Tek-9 - Wake Up Dead Nigga - 1992

There are plenty of mysteries in the 90s hip-hop world...a lot of unreleased material, unknown groups, unreleased demos or unknown MCs... TEK-9 from Queens, NY is one of them. All I know about this artist is that he was a member of the group 4 Deep, who released an excellent EP in 1992 on the Goldfinger Records label, and he also released a six-track tape titled "Wake Up Dead Nigga" in 1992 on that same label.

This is the one we're going to talk about now. The tracks included on this cassette are "Difficult Dialect", "Murder-ah", "Blunt Music" featuring 2 other rappers called Buddah Bless and D. Grimm, "Wake Up Dead Nigga"(Original & Alternative version) featuring Onyx. All productions were handled by Chylow Parker a.k.a Chyskillz (RIP), who was also a member of 4 Deep, before becoming affiliated with Onyx. 

Fredro Starr - Chyskillz (RIP) - Suave - Big DS (RIP) & Sticky Fingaz

I don't know if we can consider Tek-9 as being affiliated with the South Ozone Park-based group but it certainly looks that way. We can consider the track "Wake Up Dead Nigga" as, in a way, the original version of "Throw Ya Gunz" released by Onyx the same year, which is the first single from their debut album "Bacdafucup" entirely produced by Chyskillz. 

Another question came up when my man Tim Burton sent me this Rap Sheet magazine review from December 1993, which mentioned that the single "Murder Ah" was released on the Phat Wax Records label. The track "Blunt Music" and an unknown track titled "Kill The Master" also appear on this release.

By looking a bit further, we found a magazine ad about this single on that label, including another unknown track titled "Niggaz Can't F*#% With This".

No doubt that it was planned, but we don't know if it ever really came out... As for me, I've never seen it with my own eyes. Maybe someone out there has ? 

After that, Tek-9 released "The Beyond" in 1994 with D. Grimm & Buddah Bless on Goldfinger Records, and then vanished from the NYC hip-hop scene, with no further releases or guest appearances. As for the "Wake Up Dead Nigga" cassette, I believe very few copies were ever made, so if you ever come across one, don't hesitate for a second. 

Mad Props to Hakan Dougpark for the tape rip & Tim Burton for the magazine review. Peace

Preacher Earl & The Ministry - Return Of the Body Snatcha - 1993

In the crowded landscape of early '90s East Coast hip-hop, there are records that made headlines and then there are those that whispered their way into the crates of true heads. Preacher Earl & The Ministry's "Return of the Body Snatcha" is firmly in the latter category : a gritty 12" single that never made it to the charts, but still resonates with raw street level authenticity.

Preacher Earl, also known under the moniker Preacher Earl & The Ministry, was a Bronx-based rapper who emerged during the early 90s. His single first surfaced in 1993 on Phat Wax Records, and though it never became a household name, it earned enough respect to get a nod in The Source magazine's Sure Shot Singles section (May 1993 issue)

The 12" includes 2 songs entitled "Return of the Body Snatcha" (Street Mix / Ra Ra Mix / Unauthorized Radio Mix & Radio Mix), and "Gunz" (The Hollow Point Mix / The Buck Shot Mix). The project remains his most well known work and for those interested in grabbing it, you need to know that the wax is still very cheap and really easy to find. 

Preacher Earl also contributed to the rare compilation "On the Down Low Vol. 1 & 2" released in 1995 & 1996, where he appears on tracks titled "14 Floors To The Lobby", "Fool I Got Your Back" and "Blessed with My Daughter", but we will talk about that comp in another blog post later. Peace 

Now Born Click - Now Born Soldiers Remix - 1995

Now Born click was a group from New Brighton, Staten Island which was originally formed in the early 90s by Ill God, Born God (RIP), Solger & Bombay. They released their first 12" (Now Born Soldiers / Mad Sick) in 1993 on Phat Wax Records, an indie record label managed by Steve Rosen.

12" - 1993 - Phat Wax Records  

2 years later... in 1995, the group signed with Stepsun Records and dropped their second 12" which is a remix version of the first single "Now Born Soldiers". In my opinion, this version is better than the original.

12" - 1995 - Stepsun Music Ent.

According to their official biography, delays in the release schedule forced a frustrated Now Born Click to leave Stepsun Music Entertainment within a year, and internal tensions and personal tragedies led the original group to break up in 1995. 

