In 1996, the Brooklyn-based duo consisting of Siah from Manhattan Beach and Yeshua DapoED from Brighton Beach released a true masterpiece named "The Visualz EP".
This 6-track EP came out on the legendary Bobbito Garcia's imprint Fondle 'Em Records and was fully produced by Jon Adler. The EP also features Ken Boogaloo who was a member of the Brighton Beach-based group Wee Bee Foolish with Yeshua, Extraordinaire and DJ Bless who did all the cuts on this project.
Some people may be more tempted by the CD version, "The Visualz Anthology", released in 2008 on Traffic Entertainment Group / Head Bop Music, which features 20 tracks, but the original vinyl EP is widely considered one of the finest releases in Fondle 'Em Records' catalog and a cult classic among fans of abstract East Coast hip-hop, and it remains a must-have in my opinion.
After the group dissolved, Siah gradually stepped away from the underground hip-hop scene and later focused on political and social issues related to the Middle East. Yeshua remained active within New York's independent hip-hop scene and continued collaborating with artists connected to the late 90s underground movement.
And if you're looking for more good material from these cats, I'd also recommend checking out the records below...
Cloudkickers was a New York-based production duo, composed of Eli Escobar a.k.a. DJ Eli and Shan Nicholson a.k.a. Shan Boogs. They began their musical journey in New York City during the 90s, at a time when hip-hop culture was deeply embedded in the city's identity. Growing up surrounded by rap, graffiti, mixtapes and record digging, they developed an early passion for hip-hop beats, sampling and DJ culture.
In 1999, they released the Cloudkickers EP on Bobbito's Fondle 'Em Records label. It includes the tracks "And So Kiddies..." (Dirty, Clean & Instrumental) featuring Cage, "Truly Gifted Ones" (Dirty & Instrumental) featuring J-Treds, Pumpkinhead (RIP) and Yeshua Dapo ED, "Lay Puzzled", as well as three untitled instrumentals. All the scratches are handled by DJ Daze.
I imagine that the connection with Bobbito and Fondle'Em Records came about quite naturally, due to the fact that DJ Eli was also a radio host on 89Tec9 WKCR. Indeed, he hosted the Night Train Radio Show on Tuesday nights from 1am-5am in 1997-1998, alongside Apex of Dujeous, Kinetic of Arsonists and Nasty Vaz.
Circa 1997, Bobbito ran a shop called Bobbito's Footwork on the Lower East Side (323 East 9th Street), selling records, clothing and sneakers. The connection between Bobbito and DJ Eli could have been established during this period as well, as DJ Eli could have worked at the Footwork store.
Cloudkickers EP is easy to find and still fairly inexpensive... I recommend it, it's one of my favorite 12" on the Fondle 'Em Records label. And for fans of all those bullshits, it's worth noting that the track "And So Kiddies..." is considered to be at the origin of the beef between Cage and Eminem.
The duo also released another interesting double vinyl in the early 2000s, called the Cloudkickers Remix EP. It features remixes of artists such as Redman, Big L, Don Scavone, Teflon, NaS... among others. Another wax to catch for your collection !
Few people can say they have done something at a high level for three decades. For Yesh, aka Yeshua Dapo-ED, and his music, this can be said, as proof he has built a celebrated catalog. Hailing from Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, this MC/producer first appeared on Bobbito's Fondle'Em Records. The classic "Visualz EP" release, which is still highly sought after, is a testament to the place Yesh has carved out for himself in the independent hip-hop scene. After the Siah & Yeshua moment, he went on to record a variety of solo and collaboration efforts, including with his group Wee Bee Foolish. Some of the other labels he has worked with are Ninja Tunes, Rawshack, OM Records, Jazzspastics, Ill Boogie, Boot, 75 Ark, SoulSpasm; he has even released records through his own label, Head Bop Music. The time has come for him to throw his hat in the ring once again, offering the new album Itto, where he showcases his lyricism and puts his concepts and wordplay on display. Entirely produced by rising star producer Soulful Soze, this project is definitely a new sound but retains that familiar vibe Yesh has always been associated with. Brought to you by the good folks from Back In The Days Records (Spain), the album drops on June 14th.
90's Tapes are back with a brand new reissue of the dope Juggaknots album "Re:Release". Originally released as a 9-track LP on legendary Fondle 'Em Records in 1996, Juggaknots debut made a huge impact and is still considered to be one of the finest underground releases in 90s Hip Hop. A lot of heads might own a copy of the various editions from the past, but 90's Tapes are very grateful to give this masterpiece from the Bronx another shine in 2022 again.
