Da Bush Babees Electronic Press Kit (EPK) - 1996

Billy Jam has just dropped Da Bush Babees Electronic Press Kit from 1996, recorded for the release of their second album "Gravity" on Warner Bros Records.

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Boogie & The Barber w/Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito - Sept 29th 1996 - WQHT

Episode of Boogie & The Barber aired on September 29, 1996 with Stretch & Bobbito. The guests that night were Royal Flush, Da Bush Babees and Fatman Scoop was also in the studio.

Talk Break

Royal Flush - Rotten Apple

MF Grimm - Get Down

Akinyele - Love Me For Free

Dutchmin - Surrounded

Shabaam Sahdeeq feat. Shadows in the Dark - It Could Happen

Talk Break

Royal Flush - Interview & Freestyle

Talk Break

Royal Flush - Iced Down Medallions

M.O.P. - Brownsville

Thrust - Lights, Camera, Action

O.G.C. - Da Storm Instrumental

Hot97 Adverts

Talk Break

Da Bush Babees - Interview & Freestyle

Talk Break

Ghostface Killah - Wildflower

O.G.C - Da Storm

Meaner - It's Been A Long Time (Real Rap Song) Instrumental

Big Noyd - Usual Suspect / Meaner - It's Been A Long Time (Real Rap Song) Instrumental (Blend)

KRS One - The MC

Gauge feat. Cella Dwellas - Cranium (Remix)

Mr Live - Relax Y'Self

Heltah Skeltah - Place To Be

Company Flow - Infokill

MF Grimm - Emotions

Hillfiguz - Boom

Royal Flush - Worldwide

Money Boss Players - Walk with the Limp

Talk Break (with Fatman Scoop)

Mobb Deep - Hell On Earth (Front Lines)

Talk Break (with Fatman Scoop)

Ghostface Killah feat. Raekwon & Cappadonna - Camay

Sadat X feat. Grand Puba & Lord Jamar - The Lump Lump

Talk Break

Check the Stretch&Bobbito Archives for more shows !

Check The Wax - Rap Sheet, Dec 1996

From Rap Sheet - December 1996 

Da Bush Babees - Ambushed The Demos - 2021

EP - 2021 - Smoke On Records  

A1 - Straight Out The Bush

A2 - Clear My Throat

B1 - Swing It 

B2 - Remember We 

B3 - 1st and 4Most

350 copies only ...

Order  

Microphone Check - The Source, December 1996

 

From The Source, December 1996 - Scans courtesy of Fred Thecle 

Microphone Check - The Source, January 1995

 

From The Source - January 1995 - Scans courtesy of Fred Thecle 

Da Bush Babees - Ambushed / Gravity - 2021

The Brooklyn trio Da Bush Babees comprised of Kaos, Y-Tee and Mr. Man is back with a reissue treatment of their debut album "Ambushed" originally released in 1994 and their sophomore album "Gravity" originally released in 1996, both album now available on limited 2LP+7", Cassette & CD.

2xLP - 2021 - 90s Tapes / HHV

Limited edition of 1000 copies in gatefold sleeve with bonus 7" ("We Run Things" b/w "Remember We Salaam Remi Remix") plus sticker and inlay card. 

Orders : 2xLP + 7" (1000 copies) / CD (300 copies) / Tape (100 copies)

2xLP - 2021 - 90s Tapes / HHV 

Limited edition of 1000 copies in gatefold sleeve with bonus 7" ("The Love Song Feat. Mos Def" b/w "The Love Song Extended Remix Feat. Mos Def & De La Soul") plus sticker.

Orders : 2xLP + 7" (1000 copies) / CD (300 copies) / Tape (100 copies)

Da Bush Babees - Ambushed The Demos - 2021

 

EP - 2021 - Smoke On Records  

A1 - Straight Out The Bush

A2 - Clear My Throat

B1 - Swing It

B2 - Remember We

B3 - 1st and 4most

Release Date : May 2021

Pre-Order (coming Soon) 

90‘s Tapes Radio Show #007 - with Bush Babees & The Nonce - 2021

 

"This time with special guests like Light aka Y-Tee of the Bush Babees from Brooklyn, NYC and Los Angeles based allrounder Sach aka Nouka Basetype from The Nonce. We want to feature more and more DJs from our community to show support and our second strictly vinyl 30 minutes guest mix series will be presented by Beatpete... 90 minutes of pure dopeness gurantated! Stay healthy & Peace!!" - courtesy of 90's Tapes

Remix Session : Da Bush Babees - We Run Things (Mike Flips Remix)

 

The UK-based hip-hop DJ/Producer Mike Flips drops a nice remix of "We Run Things" originally released by Da Bush Babees in 1994. 

