Over the years, North Carolina-based MC Sean Links has steadily built a presence in the underground scene with a consistent output of projects. Here is his latest album entitled "Chalky White", a 10-track album fully produced by True Cipher.
Logan S. Washington (a.k.a. Skell) was born in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York City. His earliest hip-hop influence was A Tribe Called Quest, which helped shape his love for storytelling, rhythm, and perspective. By age 10, Logan had already begun writing, rhyming and describing the world around him before the inner city fully took hold. At 12, when his mother and father relocated the family to Charlotte, North Carolina, he leaned deeper into his craft, sharpening his skills and making a name for himself by killing cyphers in school and throughout the city.
At 15 years old, he met his mentor and producer Brian Dunovant, a turning point that helped define his musical direction. Soon after, Logan released his East Side cult classic „Icebergs" (1998), featuring Ekips, Tuff M.C., Peaches, K.I.M. and Supreme Killa. The project gained traction quickly, leading to interviews on Power 98 and performances at the legendary Sugar Shack. From that moment on, Logan was on his way, grounded in authenticity, lyricism and purpose.
Available in a limited run on Double LP (350 copies in gatefold sleeve), CD in jewel case (300 copies), MC (100 copies)
To be honest 75% of the material in this comp isn't really my cup of tea (Singers, R&B...), but it contains 3 dope hip-hop tracks recorded by the group Lower Level, Double Threat, and Rashi & Ali, all of them produced by Lower Level's members KHB & Will Nice.
I think that I don't need to introduce this group but if you don't know Lower Level yet, you need to know that it was a crew from Charlotte, NC comprised of Jay Flav, Money Milt, and the brothers Will Nice and KHB. Sadly, KHB passed away this year... Rest In Peace.
About Double Threat, he was a Charlotte,NC-based emcee. I had the pleasure to talk to him and he gave me more details about his story and about the record label.
Double Threat : " Well, originally, Sun Belt Records got started because of me. The Owner D.S. Davis was a semi-close friend who was a hustler / dope man, and I used to always tell him he should put some of that money behind me. He'd always say ok but I figured we were just kidding until one day he reached out to a mutual friend and told him he wanted me to go in the studio, I pulled up at the friend's house as he proceeded to tell me D.S. wants to put me in the studio, he pulled up in his car, proceeded to tell me he wanted to put me in the studio, so I told him ok and to call me later to let me know when he laughed and said NOW!!!! My reply was now meaning next week, and he said no now, and I already have you beats to choose from. Needless to say, I went in and freestyled 5 songs in 3 hours, then he sent one of them to Jack the Rapper 3 weeks past the deadline, and they accepted it (unsigned hype).
Double Threat : " The plan was to get me a record deal but after that music conference, D.S. went to visit Devante Swing of Jodeci for advice, and Devante told him to start his own label, and I was his first artist, then the next to sign was A-Plus.
I recorded multiple songs from '93-'95 up until around 2007.
I started out with a buddy of mine in a group called POI (Point of Intrest) in Jr. High School, we rapped with classmates such as Sunshine Anderson (heard it all before) and Beverly Crowder who was signed to Babyface's wife's label, but then I went solo and Double Threat was born. Some people think Double Threat means that there's two people, but it doesn't. It means that I am a double threat because I can spit knowledge or gangster shit.
Right before we started recording the compilation album D.S. went to prison on trafficking charges, so his partner in the company took over and continued to run the company, and then he ended up getting busted on drug charges, and that shut it all down. After that, I started producing my music and started rapping with my old rap group member from POI, and we changed our names... he was no longer known as The Prince Supreme, his new name was Tragic and Double Threat became K.O. The Kotic One. We did such songs, "Madd Atonement", after we went to the Million Man March and we teamed up with a rapper by the name of Poker Face a.k.a the Glass Maker and Tomeka from the group A-Plus which later became the mother of my child. I did so many other songs with the hopes of starting my own label but I owned my company and it was growing really fast and then I started a family and I walked away from the music all together. "
About Rashi & Ali, they are also from Charlotte, NC. Rashi is from Keyway, that's Westside like West Blvd. Ali is from Beechwood like Hovis Rd, Northwest Charlotte. Ali is currently in Prison, so only Rashi gave me some info about their duo.
