The Doobie U Be

Funkdoobiest was like Cypress Hill lite. They both had latin lead rappers, talked about getting high and shared the production talents of DJ Muggs. But while Cypress was known for their rhymes of violence and revenge, Funkdoobiest seemed to focus on the lighter side of things. Which made them cool to hang out with, as we found out in the Phono Booth in 1995.

Tomahawk Funk left the group after their second album. Funkdoobiest is still around and released a single last year.

It's a Jungle out there

Opening for the rapper-of-the-moment at a hollowed-out former restaurant, The Jungle Brothers weren't at the height of their career when they appeared on Wavelength. After three albums, the pioneering rap group seemed to have its best days behind them. The days when they created an urban music hybrid, hip-house. The days when they made black medallions as popular as gold chains. The days when they made being yourself cool.

Those were the days.

It was January of 1997 when we met them. The Jungle Brothers were promoting their new album "Raw Deluxe," on Gee Street Records. The album would be poorly received and I still haven't gotten around to listening to it. Years later, the brothers have carved out niche in dance music scene and seems to be doing well with their record sales in the european market.

There's still some rumble in the jungle, however, as Afrika has recorded a track dissing some of the more prominent members of the defunct Native Tongue movement. Mike G can be heard on the Nas "Where Are They Now?" remix.

CRAIG: Yo, what's up, my name is Craig and I'm here with – the Jungle, the Jungle, the Brothers, the Brothers.

JBS: Yo, yo. What's up?

CRAIG: Let's get everybody's name real quick.

MIKE G: Mike G in the House

CRAIG: Dready Bear.

AFRIKA: Afrika, right here, What' goin on? People in Vee Ayy whatchadoin'?

CRAIG: Who's that layin' in the cut right there?

AFRIKA: Ah .. That's Sweet Daddy.

SAMMY B: Sweet Daddy, Sammy B from the Boogie Down, Jungle Brothers.

CRAIG: It's been a while since you guys have been on tour or had a record out. Whatchu you guys been doin'?

AFRIKA: Right now, we got a single out called "How You Want It, I Got It." We were just travelin' to Vee Ayy area, talkin' to people through the radio, goin' to record stores, signin' autographs ... Lettin' the people that's been showin' us love all these years meet us in person and givin' 'em back that love.

CRAIG: You talk about years. How many years has it been?

AFRIKA: It's been ten years, man.

CRAIG: Ten years. And now you're on your fourth album on your third record label ...

AFRIKA: Yeah.

CRAIG: Explain to me what happened with the record labels.

AFRIKA: Actually, our first record was one the same label that this fourth one is on. So it's really been like ....

CRAIG: So you've come full circle?

AFRIKA: Full circle, yeah.

CRAIG: Mike, what is a Jungle Brothers show like? What do you do on-stage?

MIKE G: We just give the basics of hip hop. We got Sweet Daddy rockin' the one and two's, the turntables. Afrika and myself, we are the MCs, masters of the ceremony, keep the party amped and everbody swayin' and feelin' the good vibe. Runnin' through the hits ... JBs Comin' Through, Straight out the Jungle, I'll House You, I got it like that, I'm a Do Ya.

CRAIG: How have you changed over the years? A lot of rappers stay out for too long and try to catch up too quick and it doesn't work. So what have you guys done.

MIKE G: The mental is still the same. We just upgraded the production. The brothers be family men, now. We just keepin' it live.

CRAIG: Yeah. So what's up with the Native Tongue, I hear it's back in effect.

AFRIKA: Yeah, we try to bring the people's that Native Tongue flavor. We remixed the first single and put De La and Tribe on it, so we could get that Native Tongue flavor back out there let people know we still together as a unit.

CRAIG: So Afrika, on the new album, y'all gonna talk about Versace, watches, gold chains and mafioso stuff, huh?

AFRIKA: Nah. The mentality's still the same like on the first album. Positive messages. The brothers is comin' back more mature this album. It's more like groove oriented. Buy ya tape, put it in your car and have a nice little free ride with the Jungle Brothers, you know what I'm sayin'? Laid back beats, nice lyrics.