Record Report - The Source November 1996

From The Source - November 1996 - Scans courtesy of Frederic Thecle

Record Report - The Source January 1995

From The Source - January 1995 - Scans courtesy of Frederic Thecle 

PRIME a.k.a Mellow-E

Better late than never... it's time to highlight this dope emcee named Prime who released the excellent track "No Matter" on the Lyricist Lounge Vol.1 compilation in 1998... which is definitely one of the best track of the comp ! ... sorry but can't upload the track due to copyright content, so check the link...

I've been looking for Prime for a long time ... It was hard but I 've found him at last and had the opportunity to ask him a few questions to know more about his story... finally hard work pays off !

For those who aren't familiar with Prime, you need to know that his real name is Eugene Louis and he is from Brooklyn. In the early 90s he was known under the name of Mellow-E and his first official appearance was with Baby Face Kaos on the track "Da Ignorant No It All" from Da Bush Babees's "Ambush" album released in 1994. The track was produced by J. Prins. 

He also released after that the classic "Pins & Needles" on the Underground Airplay Vol III Mixtape. The tape was released in 1994 and produced by Ant Marshall and Danny Castro who founded the Lyricist Lounge in 1991... No doubt real Hip-Hop Headz will remember this dope indie joint produced by D. Trotman who was also the producer of the song "No Matter". 

Tape - 1994 - Echo Unltd

unikone : "Where are you from exactly ?"

Prime : "I am from the East New York side of Brooklyn aka The Planet. They call Brooklyn the Planet because there is no other place like it. I learned many lessons and took many losses. I love it so much for that."

unikone : "How did everything start for you ?"

Prime : "I was a B-Boy from an early age. I loved the Juice Crew, KRS-ONE, Audio Two, MC Lyte and everyone that was on priority records with them, also a lot of MCees around the way like K-Rock. I grew up with a single mom with older brother and sister. Mom was born in Jamaica. Pops was born in Haiti. They both came to U.S. for a better opportunity. I listened and recited rhymes word for word from artists I admired. I lived in Boulevard Housing Tenements on the first floor. As a kid, I had a friend Rasheen who had a cousin who wrote for Sandy (Peppa) from Salt N Peppa. We used to make tapes at his house and gave them to his cousin to get Sandy to hear so we could get put on but that didn't work. He stop rhyming behind that but I still kept on. He used to take me to different people in the neighborhood to battle and I would roast them. I was good for a 9, 10 year old at that time. I was so good I was sent to battle this 18 to 20 year old guy named K-Rock. The battle was to take place in P.S. 273 park one afternoon. Well to make a long story short, he torched me. His word play, metaphors, cadence was supreme. I was leaving to go home and he pulled me a side. He told me how good I was and gave me so many pointers I used there on out that helped me to this day. He was one of the best MCees I ever heard. I went back to the lab that afternoon and turned on Ralph McDaniel's Video Music Box. I wasn't in a great mood but then I saw Big Daddy Kane's Aint No Half Stepping Video. Bro, that video changed my life. Not only was that song one of the greatest rap songs ever, the way the video was done was amazing to me. I turned off the T.V and said I have to right a rhyme. I wrote that rhyme and memorized it and rehearsed it with K-Rock pointers. I said it at the lunch table went I went to school. I said it with my head down. When I was finished I raised my head and half of the lunch room was around my table and they kept asking me to say it again. The rush I got was like no other. I am really a laid back guy and never felt comfortable speaking but when I rhymed you would never know. I had to have new rhymes for the lunch room so that's what really got my writing to evolve."

unikone : How did the connection happen with the members of Da Bush Babees in 1993 ?

