In 2020, two good EPs entitled "The Producer Project Vol.1 & Vol.2" and dedicated to the producer Russ Prez from Coney Island, Brooklyn came out on Chopped Herring Records.
For the history and for those who don't know much about him, in addition of being a famous 90s indie hip-hop producer Russ Prez is also known as being half of the duo called Citi Heet in the 80s: Russ Prez a.k.a Swift (rapper) and Steven Flagg a.k.a Automatic (Beat Box). In the mid-late 80s, they dropped a few 12" on In Your Face Records.
Both Russ Prez's EPs dropped on Chopped Herring Records contain unreleased material recorded during the 90s by MCs or groups like Lac Tha Rippa, The Massive, Madame Star, Born-God and the legendary Coney Island-based group KGB. I think those KGB tracks are the most interesting material.
Although there was no info about KGB in hip-hop Magazines printed in the 90s, this group means a lot to me because I used to spin their singles when they were signed with Wu-Tang Management. I was a huge Wu-tang fan and I hunted all the records from the wu-affiliates at that time. I've been waiting for KGB official album for years but it never came out unfortunately...
KGB was formed around 1987 and was originally comprised of Ill Knob a.k.a Knowledge, Asiatic and DJ Kenny Kenn who was also a member of the Leave Alone Crew from Coney Island.
How did the connection happen between all the original members ?
Ill Knob : "Asiatic is my cousin and we formed the group at home. We lived together in Coney Island at that time, we were teenagers and lived with my mom. Kenn was the best DJ in Coney Island. Asiatic met him at a house party and we clicked."
Asiatic : "Ken was throwing a party in a notoriously dangerous block called 23rd Street in Coney Island. The party was for “Betty” a female I dated at the time so she invited me and KNO. We got to the party and KNO went to another floor in the building because he was dealing with a female in that building as well.
I asked Betty and her big brother Carlos if Me and KNO could perform at the party. She took me to the back room where the DJ set up was and introduced me to a dude they called “Finesse”. He was DJ Kenny Ken's relief DJ at the time. I asked him if me and KNO could rock the mic when KNO got back to the party. He said “Hellllllll Yeaaa...You gotta meet my man Ken, he’s the DJ ”. He asked to hear me rap. I dropped a verse and he went and found Ken and brought him back to me."
Asiatic : "Ken said “Oh you rap lil' bro” and I said “Helll Yea”. I remember going in my pocket and pulling out a stack of paper, folded in half like it was money (laugh). I showed it to him and he took me in the bathroom so he could hear some of my raps, because the house party music was loud as fuck. Ken had a boomin system and his parties were always lit. I mean turnt.
So, he said we gotta link up and I want you and your partner at my next house party. He said I sounded good and had potential. I remember this made me more confident as a MC. We exchanged home numbers thats how far back this story goes (laugh). No cell...No beepers as yet.
I remember him calling the house on West 33rd Street in a hood called Searise where we lived then. I told KNO about him after we met at the party but KNO didn’t meet him or Finesse that night because he was bangin' shorty on the staircase (laugh)... You know the vibes in that era.
So we went to his next house party and ripped the mic and every-time he threw a house party or park Jam ever since that day we went. We didn’t always rap but we did carry this heavy ass speakers and became part of his crew. He was running with the “Leave Alone Crew” heavy back then. So, we ran with him and the Leave Alone Crew. A lot of the crew lived in O'Dwyer Houses which was Kenny Ken's hood."
Knowledge a.k.a Ill Knob - DJ Kenny Ken & Raheem
Asiatic : "I want to add that my cousin KNO persuaded me to write my 1st rap. He gave me song writing structure. He taught me to count my bars and told me it should be a hot 16 bars per verse. And we’d each do 8 bars on the last verse of a song. He gave us a format.
We called ourselves “The Unique MCS” at first. That was made up out of respect for a female crew in CI called “Unique Females”. They liked us and we liked them. Later KNO, Ken and myself formed the rap group KGB. It stood for “Kold Gettin Busy” at first. That was like 86-87."
Sophia - Asiatic - Knowledge aka Ill Knob & Raheem - @ the Red Parrot NYC
Asiatic : "When I came up with the concept, hook and 1st verse to “Bless Ya Life” we renamed what it stood for. In my verse I say “Klickgabowz the sound in my grounds another caught, blood drops, tear drops, all sought of triflin thoughts.” It’s then we become KGB-KLICKGABOW. Ken and KNO always said I had a way with words and came up with dope names for songs and saying to add to our bars and verses. Some of the best times of my life have been with Knowledge and then Ken."
Could you tell me how you were signed by Select Records ?
Ill Knob : "That’s a crazy story Asiatic will probably tell in great detail but here’s the short version. Me and Asiatic took the F train to 23rd street in Manhattan with a small boom box (with 1 working and 1 broken speaker) and a cassette demo with 3 unfinished songs. We just walked in the Select Records reception and told the receptionist we came to talk to an A&R, she of course told us that it doesn’t work like that and no one would see us so we played songs for her. I think she was annoyed but we didn’t care (laugh). A guy came out of the office and asked who’s music was playing she pointed to us. His name was Omar Santana he was a producer and he liked all 3 songs we had and was really kicking it with us very excitedly. The receptionist went and got an A&R named Jose Bonilla, he took the tape asked Omar did he vouch Omar said hell yeah. Jose played it at an A&R meeting and the owner Fred Munao loved it and they called us. It was crazy (laugh)...We were just kids that loved hip hop."
