The upcoming vinyl release of the album "Contact" by Springfield, Ohio-based rapper BigShawnDon on the Gramofix Records label reminds me that Ohio's 90s hip-hop scene has largely remained under the radar. While a handful of artists and groups managed to break through at the time, such as J Rawls, MHZ, Universal Dialect, Southpaw, Blueprint or MOOD, many others never reached a wider audience.
This cassette "Mekka Born Sound - Street Life" released in 1998, documents some of those overlooked artists. Mekka Born Sound was a record label based in Colombus, Ohio, founded around 1997 and managed by DJ O-Sharp and Sherod Jones who also handled all the productions. The tape features artists and groups such as I&J, Nashon, Screw & Flage, D'Marco and Empire, a duo comprised of Walla Bee and Marlon.
Information about Mekka Born Sound and its artists was nearly impossible to find, so the best option was to reach out directly to DJ O-Sharp, who kindly took the time to respond and provide some details.
DJ O-Sharp : " Sherod Jones and I went to the same high school but grew up in different neighborhoods. I am from Agler Green and he's from Walnut Creek. He's actually one year older than me. We both have a strong passion for music and especially hip hop culture, from bboying on down to graffiti. The artists on the Street Life tape are all people we grew up with and some are even family members. Nashon is Sherod's little brother. Walla Bee is my nephew; his rhyme partner Marlon grew up in Walnut Creek with Nashon and Sherod. Demarco is actually from the Bronx; he was here for school at Ohio State. He was looking for studio time and found us, he's more like a brother than a friend. Screw and Flage are from the neighborhood. I met I&J at an open mic and I was so lost in his rap style. Mekka Born Sound was initially conceived as a way to produce artists from home and seek out a record deal first, later we served as the recording studio for MHZ'z, Lone Catalyst, Rashad and Rufus Blaque. There is so much unreleased music, and all those artists went on to do more music beyond Mekka Born Sound. "
Dayton, Ohio-based group Universal Dialect dropped this 12" in 1999. It consists of 3 songs entitled "Make It Happen", "INI" and "Nothing New", all produced by Da Unknown a.k.a DJ Pioneer for Da Room Productions. The B-side of the wax contains all the instrumental versions.
If you're looking for more info about this crew, you need to know that the group started in the early 90's as part of the Dayton-based collective Toomb.
Toomb's first single "Lady Animosity" came out in 1997 on EnToombed Records. This single became a local hit with heavy airplay on local radio station WBTT-FM (94.5 "The Beat"). It was released on CD format and features 2 other tracks.
A few years later the collective parted ways and their name became Universal Dialect. It was a collective name that brings together three groups : Da Naturalis?, 4bidden Fruits and King Solomon featuring Charles Cooper.
Da Naturalis? was made up of three members : Da Unknown a.k.a DJ Pioneer, Da Opposite, and Da Bizarre Mumbo Jumbo.
4bidden Fruits consisted of two rappers : Brotha Def and Cold Showda. In addition to their musical work, they serve a unique role within Universal Dialect, they were the collective's battle rappers.
The final group, King Solomon, featured saxophonist Charles Cooper. This was perhaps the most unconventional setup within Universal Dialect, combining an MC with a saxophone player. Cooper also leads his own jazz quartet.
A few other tracks are floating around on youtube. Some of them were recorded in 1998 and dropped on a 4-Track EP released on CD format only. All the tracks were also produced by Da Unknown a.k.a DJ Pioneer.
In the early 2000s, Universal Dialect moved to the San Francisco Bay area, where they formed a relationship with some of the hieroglyphics members. The group will become GREANS after that.
What a day ... 90's Tapes are back with the reissue of 3 albums from the Apex Crew members Southpaw and Ase Man representing Cleveland, Ohio. I've been waiting for a reissue of the albums "Left Hand Rule" and "Left Hook" for a long time, now it's done !
" Southpaw, the duo comprised of Wil Champion & Pro-K, delivered two certified classics in the mid 90's, handling both the production and rhyme part on their own. "Left Hand Rule" marked their debut in 1993, released in limited runs on vinyl, CD and cassette. Our release contains an alternate cover image from the original photo session.
In 1997, the sophomore album "Left Hook" dropped in limited runs on CD and cassette. Next to the original 12 tracks, the full album includes all instrumental versions sourced from the original DAT's.
Southpaw's longtime friend and Apex Crew member Ase Man originally dropped his CD-only debut "Step Into The A.M." in 1997. Wil Champion handled the productions, Pro-K served the cuts and Ase Man delivered the rhymes with features by Paradox & Lynes. Next to the original 12 tracks, the full album also includes all instrumental versions sourced from the original DAT's similar to Southpaw's "Left Hook". " - courtesy of 90's Tapes
Available in a limited run each on 2LP/3LP (300 copies each), CD/2CD in jewel case (300 copies each) and MC/2MC (100 copies each).
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