CRAIG: Who did the production?

AFRIKA: Jungle Brothers did production. Mike, Sam, Afrika, we all chipped in and put beats together. Another brother by the name of Gingy Brown did two songs. He's comin' up. He did some stuff for Supanatural, for all the underground heads out there that know him. D.J. Roc Raider he did the first single.

CRAIG: You said you did a cut with The Roots also?

AFRIKA: Yeah, we just put the icin' on the cake with The Roots. They blessed us.

Son of Bazerk's Half Pint Speaks

Known as Half Pint, she was 1/5 of the underrated rap group Son of Bazerk. Her high-pitched interjections brought urgency to the Bomb Squad produced tracks, similar to what her former babysitter, Flavor Flav did for Public Enemy.

Years later, she now answers to Ms. Jackson, as a teacher at Roosevelt High School in Long Island. Half-Pint shares memories from her colorful past as a member of a cutting-edge hip hop group.

How was the concept for Son of Bazerk brought to you?
The core of the group was already formed and a lot of the material done. It was Hank from the bomb squad who approached me one day when I was in the park playing basketball with my friends We were beating the guys as usual) He heard me talking loud (cracking jokes and so forth) and asked me if I wanted to be in a group I was like yeah whatever brushing him off cause I thought he was crazy. Then he told me who he was and what he did, still brushing him off when I looked it up from my music collection of PE and I just laughed. He contacted me the next day met my grandparents and told them his intentions and the rest is history.

Characterize your role in the group.
I was the Lynn Collins of the group to Bazerk's was James Brown .I thought our shows were the bomb as we all played off each other. Being on stage is the greatest high you can get. When we went overseas to Germany and France, we headlined our one show that was crazy we would do the entire album and then some. In Holland, we were apart of a weekend extravaganza, it was off the hook. The only thing I regret is not having any of our shows on tape. I also wish i had kept some other memorabilia.
On tour all the groups would stay and watch each other perform and then hang out afterwards. I remember sitting with Ice T off to the side watching Naughty By Nature (who was definitely hot) perform and he was explaining to me the excitement he got from watching the crowd get hype during each groups performance and how to read a crowd to give them want they want and make a show hot.

What was your first concert as a member of SOB like?
My first concert with SOB I believe we did the Apollo with PE, Rakim, we split time with Young Black Teenagers. It was crazy I never knew how a stage could impact a performance I loved it!! It was a little raw because it was like 7 of us 3 mikes. We all was supposed to dance but the guys really did get in to it so I danced with two dancers we had. One of them used to dance for LL cool J. The next time we performed I was ready and we had a nice routine set up. Overseas, we headlined several venues and it was hot to def I wish I had some footage from that.

What did you learn from touring with SOB and other hip hop groups?
Being on tour was fun. I got homesick because other than being at college an hour and a half away, I never really been away from home for an extended period of time. We had to rough it, with 17 in a van and no air conditioning in the summertime. Winnebagos [filled] with equipment, 11 people and no idea where we were going but it was fun. The tour with PE was the best I learned so much from them and the other groups (Fear of a Black Planet Tour) I think? It was us Leaders of the new school, Queen Latifah, M.C. Lyte Naughty by Nature, Kid N'Play, Fresh Prince, Geto Boys and Ice T.
It was nothin' but love on tour from day one they all treated me like a little sister and gave me much respect as I have much love and respect for them That was a pivotal moment in life.
When we came home that tour we began work on the 2nd album It was supposed to be titled "So many Tricks ..." We actually completed several songs including what was supposed to be my solo single "No Fair Ones."

Do your students know about your rap past?
I teach a history of hip hop class and yes, I tell the students about the small contribution to hip hop my group has made. They always wanna battle but the teacher remains the master even if the content has changed.

More to come ...

I've been Tagged

I'm usually not the one for internet and email games. But since a supporter of this blog asked me to participate, I'm playing this one. So, I think I'm supposed to post 7 songs I'm digging right now ask 7 other bloggers to do the same.

