supposed to come out after this one... but unfortunately it never saw the light of day...
D.Groovy : "Later that summer we moved our studio to Hoboken. We got into bigger and better production projects. Plans for a second volume strictly fell by the wayside. So it never happened. Plus to ask people from Princeton and South Jersey and Philly to come to Hoboken, to record just didn't make any sense. Very few people could do what we can do digitally and for little cost. We did most of the songs in our studio except for four of them. Dubside Collective became Jedi Mind Tricks. Bizear Intellectual went on to become Stoneface. We were planning on releasing at least one of our Punk Barbarians outtakes on the second volume. Along with Ace Slaughter and MelQuan. We had a whole stable of acts that we could have kept your volumes afloat for awhile."
Yo, this Rapper MC Only B. those dayz were hot. Thanks Vibes and Vapors. One
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