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 thiscollective 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
"Oh shiiiii. Here it is, probably the 90's Herring of the year.
Here's the story.
Izniz, the producer for The Madness, Ghettolandz & Burn U.N.I. [as well as being the owner of Boom Bap Nation], hit up Sham from PD and said "Yo, speak to Bob about a release", so he did. He played me some joints from an unreleased 1999 project. There were some really dope ones on there but I was like "Where are the 1996 demos, ya know, the ones submitted to The Source's Unsigned Hype section". I was told that no one had them anymore. So unsurprisingly I was a little disappointed. I mean there was some niceness in the late 90's stash but it was those elusive demos that the heads were really feenin for.
Some time went by and one day I noticed someone was displaying a copy of the actual demo tape that the group had lost online. I hit dude up immediately and he was mad cool and knew Herring and very kindly offered to do a high quality rip of the material. And WOW. The material is absolute fiya. What we have here are all the tracks off the 1996 demo tape that the artists no longer have, plus one ABSOLUTE monster track from the late 90's. You tell me people, but I think this one is pretty, pretty, pretty special.
Perverted Dialect are Sick Ass Sham, Waynmega (Slang) and DJ Skills. They hail from the Long Branch neighborhood of New Jersey and knew each other from around the way. The group nearly copped a deal off Violator but it never came off. Violator's loss is our gain." - courtesy of Chopped Herring Records
From The Source - July 1997 - Scan courtesy of Frederic Thecle
265 copies on Black Wax in Sticker Jacket & 85 copies on White Label with spring season full colour Herring Jacket.
Let's talk about that demo tape recorded by the MC named FEAR in 1994. No info about him available online unfortunately after all these years and that's a shame because his three demos were really dope at that time and deserve some more shine.
After a short interview I did with Fear recently, I'm glad to give you some info about this MC... Big surprise first, even if his demos sound like some East Coast material, Fear was a West Coast emcee from Los Angeles,Ca.
Fear :" Fear is short for Fearless a name I got from being unafraid to do anything on a dare when I was a kid. I grew up in Los Angeles, Ca. From 6 to 12 years old I lived in Birmingham, Alabama and before that I was born in San Diego, Ca. The tracks sound like east coast hip-hop because thats all I grew up listening to when I was younger. I loved east coast hip-hop, that was my main influence...Krs One, Nas, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap and Lord Finesse... I fall into hip-hop when I first heard Rappers Delight. I memorized it and was rapping ever since then, writing raps for my brother and friends so we could battle other little kids...lol.. "
All the tracks of the demo tape "The Evil That Pens Do", "Hate" and "Freakee Flow" were produced by Kevin Sakoda a.k.a K-Von a.k.a DJ Kev.
Fear : "K-Von was a college DJ in Claremont, Ca. He hosted The Downlow Radio Show on KSPC, 88.7FM at Pomona College. He lived in NYC for a while. He helped me with my demo and helped me to get a lot of opportunities. I first met him at the station, he invited me to come on air and rhyme and we hit it off from there ! "
Fear : "After that I had a few options but nothing panned out, I signed with a few indies and did an album but it wasn't pushed. My album was called "The Moment You Fear". I was in the Unsigned Hype section of the Source magazine (July 2005).I still record now with a group called the Punishers and Con-Verse Allstars."
If you're looking for a good vinyl from the mid 90s for your record collection, here is the 12" released by the NYC-based group Puppets Of Chaos !
For the story if you don't know this group, in July 1992 they appeared in the unsigned hype section of the Source magazine when they dropped their demo tape. At that time Puppets Of Chaos consisted of 3 members, Skribe from Brooklyn, Sckala from Harlem and 7 Zark 7 from Queens.
In 1995 the group who became a duo only formed by Skribe & Sckala, dropped their debut 12". The wax came out on Pro-Amp Entertainment and consisted of the tracks "Tru Dat" on the A-side (Tru side) and "New & Improved" on the B-side (New side), which were both produced by Randy Nkonoki-Ward and DJ 3D, with cuts by Rob Swift on "New & Improved".
