SEWA PATROL - Das EFX in the Source - 1994

 

From The Source - January 1994

Highlights on AK SKILLS

In the mid-90s, when New York's underground was overflowing with raw talent, few names stood out with such an impact in so little time as AK Skills. Hailing from Edgemere Projects in Far Rockaway, Queens, he dropped only a handful of records, but what records they were !! Released on the cult imprint Tru Criminal Records, his two 12-inches are now considered essential pieces for any hip-hop vinyl collector.

The first, "Check The Flava / Nights of Fear" immediately set the tone... razor sharp rhymes over heavyweight productions. With Lord Finesse behind "Check The Flava" and Buckwild lacing "Nights of Fear", the record stands as a perfect snapshot of the D.I.T.C. golden era sound.

12" - 1996 - Tru Criminal Records 

Both songs are available in their Clean, Dirty and Instrumentals versions. The 12" was reviewed in the Sure Shot Singles section of the Source Magazine in June 1996, and in the Please Listen To My Demo section of Beat Down Magazine. 

The follow-up, "One Life Ta Live / East Ta West" only reinforced his reputation. "One Life Ta Live" is a raw Queens anthem, while "East Ta West" carries a heavy rolling vibe that resonated far beyond New York's borders. Both tracks were produced by Eddie James (of Mad Pack). 

12" - 1996 - Tru Criminal Records

Eddie James shared a lot of information about AK Skills and the production of this 12" in an article written by Gino Sorcinelli in 2018. You can read it here.

What makes these two records so remarkable isn't their rarity today, but the way they capture a moment in New York hip-hop where underground talent thrived outside the mainstream spotlight. Tru Criminal Records, which was an independent record label founded in 1996 by Lee "Skill" Resnick and one of his friend named Alex Groothius a.k.a Gru Da Mastamind, may not have had a massive catalog but their releases are revered and AK Skills sits right at the heart of that legacy. Moreover, AK Skills dropped another single,"One Thing Or Another" produced by Buckwild, on the dope Tru Criminal Records EP released a year later. It also includes tracks from other groups that were part of the Tru Criminal Records roster : Street Smartz & God Sunz. 

EP - 1997 - Tru Criminal Records 

By the way, the Rap Is Outta Control Radio Show, with DJ Eclipse and DJ Riz, recently did a tribute show to Tru Criminal Records, which aired on December 7th 2025. AK Skills, FT of Street Smartz, Smokescreen of God Sunz and Lee "Skill" Resnick were in the studio. If you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, I definitely recommend it... they drop some cool stories about the crew members and the record label. They also played some unreleased material.

For record collectors, all these 12"s above are mandatory digs, not only do they represent the essence of 90s East Coast underground rap, but they also preserve the voice of an MC who deserved far more shine than he got. If you stumble upon these records in the bins, don't hesitate... they're true classics of 90s indie hip-hop. Peace

The Beatnuts - Reign Of The Tec - 1993

No need to check their résumé to know that Queens-based group The Beatnuts put in serious work during the early '90s. Before stepping into the spotlight themselves, Psycho Les and JuJu had already built a reputation behind the boards, crafting beats for names like Pete Nice and Daddy Rich (formerly of 3rd Bass), Chi-Ali, Kurious, Common Sense and more...

In 1993, they dropped their debut single "Reign of the Tec" on Relativity Records, a 12-inch that stands as one of their rawest and most memorable releases. Unfortunately Fashion (a.k.a Al' Tariq), the group's third member, wasn't able to appear on the single due to legal troubles at the time. Still, that didn't stop the record from making serious noise. The moment it hit the streets, it felt like a punch to the face, in the best possible way.

12" - 1993 - Relativity 

  

Upon release, "Reign of the Tec" quickly earned attention from the hip-hop press. It was featured in The Source's Fat Tape section (June 1993), reviewed in Billboard (May 1993) and Spin (August 1993). According to Billboard, the track debuted in the Top 15 on pay-to-see video channel The Box, and received steady radio rotation from coast to coast, on WRKS (Kiss 98.7), WKCR and WBLS in New York, WPGC in Washington D.C., WIOQ (Q102) in Philadelphia, KPWR (Power 106) in Los Angeles, and KMEL in San Francisco.

"When I pop the trunk, hit the deck 
John Wayne couldn't even stand the reign of the Tec
Head for the hills before you get wrecked 
John Wayne couldn't even stand the reign of the Tec"

The chorus features guest appearances from Sadat X of Brand Nubian and Kurious Jorge who has been down with the Beatnuts since the beginning and who can be considered as affiliated with the group. 

On the production side, Psycho Les and JuJu flexed their crate-digging genius. The track revolves around a menacing guitar loop sampled from "Wicked World" by Black Sabbath (1971), giving it that dark, heavy energy that matched the era's raw East Coast sound. Layered over that are multiple samples from Gene Chandler's "In My Body's House"(1969), woven together into a head nodding masterpiece.

7" - 1971 - Vertigo  

7" - 1969 - Checker  

"Reign of the Tec" might not be the rarest 12" around, but it's a must-have for any hip-hop record collector. It captures the essence of early '90s New York... dusty loops, hard drums, and pure attitude. Well according to their promo sheet, their objective was to get paid ... no doubt this single was definitely the beginning of a stunning music career, mission accomplished !!!

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 

Absent Minded - Mindless Perspectives - 1996

It's hard sometimes, being someone who cares deeply about hip-hop history and trying to connect with artists, only to receive just fragments of their stories...the bare minimum. I understand it, though. Some stories are tied to pain, tension or things they'd rather leave in the past... they've moved on, and all of that is behind them. But as someone who's passionate about keeping those histories alive, it's frustrating. It hurts a little to think that some groups who helped shape the culture might remain in the shadows forever simply because their stories were never told... It is the case for the Rochester NY-based group Absent Minded (unrelated to the Swedish rap act of the same name). 

If you don't remember this group, here is the Unsigned Hype section from The Source magazine published in April 1996 about their first demos. 

The track "Mindless Perspectives" caught underground attention when it was played on the legendary Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito radio show in 1996, a pivotal moment that introduced their music to a wider audience.

All I know from this collective is that Y-Me, Cado, Grim Reppa and Aki came together during their sophomore year at the Catholic school. As some of the few Black students in a predominantly white institution, they first connected through sports : three were members of the football team, while the fourth made his mark on the basketball court. What began as a shared passion for athletics soon evolved into a deeper creative bond... Absent Minded was born !

The crazy thing is that they had a lot of material, one of the members told me that a full demo was recorded on DAT, with productions handled by a cat called Jamil who did most of the demo tape and a few other producers they were connected with through their manager Thomas. But it never came out because finishing school was their first priority at the time. I hope all those demos will be released one day in a physical format, to the great delight of record collectors everywhere... Peace 

Microphone Check : Saafir - 1994

From The Source - December 1994 - Scan courtesy of Fred Thecle

Record Report - The Source November 1994

From The Source - November 1994 - Scans courtesy of Fred Thecle 

Record Report - The Source February 1996

 From The Source - February 1996 - Scans courtesy of Fred Thecle 

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From The Source - October 1990 - Scans courtesy of Craig Ellis Leckie 

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From The Source, October 1990 - Scans courtesy of Craig Ellis Leckie

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