" Here's something very special for us and hopefully means the same to everyone that gets to know this treasure. Ill Jam is a quartet from Brooklyn, New York, that has recorded a few tracks between 1993 to 1996. Consisting of Shamaristic Shamarraw, P.S. Da Ville, On Point and Mr. Kenner BooLuv Mewsiks Feyenist, the group delivered 12 demo tracks produced by themselves and mostly recorded and mixed at Funky Slice Studios, Brooklyn. All of the tracks haven't seen the light of day until now, so expect nothing but that raw and pure New York sound from the mid-90's." - courtesy of 90's Tapes
Available in a limited run on 2LP (300 copies), CD in jewel case (300 copies) & cassette (100 copies).
Let's talk about the group War Click and their track "Bullet For A Bullet" released on the B-side of the Unsigned Artists compilation album dropped in 1997. The first time I heard this song was back in '97, on JR Ewing's legendary mixtape "Pour Tes Oreilles".
War Click was a group from Brooklyn consisting of Trife, Potent, Drama, Sinbo, Dog a.k.a Doggie Diamonds & C-Fel. They all grew up in the same Brooklyn neighborhood (Atlantic Terminal Houses) and they started War Click (a.k.a W.A.R. a.k.a Wanted And Respected) in 1996. In the beginning there were about 10 cats in the group but it ended with only 6... everyone played a part, but some pushed themselves harder than the others...
In my opinion, "Bullet For A Bullet" is by far the best song on this Unsigned Artists comp. It features Trife, C-Fel, Drama and Potent with the production handled by Doggie Diamonds. The group got on this compilation thanks to one of the executive producers, named Slick Love, who was also from the same neighborhood. Unfortunately, on the day they recorded Sinbo was absent, so he's the only member of the group who doesn't appear on the single.
For the story, Tone from Track Masters was from the same Projects. In the early 90s, Drama and Doggie Diamonds were signed to him before they started War Click. Back then, they were in a group called LB's (a.k.a Lil' Bastards) and in 1992 they released a single called "Bitch Get A Job" on Livin' Large Records. In 1999, Trife's brother Scrizz and his cousin Flav started Trife Life Records. W.A.R. went on to release three records on this label in the early 2000s.
From what I know, Doggie Diamonds produced everything but a lot of their music was destroyed in a flood, however Trife still has the Masters for about 5 unreleased songs... so maybe all those tracks will see the light of day and fingers crossed they're as good as the classic "Bullet For A Bullet".
Vinylaura was live at Bierwax in Brooklyn for the second episode of her Mix & Crates show. Tracklisting includes songs from Growing Pains, Frankenstein, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Kamakazee, Crimewave, Raidermen, Cover , Lewis Parker, Roey Marquis II, Show & AG , Sherlock... just to name a few. Enjoy the mix ! Peace
Here is another very hard to find 12" released in 1995 by the Brooklyn-based crew High Side Infantry. The wax is composed of the tracks "High Chant" on the A-side and "Contact" on the B-side, both produced by Moose and co-produced by Sin Deep.
No informations about this group on the internet, so let me bring you some ... High Side Infantry was a crew from Park Slope, Brooklyn which was consisted of 4 MCs named Sin Deep, Excell, Rags, B-Y, and 1 Producer named Mike Moose. Everything began for the group in the early 90s with Sin Deep and Excell who ran together. Rags and B-Y who also lived in the same neighborhood were added, and in the late '93, Moose was introduced to them through a mutual friend called Wor Whosane.
High Side Infantry had other members affiliated like Strange, Blunt, Lochness from Splattahouse, Draz & Ced (RIP) from Mega Vibes, Wor Whosane, the legendary PH a.k.a Pumpkinhead (RIP) and War Bixby from The Speedknotz who also appears on the track "Contact".
Unfortunately there isn't another wax dropped by this crew after that one because High Side Infantry had no management and couldn't get deal that wasn't a ripoff. From what I know, they had other 8 songs recorded but they lost the dats and reels ...