Available in a limited run on black vinyl 2LP (500 copies), CD (digipak & jewel case, 150 copies each) and cassette (100 copies).
Here is a good EP entitled "Sut Min Pik" released in 1998 on Bobbito's Fondle'Em Records. The A-side contains the tracks "Haagen-Daz" featuring Artifacts (Tame One, El Da Sensai & DJ Kaos), "Jonny Rookie Card" featuring Company Flow (EL-P & Big Juss) & Clappy, and "No Doubt" featuring MC Serch former member of 3rd Bass. The B-side contains the tracks "Denmark Style" featuring Promoe of Looptroop and all the instrumentals from the A-side. All the productions are handled by The Boulevard Connection, a group of producers from Copenhagen, Denmark formed by DJ Typhoon, DJ Sek and Marak.
This 12" comes from Camden, NJ and was released in 1993 by a group named Doomsday Project, consisted of Frederic El aka 7 Shot Annihilator and Jason Archie aka Jahee El Assassin.
Jason was a DJ/Producer for a couple of groups in Camden NJ and the connection between the two emcees happened with mutual friends, they formed the duo around 88 or 89.
The wax is composed of 2 tracks "Bodycatchers At Da Bullet Fest" and "Step Up Front", both produced by Jahee. It came out on Tet Offensive Recordings, a record label managed by Jahee, 7 Shot, Daoud Bey, Al Woods and Scott Shanklin.
It was the first and last 12" released by the duo...
Jahee : "Seven and I had a falling out and I left the group. He and Tet Offensive continued with Seven forming a group called Danger-I 5000 and I continued solo. Then teamed up with Dave Raynolds to form Da Nuthouse. After our release on Fondle'Em, I stayed solo and produced and engineered for several groups, including in-house releases on Good Vibe Recordings.
"Very Vocabulary" was the track that got Bobbito to give us the deal. That was one of my solo tracks, that and "A Luv Supream" got the Good Vibe deal."
If you want to listen more Doomsday Project's material, a full demo tape recorded in the early 90s was uploaded on soundcloud by hidingplaceplace.
"We've made it to 99 episodes (!) and what a better way to hit that mark then with an EXTRA special conversation, only available on The House List. So who better to sit down with than the highly revered yet largely unknown Godfather Don. In what marks his first real, long-form interview - Don is extremely cool, affable and open. And that was mostly talking about music (we hoped and plan to get a more esoteric, next time)! He has been a personal favorite of mine for a long time. A lifetime resident of Brooklyn, we discuss it all. Picking up a guitar as a small child, to making beat-tapes with a guitar pedal. Many where introduced to Don's seminal work on Ultramagnetic MC's 'Four Horsemen' (Wild Pitch 1993) album, others with his actual debut 'Hazardous' (Select 1991). He had a prolific run doing the indie/underground boom between labels Fondle Em and Hydra, which resonates widely to this day (seen in the many limited reissues of his work). Yet all the while, Don has seemingly been shrouded in mystery.
Now, Don is a actively performing Tenor Sax player around BK. He's recorded a new Jazz project, I saw him play - he's amazing. It's a fantastic transition into a different musical horizon. I highly suggest watching or listening, when you have the ability. I am needing to get our SoundCloud page to 100,000 streams - so please listen to this over and over and share/repost where you can! Thank you for supporting!" - Peter Agoston
"2018 will mark the return of the original Bushwick Bomb Squad! Legendary emcee crew, the Arsonists have announced a double-album release via Below System Records.
This will include a deluxe edition of the group’s classic debut album “As The World Burns” (released in 1999) which yielded such underground anthems as “Blaze”, “Halloween” and the “Session.”
It will also include “Lost In The Fire”, which will include many unreleased gems including tracks with J-Live, High & Mighty and Mass Influence as well as six new tracks from the group (the first in over fifteen years!) with guest appearances from Vinnie Paz (Jedi Mind Tricks) and Ill Bill (La Coka Nostra, Non-Phixion).
Composed of D-Stroy, Q-Unique, Freestyle, Jise and Swel these Brooklyn spitters were among the most creative wordsmiths and energetic live performers during an extremely fertile period of boom-bap that included the Lyricist Lounge, Rawkus Records, Fat Beats Records and the Stretch & Bobbito show. On the group’s motivation, D-Stroy revealed “we were focused so much on our love of hip-hop that it kept us off the streets, away from drugs, all of us in my parent’s house rhyming and recording.”