Randy Nkonoki-Ward : "I was listening to Stretch & Bobbito while I was sleeping. They played their demo "Make You Wanna Smack Your Mama", and it woke me from my sleep. I worked at Rush management at the time, and Bobbito worked upstairs at Def Jam, so I asked him if I could get their contact info. So he had them contact me. This was before mobile phones... 1992. 3D a.k.a André Bagley was a friend of mine who was a dope producer. He made the music for both songs on the single, I just polished things up."
Pro-Amp Entertainment was a record label managed by Randy Nkonoki-Ward and Mark Kotlinski. I don't know if these names talk to you but it should reminds you something...
Randy Nkonoki-Ward & Mark Kotlinski
"Call them the Matt Damon and Ben Affleck of Net Radio. Childhood chums Mark Kotlinski, 27 and Randy Nkonoki-Ward, 28 are fast becoming the crown kings of hip-hop culture on the web, as co-creators and executive producers of 88HIPHOP.com, a national online web show devoted to hip-hop culture.
Originally next door neighbors from New Britain, Connecticut, Kotlinski and Nkonoki-Ward have been best friends since elementary school. After High School, Nkonoki-Ward moved to New York to work for a recording studio and break into the music business, while Kotlinski went on to college. But It didn’t take long before the two reunited.
Shortly after graduating college, Kotlinski moved to New York to team up with Nkonoki-Ward and start Pro-Amp, a record label focused on up-and-coming hip-hop artists. Then in late 1995, they got the idea to start a service that would promote the hip-hop community, 88hiphop started as a 900 phone line from Randy Nkonoki-Ward’s Brooklyn bedroom in January 1996."
Randy Nkonoki-Ward : "The challenges to promote that record led us to creating what would become 88HIPHOP.com. A streaming Hip-Hop show that started in my Brooklyn bedroom that we partnered with Pseudo one of the first online streaming networks in 1996. 88HIPHOP started to take off in a big way, and we never looked to do another record. At some point I brought Skribe on to be the host of our MC battle segment, MIC Wars."
Mad Props to Randy Nkonoki-Ward, thanks for your time.
Here is an other wax highly recommended for your hip-hop record collection... It was released in 1994 by the New Jersey-based group Soul Kingz, consisted of Chris Bonaparte aka Nicky Dee the Soulking, Hassan Coombs aka MC Hasskills,Tony Williams aka LevelOne, Tracy Ellisaka TNL,The MasterMike Saunders aka DJ Mike S and Michelleaka DJ Mish.
Promo photo courtesy of Chris Bonaparte
For the story if you're not familiar with Soul Kingz, you need to know that in 1990 Nicky Dee and the Soul Kings appeared in the Unsigned Hype section of The Source magazine for the review of a 6-Track Demo Tape.
From The Source - Summer 1990 - Scan courtesy of Steph Freshnews
After the unsigned hype review, Nicky Dee The Soulking got a record deal and was signed by Big City Records, and released his first album on tape only...
Photo courtesy of Chris Bonaparte
A1 - Trouble With Us
A2 - Make Room On the Dance Floor
A3 - Just Do'n My Thang
A4 - You Know How
A5 - Slippin In To Darkness
B1 - Ugly As Hell
B2 - Samplin
B3 - It's My House
B4 - Nobody Else Does It Like We Can
B5 - Money always Rules (M.A.R.Y)
B6 - Soul King Theme
Photo courtesy of Chris Bonaparte
Nicky Dee :"The first album was self titled "Soulking" featuring tracks like "Rap So Hot", "It Will Make You Sweat"... The album cover art was an ode to the Ohio players... The main joint was "Trouble With Us" which is what I submitted to The Source in demo form. This was an album the label sat in for a year before they released it which is why I wrote the Entertainer about the industry. I wrote "Trouble With Us" on napkin paper while walking home during a snow storm ... lol... it was crazy back then !!"
Three years later, Nicky Dee was back with the crew under the name of Soul King Productions, with a brand new project titled "Trace Ya Stepz". The album composed of 16 tracks is dope from the beginning 'til the end. It was released on tape on Klockwerk Recordz, a record label managed by Nicky Dee himself. This tape became a very rare item and most of the hip-hop tape collectors are looking for it nowadays.