Here are my songs. Fellow bloggers, don't worry about getting called out in this post. The tag stops here.

Classic/Kanye West, Rakim, Nas and KRS-One.
Watch How It Go Down/Termanology
You Can't Turn Me Away/Slyvia Striplin
No More Dating DJs/Nick Holder
Gabrielle/re:Jazz feat. Alice Russell
Morning Child/4 Hero
Tears Dry On Their Own/Amy Winehouse

Now I can get back to prepping a very special post for later this week.

Sayin' Nothin'

Getting a national recording artist to appear on a local TV show usually took days of negotiation with record label, road managers and video promoters. Despite our honest attempts to do things the right way, sometimes we got left holding the mic. This is about some of those times.

The following artists never appeared on Wavelength. The majority of these rappers or their representatives neglected to fulfill prearranged agreements, for various reasons. At the D.B. Center, I have learned the relevance of forgiveness in a successful rehabilitation. So as soon as these people or their former representatives ask for it, they'll get it.

We never played with a Yo-Yo
Her road manager explained that the president of I.B.W. had laryngitis after putting on a lackluster show at Ivory's Uptown Lounge. I would have believed him is she hadn't been chatting it up with her girlfriend in the background. What up with that, Yo?

Ya Bad, Chubbs
The Chubbster put us off. After setting things up with his road manager, the rotound rapper kept me at bay with, "In a minute, G. In a minute," for about half an hour, as he chatted with a police officer. The vice-president of his record label apologized and sent a box of t-shirts. I'm still a fan ... of his music.

Apache really ain't sht
While I may not remember more than the title of his one hit, I'll never forget what went down with Apache. Mr. "Gangsta Bitch" hollered "No!" and left us standing on the curb as his van sped off. Other people may have forgotten Apache, but we won't.

Who missed the shoot? Grand Puba
Puba Maxwell was reportedly several hours late to shoot photographs for the cover of his album, so why should he show up for an interview or a concert on time? But this time, Puba wasn't late enough. As his van pulled in front of the nightclub where he was scheduled to perform several hours prior, gunfire erupted. Nobody got shot and nobody performed.

What What?
I cut out of my girlfriend's graduation party to go interview one half of the rap group CNN, Noreaga. His people never called back. Someone thoughtful at Tommy Boy apologized and sent me a jacket with their upside down dancer logo. It never fit quite right, but I still have it.

Saturday Nite Wavelength

Masta Ace and Lord Digga and subjected to the interview techniques of Dre and a critical review of his latest release. This interview was filmed in 1993 at the Phono Booth Record Store, which is now a laundromat.

The Redman Interview

I was concerned about our interview with Redman. The funk doctor was unlike any other rapper on the scene. He didn't fit the mold of conscious rappers, gangster rappers or just-a-regular-guy rappers. Plainly put, Redman just didn't give a fck. "Whut? thee Album," his debut, was a funkfest of hedonism, criminality and drug abuse. It was hilarious.

So I didn't know what to expect from Reggie Noble. I consulted a video promoter I trusted, who suggested I ask him about his hairstyle and phrase the other questions around his lyric content. I took her advice and hoped to survive the interview. Which I did, despite something unexpected happening. (Two points to anyone who can tell me what R&B artist caused Redman to react in this clip.)

Redman would appear on our show three times, bringing an new reason for us to be concerned with each visit.

Steady Decline

Every time I came across Warren McGlone, aka Steady B. things weren't going his way. The first time I saw him was at the Richmond Colesium in 1992. Steady B. was part of group called CEB, comprised of a couple of other past-their-prime rappers. (The name was comprised of their initials and also stood for the prophetic phrase "Count Endless Bank.") It would be a failed attempt at reinvention.

Steady B. wasn't recognizable, the baseball cap and glasses that were his hallmark were out. Now, his distinguishing features were a bald head and missing teeth. Alternate cameraman DJ Reese spotted him backstage and set up a quick interview, talking me into letting him do it in the process. Steady B. had time on his hands, as the promoter had just informed him that their would be no show and no paycheck for CEB.