After appearing on the Stretch & Bobbito Show, Bobbito Garcia was so impressed as to sign the group to his Fondle ‘Em Records to release several classic singles on wax. The results allowed the crew to hit the road through North America and Europe, many of them leaving New York and the United States for the first time ever. The group toured with such notables as Public Enemy, The Roots and the Wu-Tang Clan.
Top taste-making Indie rock label Matador Records who developed such groups as Guided By Voices, Pavement and Mogwai wanted the Arsonists to be the first hip-hop group on the label. “As The World Burns” was the result of this partnership. Critically acclaimed and well respected, speaking on the enduring legacy of the album, D-Stroy said “I think it’s one of the last albums to champion the four elements of hip-hop, it’s basically our love letter to the culture and a lot of heads identify with that love.”
Though the group dissolved by 2002, the members have kept heads ringing in the entertainment industry including solo releases and forays into film, TV and radio. Summing it up D recalls “I was hosting an event for Nike and one of the executives came up to me and spit one of Q-Unique’s verses verbatim to me. It’s like a whole generation of young heads and college students grew up on our music and are doing something for the movement as well.” "
D1 - Up at the Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Show WKCR
D2 - Clear Blue Skies Remix
D3 - Jive Talk (Richie Rich Mix) (Bonus Track)
D4 - Sex Type Thang (Fever Gots Mine Mix) (Bonus Track)
D5 - Watch Your Head (Supaman Original Tape Mix) (Bonus Track)
The Album originally released on Bobbito's legendary Fondle 'Em Records in 1996, finally gets a proper RE-re-release with 3 bonus mixes and a remix to "Clear Blue Skies"
Limited to 500 copies on blue colored vinyl in gatefold sleeve with all lyrics on printed innersleeves.
"If life were fair Buddy Slim and Breezly Brewin would already be household names. Hailing from the Bronx, NY the group has recorded alongside fellow underground pioneers Company Flow and J-Treds to form the Indelible MCs and followed their appearance on the Funcrusher EP with a stellar debut of their own. However there is much more to the story than that. The Juggaknots history easily predates their incredible first album Clear Blue Skies. According to Buddy Slim his first production credit was for his work with a group called Check 1 and Check 2 at age seventeen, in which an even younger Breeze ghostwrote the lyrics at age 15. That is where the Juggaknots began.
Much of the early Juggaknots’ success and money came from B. Slim’s production work, producing for such artists as Terry and Monica (Al B. Sure’s backup singers signed to Epic Records), Billy Lawrence, and Father M.C. Traveling along the same road as fellow up and coming producers of the time, he was on the fast track to success. However, he refused to be chained to a signature sound, choosing instead to consistently innovate and maintain an artist first perspective on the creation of music.
With that mentality in hand and a offer from East West Records, he chose to put full attention to the project he and Breeze had been waiting for and subsequently halted all side work in order to be more focused. By putting all of his eggs in one basket he was definitely taking a chance, but East West Records (now Electra) was home to some of the best groups in hiphop including Brand Nubian, KMD, Das EFX, and Pete Rock and C.L Smooth. This was a great opportunity for the Juggaknots to be added to that list or so it seemed. Industry rule #4080 was in full effect and the situation quickly went sour with East West trying to push the group to produce more dance oriented or “radio” songs. With the lack of label support and any agreement on direction the parties split under amicable circumstances and the album was shelved until Bobbitto stepped into the picture with an alternative.
Breezly Brewin (whose surname comes from his love for Bruin hats) knew Bobbitto through his basketball coach, 3RD Bass’ Pete Nice. Bob approached the group about putting out the album originally on Hoppoh Records and later decided to release it on his own label, Fondle Em. With the deal in place the indie classic Clear Blue Skies was finally given a chance to see the light of day, with write ups in the Source and underground fame soon to follow. Amazingly, this was not a complete project, as Bob was purposely given the home mixes of the group’s original LP to avoid any legal situations with East West. Only now with plans of a re-release will any of us finally hear what should have come out years ago.