Rashi told me that they're both South Mecklenburg graduates. They first met in High School and the connection between both of them happened through some friends, particularly Reece Way who is Anthony Hamilton's brother. They formed the group around 1989-1990 and their name was originally "Third Degree Roshi and Ali".
They were spotted in the early 90s by Sunbelt Records during Auditions at King Richard's Nightclub. More tracks were recorded at the time by Rashi & Ali but nothing came out unfortunately because of the same problem as Double Threat... the executive producer was indicted.
Mad Props to Double Threat & Rashi. Thanks for your time fellas.
Omniscence's "Raw Factor" album from 1996 was already released in CD format in 2014 by Gentleman's Relief Records, but it's now getting a proper release on vinyl, double LP edition with 4 unreleased tracks from '96.
"Originally scheduled for release way back in March 1996, The Raw Factor by North Carolina native Omniscence is one of the last of the unreleased mid-90’s albums to see the light of day. Despite being awarded The Source’s coveted “Hip Hop Quotable” and dropping two well-received singles (“Amazin” and “Touch Y’all”), record label politics meant the full-length “The Raw Factor” album was never released and fans were left wondering what might have been.
28 years later, “The Raw Factor” is finally being released on vinyl and digital stores. Featuring punchline-driven lyrics from Omniscence delivered in his unmistakable cadence, and backed by head-nodding production from Fanatic, the album is a must-own for fans of 90’s Hip Hop. The 20-track album comes with 4 unreleased tracks from 1996 on a double LP edition available on purple and black colored vinyl." - courtesy of Below System Records
Available on Black vinyl (300 copies) & on Purple vinyl (200 copies)
Here is a very good wax for your record collection which was released in 1995 by SNAFU!, a duo from North Carolina consisting of Simeon Quick a.k.a Sim D from Reaford, NC and Eric Bridges a.k.a E-Daddie from Rocky Mt. The group was founded in the early 90s when they met at NCCU (North Carolina Central University) as freshman and Sophomores.
The 12" was released on Jon Doe Music Group, a small indie record label based in Compton, California, managed by Gerald Valentine and Scotty Spencer. The wax is composed of 6 tracks entitled "Blunt Smokers" which is the lead single and definitely the best track of the wax, "Blunt Instrumental", "Blunt (Re-mix)", "Light It Up", "Light (Re-mix)" and "Light Instrumental", with all the productions handled by Ronald Bridges a.k.a Ron B.
- Sim D, how did the connection first happen between both of you at NCCU ?
Sim D : " We stayed 2 dorm rooms apart in Chidley Hall and learned that we both shared musical interest, I mainly singing and Eric mainly Rap. I was in a singing group called Innocence that often sang in the dorm hallway and School events. And Eric had firmer studio sessions in Durham prior to my Arrival and we clicked like that! "
- What were your hip-hop influences at that time ?
Sim D : " Eric B and Rakim, EPMD, KRS One, OutKast, A Tribe called Quest, Biggie, which we actually opened for in 1993 in a show in Raleigh NC, and our Homecoming with several Big name acts! "
- Could you give me more info about how the connection happened with Ron B for the productions?
Sim D : " Yeah, Ron B is a Durham Native that was doing music in the Area on a smaller Hobby type scale that took interest in our group through He and Eric’s living in the same general area at the time! Ron had done some production work for other groups in Durham prior to SNAFU and he decided to join forces with myself and E to make the Group snafu complete no longer needing to look outside the group for production or studio time. Man, it was all perfect for music Heads of the Nineties! "
- Could you give me more info about the executive producers who managed Jon Doe Music Group (Gerald Valentine & Scotty Spencer) ? how were you signed ?