Let's talk about this EP released by Show & The Celebrity on Dead Serious Recordings in 1992. I've been looking for this 12" for years, and it's most definitely one of the hardest records to grab that I know.
Show & The Celebrity was a duo from Flatbush, Brooklyn comprised of Show a.k.a Showbiz a.k.a Showbiz R.A.P. (MC) and the Celebrity (DJ). They met while they were at Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn in the early 90s.
The Celebrity (Left) & Show (Right) - Photo courtesy of Show
Show : " I've been an Emcee since I was 11 years old. I was a kid DJ and one of the best Human Beat Boxers in NY. I was the beat box for AZ (The Firm) and his old partner named Pop. After I saw the movie 'Krush Groove' I knew I wanted to be come a Rapper. I got very good very quickly. By the time I reached High School I was one of the best Emcees in all of Bklyn. There was only 1 Emcee that stood in my way and that was my class mate Ed (Special ED). "
Special ED & Show - Photo courtesy of Show
Show : " We had the same producer at the time (Backspin) and we would clash often in class and at Backspins studio. I was looking for a DJ to back me. My last DJ wasn't loyal he would leave me to go to whoever was getting hot at the time or coming up so our relationship dwindled and I needed someone else. My name was Showbiz before the famed group (Showbiz & AG) but they got signed and released. They were making real noise with their song 'Soul Clap' and I was frustrated still in High School and my name was being used and I could do nothing. Finally someone said to me There's a kid in school that could be your twin. I said really?? I waited outside school everyday to see him but never did. I was finally told he leaves two periods earlier because he had advance classes and git out early. I cut my last two classes and stood outside and I finally saw him. I was in shock!!!! He looked so simular to me but was shorter. I asked if he wanted to be a group. He had no knowledge of Djing and little knowledge of rap except whatever was the biggest hit at the time. After a year I had him on board with full DJ equipment and practicing and becoming very very good. We needed a name... Showbiz had been taken and coming out with my original name wasn't gonna make sence. My friendOggie suggested I shorten my name to Show, whicha lot of people called me anyway and he thought of the name Celebrity to match Show. Show and the Celebrity ! We were already hood famous and famous in Flatbush, Brooklyn especially.
We got signed to a friend's up and coming Label Dead Serious Recordings (title influenced by Das EFX at the time) and he released the EP. It only played on the radio a few times. Others heard it I didn't. It was placed in Mom and Pop record stores but wasn't promoted. "
The 12" is composed of the tracks "Things That I Remember (Live)", "Mama Taught Me Better" (Original Street Version) and "Radio Active" (Bonus Track) on the A-side, and the tracks "Things That I Remember" (Label Made Me... Version) and "Mama Taught Me Better" (Mama Made... Version) on the B-side. The productions were managed by Show except both versions of "Mama Taught Me Better" which were produced by Joe Matias a.k.a B. Blunt who also worked with Da Bush Babies at that time.
About the production part, how did the connection happen between you and Joe Matias a.k.a B. Blunt ?
Show : " I was very popular in Flatbush as the Emcee to work with. Joe was working with The Bush Babies and saw me perform at a show and wanted to do production for me as soon as he heard me Rock. "
I know that you were part of a group called 2 Dangerous in the late 80s, did you drop an official release at that time ?
Show : " How did you know about 2 Dangerous ?? Wow... We recorded with Backspin but we never released a song."
2 Dangerous (Showbiz & Boom) & DJ Quick (in the middle) - Photo courtesy of Show
What were your hip-hop influences as a producer / MC ?
Show : " Rakim, Kool G Rap, KRS One and Run from Run Dmc. "
Could you give me more info about the other emcees (Axesgent, E.G., King Lywan) featuring on the track "Radio Active" ?
Show : " They were all my friends in High School, all from Brooklyn and lived close by.
E.G very smart kid in school. Excellent drawing skills and loved the Ladies. E.G. was his initials Eric Green.