While the group made noise in the underground, times were still hard and life was beginning to take its toll. After Clear Blue Skies they sporadically released material mainly under lyrical front man Breeze. While fans were wondering when new material would be released, much more important issues had become the focal point of the their lives. After the debut, Breeze had to drop out of school to support his two-year-old son. He began bouncing all over, moving wherever he could but still rhyming on the side. Life took precedence over music for Buddy Slim as well, who was also working to support his own growing family. Eventually Breeze, affectionately called such since the age of 8 by everyone including his mom, would settle down and find work. Things continued along this path until the day Prince Paul called.
Paul called Fat Beats and asked about him and was able to get his number from DJ Eclipse. Once they got in contact the Prince Among Thieves album was born with Breeze given the starring role of Tariq. With the release Breeze was admittedly brought back into the game. Although his sister contributed to the album he felt by not labeling himself Breeze from the Juggaknots an opportunity was lost to properly shed light on his crew. While the album was not a blockbuster it allowed the group to get back on their feet, buy some new equipment, and even gave Breeze a chance to tour and travel abroad.
The hiatus between projects now has been filled with hard work and not simply hard times. The main focus for Breeze is now the Juggaknots and he has pledged that everything he does from this point is in order to bring some publicity his crew. The focus could not have come at a better time as the Juggaknots are gearing up to release their long overdue sophomore album. Don’t expect another Clear Blue, as the only glaring similarity will be the balance of rhyme and concept songs. So what should we expect? According to Breeze what the Juggaknots are trying to do is talk about the shit that’s in your face that you might not be thinking about. The new song “General Lee” is a perfect example. “It’s basically talking about the Dukes of Hazard. I loved that show and in retrospect it’s kind of disgusting. The symbol was up there with all the popular symbols of the day. You were feeling it regardless because it was forced down your throat.”
His goal is to bring a well-balanced project to the table, and that is something you don’t get much of today. “Today cats are beating you in the head with whatever steez they are, like they don’t go kiss their mothers, play checkers with their boys, or that even the most intelligent kid doesn’t get mad. I’m just trying to bring back the regular cat because that’s the illest dude out here. The regular man is the one without the facade and when its time to differentiate it shouldn’t be a big deal to just be a well rounded person.”
The lyrics aren’t the only thing that has been updated as you can expect the sounds to reveal the progression the group has made in the use of different styles of music. It is almost assured that many obscure records will be present because they look at the art of sampling as a way to gain some redemption for artists like themselves twenty years ago. The last change is the addition of their younger sister Peridot aka Queen Heroine. Not looking to simply bring a female perspective, Heroine considers herself a mixture of her brothers, and hopes to play the all-important role of the equator adding more equilibrium to the group. Don’t get it twisted though as she is no stranger to the mic device. Some of you may remember her as the first MC to rip on The Indelible MCs “Weight” and playing alongside Breeze as his girlfriend on the Prince Among Thieves album. All incest jokes aside when asked about the development of her skills she innocently called to Breeze and asked, “When did I get nice?” In which he replied the 3rd verse. Enough said.
The Juggaknots are ready to make another splash into the music scene and have their eyes on doing it themselves, establishing their own label, Matic Records. Already planned is the re-release of the impossible to find Clear Blue Skies LP complete with final mixes and previously unheard material. Coinciding with the re-release will be a 3 song single (“It’s a triple A single because we don’t put out B-sides”, boasts Buddy Slim), and ultimately the 2nd album in early 2002. They already own their own studio and have select acts on the label. The success of the album is key to getting the label off on the right foot. “We’re throwing out the first single for delf and I want to see how it goes on the business side. Experience wise I think that is going to be a good teacher” notes Breeze. We can only hope to hear a lot more from the Juggaknots of hiphop."
"After KMD's sophomore album Black Bastards was shelved by Elektra in 1994 and Subroc (one half of the sibling rhyme duo) passed away, surviving member Zev Love X mutated into the masked rap supervillain known as MF DOOM. The Rap world is better for it. DOOM's seminal 19-cut debut album Operation Doomsday sent shockwaves through hip-hop's underground, igniting the late-90s indie hip-hop revolution in the process. The comic-book themed skits, dusty soundscapes, and clever wordplay take the listener deep into the mind of an MC who is as otherworldly as they come.
The album originally came out in ’99 on Fondle ‘Em Records. In 2011, Doom’s own label Metalface Records began officially reissuing the album, using a new cover designed by Jason Jagel & Jeff Jank. Both editions of Operation Doomsday are now being released on vinyl while supplies last, the original Fondle Em cover and the new Metalface cover." Gasdrawls