The next time I saw Steady B., he was the opening act at the long gone Richmond night spot, The Flood Zone. The odds were against him, he hadn't been out for awhile and times had changed. I was hoping he could pull something off, he still had some hits. I was looking forward to hearing "Serious" again. That wasn't happening. Steady B came on stage and lit a blunt.

I looked over at a cop standing along the wall of the club. He looked offended, but just watched as Steady began a piteous performance that failed to keep the crowd's attention. He left the stage after a short set and I caught a glimpse of him behind the curtain. He was leaning against the wall with his hands over his head. I couldn't see his face, but he looked upset. Someone tried to console him, but he wouldn't budge from that spot for awhile.

Hip hop heads know how this story ends, and it ain't good. Steady B. had one more time become front page news . He was convicted of second degree murder on October 30, 1996 and is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

The Kings and I

Whenever I'm asked, "So, what kind of guests did you have on your little show?" The first group I name is Run DMC. It wasn't my best or favorite interview, but it lets people know what level we were operating on. The Kings of Rock were the verge of a major comeback when we interviewed them in the meeting room of the Holiday Inn back in 1993.

The video for "Down with King," was scorching television screens with more cameos than "Who's The Man?" and beats and lyrics from Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth. It wasn't just a new sound that was clearly evident. The band hand changed. DMC had sworn off alcohol, Run was rumored to be taking religon very seriously. Gone were the gold chains, the Gazelles and the godfather hats that exemplified their image. With their shaved heads, dark clothing and wooden crosses, they looked like rap monks. If only today's acts had half of their conviction.

Jam Master Jay was at soundcheck during the interview. He and the Hollis crew put on a stunning show that night. JMJ R.I.P

The Uptown's Lounge

They don't make nightclubs in Richmond like this one anymore, it lasted long enough to become a legend. Nightspots in the city now suffer short lifespans, shutting down and opening up within a few months. Most eventually fail, leaving empty husks that drag down the city's landscape.

Ivory's Uptown Lounge was the place to be in the late 1980s. I recall riding four deep in a Chevette with my high school friends, looking at the line of beautiful people that stretched down the block, counting the years until we could stand among them. Hell, Prince ate breakfast their once.

Once I started getting into Ivory's, I wasn't there for fun. It was always business. In the early '90's the club started to book rap artists for concerts and its dark basement became a second studio for our show. We talked to groups like The Pharcyde, Wu-Tang Clan, MC Lyte, Pete Rock and many more. About half of our trips to the club were fruitless, with lazy artists and their duplicitious road managers leaving us hanging at the last moment. (They'll get their own post.)

My best time at Ivory's was on a Wednesday evening, right after the show. We walked in the club to interview a slew of rappers set to perform that night. After a few minutes, I noticed something strange, they all acted like the knew me. I was really thrown off by the sudden recognition and I kept thinking it was an elaborate joke. Somebody told me later that they had been watching our show during sound check and enjoyed it.

This confirmed what Dre and I already knew. We were doing something right.

Word to the 3rd

3rd Bass had just split when MC Serch hopped on The Source Magazine's concert tour. Serch's stay on the tour, like his solo career, was brief. During his performance in Richmond, Va., he reportedly remarked that one of the members of The Almighty RSO looked like Humpty Hump. After his set, members of RSO (a group that included future Source publisher Benzino) allegedly chased Serch from the second floor to the door of the club, where he got off with a warning.

Since then, Serch has been an employee of Wild Pitch Records, the president of a marketing company and now a reality television host. Rumors of a reunion with Pete and Daddy Rich linger but they haven't brought 3rd bass home.

Forgot about Dre

When I think about the failure of Wavelength, I'm comforted by the thought that it wasn't all my fault. There were others to share the blame. One of those people is Andre. He appeared at the studio after the third program and quickly became part of the show. Dre was a music producer, a record store worker, and a self-described "hip-hop junkie" who wasn't shy about expressing himself. Yeah, he was a problem.

He brought constant chaos, interjecting and interrupting my scripted wit with extraneous comment and opinion. Some days, it was hard to cast a complete thought. It was a odd chemistry that was combustible at times, but kept things interesting.