Fortunately 9 tracks of this album were released on vinyl by the famous Milwaukee-based label Dope Folks Records in 2016, but the tracks "Catch Wreck" and "Trace Ya Stepz" weren't on this reissue, so this 12" from 1994 is the only way for you to get these tracks on vinyl...
Promo photo courtesy of Chris Bonaparte
Nicky Dee, How did the connection happen between all the members of the group ?
Nicky Dee :"I did an album in 89/90 on a label called Big City Records a small indie which had another local Artist MC Cheese on it (the brother of DJ Cheese). So upon hooking up with them I met Mike Kirsch aka Frazzle a studio owner and artist, we became quick friends. After the album was released I was doing some touring when I met an up and coming rapper named Hassan from Newark, NJ, he was tight with Twin Hype who did that joint "Do It To The Crowd". We talked and decided to link up. When I left the label about a year later I called him and we linked up. Tracy and I met when I heard there was some kid that could rhyme when I moved to Piscataway. He was from Plainfield on the others side of town so I rode my bike over there to challenge him. I wasn't sure where he was but I heard they hung out behind a school and that's where I found him and the battle happened behind Clinton Ave School. We've been friends ever since...of course I won lol ...but I told him I would teach him and that was end of 80 into 81. Mike I met playing football in what is called the Heights where we lived his brother was a DJ and Mike took it up as well we did party's together as well as were part of The FunkyForce, a much larger crew that I and 3 other friends from NY living in Piscataway created. Tony was a friend from school, the pretty boy who the girls liked and we formed a singing group together Mellow Madness with 2 other members Myron and Shirlene guess we were gonna be the next Cameo or something lol ... you have to understand Funk was really big in this area before hip-hop via the George Clinton Sly Stone Cameo connection. Tony was into Keyboards and was down with me on my first album so he had been around for a while. Michelle, I met at a Club I used to DJ at called Pier 18 in Perth Amboy, NJ. She was watching us spin and I noticed how fun she was so I approached her about joining the Soulkings, she accepted and became a very important part of the group."
Who did the productions exactly for the 12" ?
Nicky Dee :"Me hahaha I did the pre production at my crib on this Numark 4 sec sampler, we later added the 808 and other stuff at my man Frazzles studio which was on 86th and Central Park West. I didn't have access to many drum machines back then so I used what I had, went with some familiar stuff cause of course we were trying to sell records lol ... most of the cuts I did as well and a few other DJs that are from this area did the rest like Jerome Walker aka JC Rock who I put on at the age of 12 to be my DJ, George Calloway aka DJ Cuttin C and John McLaurin aka DJ Johnny M the Urban Assassin...yup I am the Soulking but I put other people down as well."
In terms of production, what were your hip-hop influences at that time ?
Nicky Dee : "EPMD, Bomb Squad, Pete Rock, Premier, Diamond D and of course the Beatnuts..."
Why is there no more material released after the 12" in 1994 ?
Nicky Dee :"I decided to learn how to produce and record my own music around that time so acquiring equipment became my passion. I still rhyme... lol... that never leaves but I was also enjoying success as a dj as well... I'm probably the only one from this area that has all of the records of the local rappers and who had a hand in influencing them all including DJ Cheese who didn't know the breaks until my dude Tracy let him borrow mine and that was before he won the DMC... and back in 82 we lived next door in the same building for a brief time...The only joint I don't have yet is by these girls lite and lively and I taught one of them (Vicky) how to rap, even my dude Sharief Hobley a world Famous musician came outta my camp.
They call me a legend but I'm just Chris and was blessed to bring what I learned from NY with me to NJ and pass it on..."
Mad Props to Chris Bonaparte aka Nicky Dee. Thanks for your time.
Sir Essence Don a.k.a Ess Don appeared on the Unsigned Hype Section of The Source of September 1991. After that he was signed by Afro Centric Records Label and one year later he released his first 12" single composed of 2 tracks titled "First Step" and "Live From New York" which was the second track of his demo tape, both tracks produced by Lord D a.k.a Lord Digga.