Lywan was a Gangster in High School. He was selling guns in 11 grade and had a gangster rap style we wanted to hear on music. He was originally from Farragette Projects downtown Brooklyn.
Axesgent was brought on last. His real name is Tito and he was a great street ball player and slap boxer on Linden rd. in Flatbush. He was the least accomplished Emcee but he killed it the hardest on the track. He wrote his verse the day before we went in the studio but we were all in shock how hard he came off. "
Funny fact, I've discovered during this interview that E.G (Eric Green) and the MC named E.DOT who released a very good debut single entitled "Look Out" in 1996 on the same record label, were the same person.
It's not too late to grab E.DOT's 12" too if you haven't had it in your record collection yet. You can find it easily for a good price.
Both 12" are the only records released by Dead Serious Recordings, a record label owned and managed by Jason A. Ellis from Flatbush Brooklyn.
Show : "Jason Ellis was the president of the record label. We used to call Jason The Black Jew because he was very smart and strategic with his own personal money. Jason could sell water to a well. I never met anyone with his drive in my life. He reminded me of a young Puff Daddy trying to get on. "
According to Show, there were no more records dropped by Dead Serious Records because the money man backing Jason Ellis didn't want to invest anymore money in the record label.
From what I know, there is also an awful story about Jason Ellis's best friend Trinity a.k.a Trini... he was killed and chopped-up in pieces by drug dealers. Trinity was a great guy, very funny and peaceable. They sent pieces of his body to his mom and to others... that made Jason very humble and stay off the radar moving forward. He was never the same. After Trini died he kept his head low... moving more in silence.
Show : " Celebrity and I ended up going separate ways and I changed my name to OFF BROADWAY. I got signed to Def Jam but I gave my life to Christ before it was released and left music for good. I re emerged as a spoken word Artist two decades later and now I am the best spoken Word Artist in Orlando, FL. They call me John Study now, The Poetry Rockstar. "
Massive props to Show a.k.a John Study, thanks for your time bro.
I dedicate this article to Patrick Charles a.k.a The Celebrity who passed away in 2020 from covid complications... R.I.P.
"Manifest Destiny is the first and only release of the Urban Thermo Dynamics, the group formed by Mos Def along his younger brother DCQ and high-school friend Ces. The album was slated for release in 1995, but never saw an official release until 2004 through DCQ's Illson Media Music Group. Almost 20 years later this nugget finally gets the reissue treatment." - courtesy of 90's Tapes
Available on 2LP (750 copies), CD (jewel case - 300 copies) & cassette (100 copies).
Visuals for "Brookland", first single dropped by DJ J Hart featuring the Brooklyn-based emcees Eddie Kaine and RIM, taken from DJ J Hart "Green EP" coming Fall 2023.
One of the latest episode of No Tv Raps Radio Show recently aired on Radio FSK, Hamburg (Germany) played this M.B Network 's track "C.O.N.N.E.R.Y." and it reminded me this Lost Demos EP, remastered from a demo tape and released by Blunted Astronaut Records in 2012.
Connery & Cillo - Promo Photo courtesy of Sean Conn
M.B Network a.k.a Mindless Brothers was a Queens-based duo which was comprised of 2 MCs named Connery and Cillo. Between 1995 and 1996, they recorded some demos which have been buried for years until Blunted Astronaut Records gave them a proper vinyl release. All the Demos were produced by DJ Doom from Brooklyn, NY, the same DJ Doom who released an album with Napoleon Da Legend on Chopped Herring Records in 2018, or who dropped a few records on Blunted Astronaut Records including the excellent "Deep Breath / Passive Aggression" with the late Blacastan (RIP) and O.C.
Photo courtesy of DJ Doom
The Lost Demos EP is composed of 11 tracks including 3 skits. The EP features Geoffrey Domma, Kat Daddy and the legendary female emcee Marquee who, I'm sure you will remember, featured on Lord Finesse's classic track "Speak Ya Peace" with Diamond D and A.G. in 1995.