Ill Mentality - Luvin' U4 Dayz - 1996

12" - 1996 - Phat Wax Records 

This 12" was released by the New Jersey-based emcee Ill Mentality in 1996 on Phat Wax Records. It came out on 12" and CD format at the time and consisted of the main single "Luvin' U4 Dayz" available in its Wiz Radio Mix, Original Mix and Wiz ILLstrumental versions produced by Nick Wiz on the A-Side, and QBC Radio Mix, QBC Remix and QBC ILLstrumental versions on the B-side produced by Nick Wiz except the QBC Remix produced by Prince AD.

In a recent interview I had with him, he quickly explained how the connection happened with Nick Wiz and Phat Wax Records and gave me more details about his story. 

Ill Mentality : "I fell into Hip-Hop because of another childhood friend who became famous, the rapper Kwame. He influenced me... then I later hooked up with the DJ from Red Dead Kingpin, his name is DJ Wild Style... he furthered me as well. I was working with him as well as Nick Wiz at the time.

Nick Wiz lived in a neighboring town Teaneck NJ, I am from Englewood NJ. We had a connection because a childhood friend went to school with him. Me and my friend were a rapping duo at the time called Mental Soul. Later me and my friend broke up but I continued to pester Nick to work with me. I was poor and he started charging for studio time but he gave me a pass for a long time and eventually I got a single deal with Phat Wax Records. That is when I met Prince AD and he did the remix but it wasn't my idea, the label got him to do the remix.

The connection with Phat Wax Records happened with the help of The Mad Stuntman (the guy featuring on the track "Move It" performed by Reel 2 Real for those who don't remember him)... he took me to his sister label... Phat Wax... He was on Strictly Rhythm at the time and Phat Wax Records was a division of Strictly Rhythm Records... I think Steve Rosenberg was the president at that time.

But I never got an album deal. I quit before anything could happen... I never liked the music biz !! I think Nick has my demos and stuff, he released stuff of mine on his Cellar Sounds compilations..."

Ill Mentality : "I stopped Music because I changed my pursuits. I worship God. I found myself writing rhymes and recording with non emcees for charity but not for the pursuit of money. Lifejr is my last rapping venture on soundcloud. I was in a homeless shelter and a producer came through so I recorded with some of the clients there... other than that I am not interested in rap anymore... I have been homeless off and on in Miami since 2003 and I stayed 5 years in this shelter... but it's cool.. it's peaceful... I chose to be homeless, it keeps me closer to God ! "

Mad Props to Ill Mentality, thanks for your time !

Roughneck Soldiers ‎- Kill Or Be Killed / Freestyle Thing - 1995

12" - 1995 - Phat Wax Records

I think I bought this 12" randomly in 1995 at Street Sound record store in Paris when it came out... and to be honest I knew nothing about Roughneck Soldiers at that time.

R.N.S a.k.a Roughneck Soldiers (a.k.a Reality Negativity & Stress) was a crew from Sunset Park, Brooklyn or Gunset Park like they used to say. The crew was consisted of Destruction a.k.a Destruct (Charles Hernandez, better known under the name of Charlie Hustle nowadays), Disaster (Tony Lopez) and Big Dee (Diego Santiago). Rapping together since High School, the group began rhyming on New York's underground circuit in the early 90s. 

Roughneck Soldiers - 1995 - Photo courtesy of Disaster

Their debut 12-Inch "Kill Or Be Killed / Freestyle Thing" was realeased on Phat Wax Records, with both tracks fully produced by Kenny Gonzales a.k.a Kenny Dope. "Kill Or Be Killed" available in its Main, Instrumental and Radio versions on the A-side, and "Freestyle Thing" available in its Dirty, Instrumental and Radio versions on the B-Side. Nothing is mentioned about it online, but the single also came out on cassette tape. 

 

In terms of productions, Kenny Dope used for "Kill Or Be Killed" a sample of "Light My Fire" released in 1970 and performed by Shirley Bassey. For "Freestyle Thing" he used a sample of "I Am a Walrus" released in 1968 and performed by Freddie McCoy.

In November 1995, the group was invited by Stretch & Bobbito on WKCR for the release of their single. Here is the short interview and Freestyle dropped that night by the trio, it was a few years before Destruct got locked...

Roughneck Soldiers - 1993 - Photo courtesy of Disaster

Phat Wax Records

From Hip-Hop Connection - June 1996 

N-Tense - Raise The Levels Of The Boom - 1993

12" - 1993 - Phat Wax Records

From The Source Magazine - November 1993 - Scan courtesy of Frederic Thecle

Scan courtesy of Blu' Warta (RIP)

Written by Cristina E. Desposito - February 24, 2005