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.