Sim D : " Yeah, Scotty and Gerald were close Homeboys and Family to my Sister in law at the time Stephany Quick. They also were childhood friends with Coolio, God rest his soul, who we often spoke with at times in the early 90s. They listened to several of our better songs to me, but Blunt Smokers fit more of the LA Craze at the time! I just scene Scotty do a special with Snoop last year talking on LA rap artist and the origin. Scotty is still living, not sure about Gerald!
It was pretty much a production/duplication deal, not a lot of money involved, mainly exposure, which we were never about the money at the time just the love of music, plus we weren’t starving, we both came from good stock! "
- Snafu!, where does this name come from ?
Sim D : " “Situation Normal All F’d Up” mass confusion during normal times! That how we used to see ourselves! "
- Why did the album never come out after the 12" in 1995 ?
Sim D : " Good question, we had formulated lots of studio bangers that never got released, now just thinking about that, it was in the midst of us Graduating in DEC. 1995 and 1996 and moving on as students to professionals, I moved back to Raeford NC and Eric to the Md DC area! "
- About those studio bangers, was it the unreleased material dropped by Dope Folks Records in 2014?
Sim D : " No, stuff that we elected to keep. They were interested in Blunt Smokers and pushing it with remixes. So we kept the rest for us in case we had other plans in the future."
I hope all this unreleased material will see the light of day, fingers crossed ! Massive Props to Sim D for the interview.
Here is the visual for "Prosperity Road", the latest joint released by
Chant, V8ga & K-Hill featuring Keisha Shontelle. Video directed by Rashaad McNeil for RM Photography.
- Where did you all come from exactly ?
KMS : "Mostly from Fayetteville NC. Koop was from Brooklyn, Shist was from Panama City, Florida and Bamboo was from Pittsburgh,PA."
- How did the connection happen between all the members ?
KMS : "We met at Seventy-First High School. Sublime, Bamboo and me previously were in a group called Dialectics (that also included Rhymes Galore) which were a part of a click called Mental Dimensions or MD’s. KMS, Sublime, and Bamboo ultimately left to form Open Eyes while Rhymes Galore remained with Mental Dimensions.
While an internal disagreement over the direction of the group caused the split, Open Eyes and MD’s still remained friends and supported each other. Black later met Big Mike at Fayetteville Tech. "
- When did you form the group exactly ?
KMS : "We formed the click in 1996. The original name of the click was called "The Open Eyes Movement" which later evolved into "Open Eyes". I came up with the name and today I have a nonprofit called The Open Eyes Project which is dedicated to fighting poverty."
- What were your hip-hop music influences at the time ?
KMS : "KRS ONE, Nas, Wu-Tang, Bootcamp Click, Snoop, Dre, Tupac, Redman, Biggie. My biggest influence and favorite rapper, however, was fellow click member Bamboo. I had only been rapping for 3 years and he was the illest that I ever heard so it had a major influence on my style."
- Where does the name 'Open Eyes' come from ?
KMS : "The Open Eyes Movement (Open Eyes) was about consciousness and raw lyrics. The open eyes represented all that we can see externally and internally 3rd eye being the mind. Awareness of the world."
- Who did manage Righteous Elohim Entertainment ?
KMS : "Sublime's 2 older brothers Kenny and LaVelle managed the group."
- The Elohim Ent. Compilation album "Bless the Mic with the Gods" was supposed to come out after the release of the 12" in 1997 but it has never saw the light of day. Could you tell me what happened ?
KMS : "Bless The Mic was only in name. It was supposed to be a collaboration of songs from each artist on the label, but due to the toxicity within the click the album was never finished and Open Eyes split up.
There was never an official song list for the project. Each artist has access to their original music and I’m sure some music was lost."
- Is there any chance to see some unreleased material released one day ?
KMS : "I have an unreleased album called “Talk to Me” that should have been a follow up to "Glory" but was not released due to recording issues. I would be open to releasing my album. I cannot speak for any other artist. I just released a new album on March 23rd called "SELF" now streaming on major platforms."
DJ Big Mike a.k.a Izzynice uploaded on his Audiomack a batch of unreleased material recorded by each individual artist or group affiliated with Elohim Entertainment at the time. Check the tracks, everything is mad dope !!