12" - 1992 - Afro Centric - Photo courtesy of Bobby Corridor
If there is a good and cheap 12" which should be in every record collection, it could be this wax released by HDM a.k.a Hype Da Madman on Jungle Nills Records in 1997...
A little resume for those who don't remember HDM, he began in the early 90s in a group from Staten Island called The Red Eye Krew, which was also composed of two other members : Oob and Jun Jak a.k.a Jungle Jak a.k.a Double J. Their first appearance on a magazine was in the Unsigned Hype Section of the Source magazine of March 1993, when they dropped their 4-Track demo. At that time HDM was under the moniker "Hype".
Double J : "We grew up in the same Projects. HDM heard me spit, heard Oob do his thing, collaborated with Schott Free and formed The Redeye Crew."
From The Source - March 1993
The group was also affiliated with the Jungle Nills and with other artists like Legion Of D.U.M.E and Funky Jilz.
Double J :"We were all from Mariners Harbor Projects, home of The Force M.C.'s, later changed to the Force M.D.’s. Jillz is Big Bro from my hood ! actually a Solo artist, but we all rocked together. He actually founded the Darc Mind Inc project we all was on, Legion of Dume/Doom, Redeye Crew and Funky Jilz"
In 1994, HDM made his first solo appearance on the original Mobb Deep's Demo of "Right Back at You", but unfortunately the demo won't be the version on the album...
Double J :"I was actually in the booth with him at the session ! One of my favorite days...that's me whistling in da background towards the end of his verse. Before I went to prison we were rocking hard with Mobb Deep..."
The story of that demo version has been told by Schott Free who produced the track, in the "The Making of Mobb Deep's 'The Infamous'" posted by Complex.com website in April 2011 :
Schott Free : "I remember I said, ‘Yo let me throw one of these little Staten Island cats on.’ So he hit me with this kid named HDM, Hype Da Madman, and Hype had spit on it. Hav loved Hype and he wanted to leave it, but P was just like, 'I want him to say something else. Just tell him to come to the studio and lay down this other shit.' Hype—being the type of dude he was—was like, 'Fuck that. Fuck you. That version is hot man. I’m not changing shit.' So he didn't change the verse so Hav was like, 'He's gonna have to come up off of there. We'll do something else.’ So I said, 'If it's not gonna be him, let me keep it Staten Island. Let me get Rae or Ghost up on it.’ They was cool with that and he just called Rae and Ghost. You can imagine my boy HDM wish he woulda changed his verse right? This story coulda been different, but he didn't."
Double J & HDM - Photo courtesy of Anthony Jackson
After that, Oob quitted the group, Double J has been locked up for three years and HDM went solo. In 1997, he released the classic 12" single "Da Professionnal / Real MC's". The track "Da Professional" was produced by Monochrome (Shadowz in The Dark) and "Real Mc's" was produced by Nick Wiz.
I was recently in contact with Kandi Kain, member of the well-known group Systahood with DJ Twista, and asked her if she could upload the demos they were talking about in the Unsigned Hype section of the Source magazine of September 1995.
So here are the 3 demos, all produced by Mufi for DieHard Productions, the excellent track "Woman 2 Woman" featuring Sah-B, "Enjoy Yourself" and "Sh#@ Just Happens".
Kandi Kain :"Sah-B and Kandi Kain link up to show how the Brick City and Illtown femme spitters can ignite a fire track. This was actually the foundation of a friendship that has spanned over two decades and have built a strong organization of girls and young women to take control of their destiny."
Kandi Kain : "As soon as Mufi let me hear this beat I instantly fell in love with it! It was four beats per minute ahead of its time and everybody wanted that track. But I put my dibs on it and everybody was curious as to what I would, or should I say, "could" do with it. Especially being the new chick "from up the hill" coming down the hill to rock on a 18th Street track. Well I just did what I do......"
Kandi Kain : "After hundreds of hours of perfecting my Illtown flow in the basement of Godfather Dee I was ready to step out on my own. I enlisted the production skills of Mufi from Die Hard Productions. This was one of the first songs I wrote, solely and wholly, about the criminalistics chronicles of a young woman trying to find herself in the concrete jungle. Learning the ropes of the streets from the most unethical sources. But how else could a gangsta b*%ch survive?"