Prime : "Fast Forward now. There were some underground circuits, where you can go show case your talents. People I ran into from battling on the street put me on. Schools and parks are one thing but in a club setting on a stage in front of people all over The Apple is another. I had to see what's up. I got on that stage being an unknown to this element I had to come correct. When I finished my verse, everyone took notice. One of the people that took notice was the Kaos from Da Bush Babees group. We politicked that night. He lived in Brooklyn also so we both had to take the #2 train. I don't know if you want to call it a battle but we went back and forth on the train for hours on the train ride. Its safe to say I was inspiring to him the same way he was to me. That's how we met."

unikone : "How did you meet Anthony Marshall and Danny Castro ?"

Prime : "I met Anthony and Danny through the underground events they hosted, The Lyricist's Lounge. I was an MC that frequented the event and they always expressed their admiration for my lyrics."

Danny Castro & Ant Marshall - Photo courtesy of Ant Marshall

unikone : "Why did you change your name ?"

Prime : "I was part of a group Bermuda Triangle when I did the feature on Da Bush Babees album. I talked it over with the crew about doing the feature. They was cool about it but when I did it, its like the crew just wasn't my crew anymore. When I left the group, I was looking for new beginnings. And when there were plenty of people with the name mello I just changed my name : M-E-L-L-O E = Making Efforts to Love Luxuries like Others Everyday. P-R-I-M-E = Premeditated Rhymes Infused with Musical Entities. "

unikone : "Why is there no 12" or album released after your feature on the underground airplay mixtape ?"

Prime : " I did some features on DJ Enuff's mix tapes, one of them were The Planet BK. I received a lot of feedback where Enuff wanted me to do other features. A Tape Kings approached Enuff and I about making a 12 inch if that is successful we can move toward an album deal. Enuff had a young producer working with him by the name of Jiv Pos and he was to work with me to make two songs for this 12 inch. Beats that was for our project they sold to Notorious B.I.G. and other artist. I understood people trying to get that money but communicate with me and let me know. Long story short, I went to Manhattan to check some peoples at a studio session and heard a beat that was suppose to be for my single. When I checked things out, it was Masta Ace and Paula Perry had a session and Jiv sold the beat to one of the singles to Paula Perry. I approached Jiv on it. He didn't see anything wrong with what happened. I spoke to Enuff and he didn't want no parts and said Jiv Pos was handling my situation. If your word is not Bond over a handshake then it wont be with paperwork so I walked away from that opportunity. That kind of destroyed some love I had for what I was trying to do."

Tape - 1995 - Tape Kingz

unikone : "Could you give me more info about D. Trotman ?"

Prime : "D. Trotman is that dude. I submitted the whole demo we did to Anthony and Danny. They ultimately chose "NO Matter" out of all of them. We met on my first summer job. We started talking music and then he mentioned he produced. I mentioned I MC and we met up at his crib one day. The Rest was history. We been good people ever since."

Massive Props to Prime, thanks for the interview. 

HHV Boombap 45's series : Da Bush Babees - Brooklyn Movements - 2018

7" - 2018 - HHV 

A1 - Brooklyn Movements 

B1 - Brooklyn Movements Instrumental

"At the beginning we are focusing on a few quality tracks of the Golden Era that we love to spin on vinyl, and the opening release might be a nugget for all like-minded 45 DJ's. We are very excited to kick-off with the Salaam Remi-produced Bush Babees anthem »Brooklyn Movements« backed with the instrumental version on the B. The track can be found on the soundtrack to "Blue In The Face", released on CD through Luaka Bop in 1995. There's a also a seldom seen promo 12" floating around." - HHV


300 copies only 
Orders 

Album Review : Bush Babees - Gravity - 1996

LP - 1996 - Warner Bros 

From The Source - November 1996 - Scan courtesy of Frederic Thecle

Microphone Check : Forces Of Nature - Bush Babees

From The Source - December 1996 - Scans by Frederic Thecle

Mixtape: DJ sourMILK x So Much Soul - The Native Tongues Mix (Part I & II)

Free Dowload : Part 1 / Part 2