Asiatic : "To add onto that the woman at the front desk actually liked a demo called “Big Pay Back” and she called someone out to listen to it as well. We got fortunate as fuck with that one (laugh). Those days were some real please listen to my demo shit."
How did you sign with Mascot Records after the first 12" ?
Ill Knob : "We asked Select to be released from our contract which I now know wasn’t a very good idea. We starting working with Russ Prezz and Kojak, they made a record called “Begging Billy”. They were producing us and a group called Sham & The Professor. Russ got us in Mic Mac/Mascot."
How did the connection happen with Russ Prez exactly ?
Ill Knob : "We grew up with him in Coney Island. Those songs on his projects are songs we did for MCA records later in our career. We were signed there when MCA was acquired by Seagrams and transformed into Universal Records. We got signed by Jeff Trotter, Daddy-O from Stetsasonic and Hank Shocklee... But that was later in '95."
What happened with the KGB album ? Why was a full album never released by the group ?
Ill Knob : "Something always happened that was not in our power of control at the labels who planned on releasing a KGB album. The two labels with KGB album release plans were MCA, and Protect Ya Neck. But due to circumstances beyond our control it never materialized."
ok I understand. I wish it could be released officially one day...
Ill Knob : "Naw all the producers have the songs and some have been leaking them on their own projects. Storm and Smokin’ Joeh may have unreleased tracks but we don’t have it. We can always take that old stuff and make new stuff maybe you never know, but right now I’m focusing on my solo effort. We’ve been all talking about Shooting a music video for “Bless Ya Life”. Once we do that I’m sure we’ll do more."
About Raheem, did he joined the group in the mid-90s ?
Ill Knob : "Raheem is my cousin, he's Asiatic's brother, he was never in the group... I don't know who invented this (laugh). A lot of the information on us is wrong... You're the only one who attempted to get the info and you’ll be the first to have it !"
How did the connection happen with 4th Disciple for the single "Bless Ya Life" ?
Ill Knob : "Through RZA... RZA was originally going to produce the song but he was mad busy. He thought it would be dope if we went in the studio with 4th, he told me he was trying to get 4th out there more and I’m glad he suggested it. 4th disciple is brilliant... he is a great producer."
Did RZA take you under his wings via Protect Ya Neck Records ?
Ill Knob : "Mascot records asked us for a single, we were already doing shows with Wu-Tang and Lords Of The Underground through Peter Schwartz who was Cara Lewis assistant at that time at William Morris Agency. So we were always with Wu-Tang because we knew some of them already and they was just like how we was we clicked. We told Mascot to let RZA do the next single they agreed. RZA sent us to Mook for management after that because we didn’t have any management. Mook signed us to Wu-Tang Management. RZA gave us a Wu-Tang production contract. We didn’t sign with Wu-Tang production though."
Ill Knob : "Storm is my brother. He started with a group named Positively Black, we were label mates at Select. We all ran together they was like our brothers. He then started deejaying for the Double XX Posse. I introduced him to Mook when KGB signed to Wu-Tang management in ‘94 around the time we recorded “Bless Ya Life”."
There is an unreleased KGB track uploaded on youtube entitled "The Zonez" but I think the original title is "Win, Lose or Draw". Could you give me more info about this track ?
Ill Knob : "Infra Red who is on “Bless Ya Life” is my younger brother and we added him to the group after his Bless Ya Life feature. Asiatic left the group before “Bless Ya Life” was released, and it was just me and Red. We actually signed with MCA before “Bless Ya Life” dropped. Jeff Trotter wanted a three man group but it was only two of us so I added our homie Hip Hop to the group. Hip used to dance for us at shows when we were on Select and he was very close to us.“Win Lose Or Draw” was being made for the Protect Ya Neck compilation album. Red, Hip, Pro Fed (honorary KGB member) and Champ MC was working on that track. I originally didn’t like the beat so I wasn’t going to be on it but when I heard what they did to it I asked them if I could do the hook. That was one of our hottest tracks produced by Smokin’ Joeh.
So the group after “Bless Ya Life” was ILL KNOB, Infrared, Hip Hop and occasionally Pro Fed. That was the Protect Ya Neck KGB !
The reason it ended up like that was because the energy the three of us had putting the MCA album together was phenomenal and when MCA folded we just took that energy to Protect Ya Neck Records. Shit was lit."
Ill Knob - Red & Hip Hop - Promo Photo courtesy of Ill Knob
Mad Props to Ill Knob & Asiatic. Thanks for your time fellas ! Peace
Great stuff, appreciate it! Bless Ya Life with the al green sample is a classic. One of my favorite wu affiliated tracks ever. I know rza's genius changed the production game but guys like 4th Disciple and True Master did some great music too. I didnt realize Yeah You was also KGB until years later when i saw the record online. Cool to hear their story.
ReplyDeleteI meant Heads On, not Yeah You
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