- Connery, when did you start as an emcee exactly ?
Sean Connery : "I started writing at 16 years old. That’s when my emcee journey began."
- Where does your name Connery come from ?
Sean Connery : "The name was giving to me by a dude named Mathematics since my name was Sean he was like why don’t you call yourself Connery and it just stuck with me till this day."
- Is there a meaning behind it ?
Sean Connery : "I go by Sean Conn a.k.a Connery and it fits my journey I became Hip Hops Secret Agent and that’s who Sean Connery was 007 a secret Agent."
- What were your hip-hop influences at that time ?
Sean Connery : "Redman was my biggest influence at that time. He made me want to write rhymes. But before that Rakim and L.L. Cool J where emcees that I would listen to all the time."
- Could you tell me how the connection happened between You and Cillo ?
Sean Connery : "I grew up on the same block in Queens as Cillo, knew him since 8 years old."
Cillo & Connery - Promo Photo courtesy of Sean Conn
- When did you form M.B Network ?
Sean Connery : "In High School 10th grade me and Kat Daddy used to hang out all the time and even wrote out first raps together and formed Mindless Brothers that is also know as MB Network. Kat Daddy took his focus off rapping at the end of High School and Cillo ended up joining me in the group."
- Could you tell me how the connection happened with DJ Doom ?
Sean Connery : "I met Doom right out of High School, I did a security job that he was working at as well. He saw me writing a rap one day on my break and told me he makes beats and that’s when I started going to Brooklyn to his crib to work on music."
- Where did you all come from exactly ?
Sean Connery : "Me and Cillo are both from St. Albans Queens (North Side). I grew up 5 blocks from L.L. Cool J and would see him all the time as a kid and was inspired."
- Where does this name "Mindless Brothers" come from ?
Sean Connery : "It’s funny the name came from a old song from Onyx before they got Big with the style we all know them for. Song is called 'Ahhh and we do it like this', they say Mindless Brothers in the verse and my boy Fuzz told be that would be a dope name for a group so I used it."
From left to right : Cillo, Connery, Biggs & Fuzz - Photo courtesy of Sean Conn
- Could you give me more info about the guests Geoffrey Domma & Kat Daddy featuring on "Make Moves" ?
Sean Connery : "Kat Daddy was my first rap partner and after school we would go to his side of Queens Linden boulevard (Also part of St. Albans Queens around the block from A Tribe Called Quest) and write every day and Geoffrey Domma lived on his block and was also a emcee so we all made it routine to write together and sharpen our skills. After high school when me and Cillo were working on the demo tape I asked if they would hop on a beat Doom did, that had a crew song feel."
- How did the connection happen with Marquee ?
Sean Connery : "Funny thing is the original Demo-tape did not have 'Death Game' on it. That song was recorded about 2 years later. I met Marquee from a friend of a friend and she was signed to Trackmasters already, she heard the demo and took a liking to me and said I was talented. She kept in contact with me and started inviting me over to write with her and sharpen my pen game. She would also bring me around so many legends including Lord Finesse who was her boyfriend at that time. So just going to his house to write with her was amazing and I met Big L there as well as her taking me to studios with Queen Latifah and so many others.
DJ Doom had a beat for me and wanted me to get her on it and I did and, years later when he found the old recordings Blunted Astronaut Records had added it to the demo. If you listen to 'Death Game' I was more of a skilled Emcee at that time due to the training I did with the great Marquee and also pointers from Lord Finesse."
- Why did you never release the demos officially in the mid-90s ? what happened ?
Sean Connery : "We made the demo so we could mail it out to record labels for a deal. Back then it was the way to go if you wanted to be seen and heard you had to get with a major label. We sent it to about 10 labels. And got letters back from a few.
SoSo Def passed on us and Jive had interest but was not signing acts at that time. To know that is getting so much love so many years later shows it was official. Might be ready to set up a tour if the people want it."
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