In an effort to contain him, I gave him a quarter of the show to do with as he pleased. He dubbed it "The Breaks" and brought on a parade of local rappers, producers and artists for interviews. It was integral part of Wavelength, but it didn't keep him in check. He never seemed to run out of things to say.

Dre drifted away from the show after our public access run ended in '96. How much did I miss him? When Wavelength debuted on broadcast television a year later, I brought in someone to pretend to interrupt me.

Employee of the Month

I have wavered off course lately. Posting up the least embarrassing moments from my ill-fated television show has been very cathartic, but that's not all this project is about. (Read the subtitle.) So, back to program.

It may have been around the end of '92 when things started to work. The show was hot. We had the newest videos from all the majors, hung with coolest rappers when they came through, free music and t-shirts, a ridiculous nickname for myself (Dr.'s Note: Patient referred to himself as The Fly Pilot of the Airwaves.) and some street cred. People knew us when we went out. My ego started to swell, but not enough that I could actually notice. But it was there, I am told.

One day I was picking up my mail from this check cashing joint, when I heard someone speak behind me.

"Hey, man. I know you."

I looked at him dead-on. I wasn't going to tell him my name, he was. I waited for him to get it together.

"I know you from somewhere ..."

C'mon, you can do it.

"I know where I know you from! You work at Burlington Coat Factory!"

Damn. My night job had come back to haunt me in the afternoon.

Freestyle File: Skillz

Years before he would be known as the guy who sums up the year's events in a song, Skillz made a name for himself as a battle rapper. Here, caught between takes on a Wavelength shoot, he effortlessly shows why his freestyle is still feared. This was shot at Lonnie B.'s old crib just before the release of "From Where."

Lonnie's old home was notable because his mother had let him turn the living room into a warehouse for his records and a makeshift recording studio. They also had a phone that didn't ring, but spoke the inspiring words "You have a telephone call."

The revolution will be live

As you may have read elsewhere, The Coup were involved in a serious bus accident recently. The group and its band survived, but most of their equipment and other essential items didn't. Boots says the band is without a way to generate income presently and doesn't expect an insurance pay out for another year. There's a donation box on his myspace site.

The Coup was one of only two national rap groups to make it to the cable studio for a live interview. They were supposed to perform, but someone in our crew forgot to bring the turntables. Pam, their DJ, was ready, she came in with a mixer and records. That would have been nice.

The Coup were one of the most political groups on the undergroud scene at the time. Their music laid out political agendas and revolutionary philosohpy over west coast beats. They did two albums with Wild Pitch before parting with the label. Since then, Boots and Pam have carved out a niche in the hip hop scene with a notable releases like Pick a Bigger Weapon on Epitath Records.

For now, here's The Coup on Wavelength. Who said the revolution couldn't be televised?

Craig: Yo, what's up, we got The Coup in the house. What's up?

E-Roc: What up homie?

Pam: What's up?

Boots: What's up man?

Craig: Did y'all have any trouble gettin' down here?

E-Roc: Yeah, we got lost! We just kept payin' that toll, man. Thirty-five cent.

Boots: You get lost here, you end up broke!

Craig: You guys come from Oakland. I guess the biggest rapper to come out of Oakland is Too Short. But y'all have a totally different sound then what's come out of Oakland so far. How did that sound develop?

Boots: Well you know, if you listen to it, it's not totally different, cause that's what we grew up around. Like, we still got the heavy 808 up in there, but the difference is in the live instruments stuff like that. We don't just sample, we'll redo the music with the original instruments, cause we want to get that phat mix to it, you know, the highs, the mids and the lows real clear. And you know that's what we like in our music.

Craig: I like the imagery on the CD. It's an African woman with a gun on her back. On the cover, you have like a fryin' pan. Why did y'all come up with these kind of images, this like revolutionary thing?

E-Roc: As far as the cover, you know, the album is entitled Kill My Landlord, so you now we try to make it like we were in the kitchen an' we down on our landlord cause our rent gots to be paid. Sometimes you ain't got the mil to pay it off, but the landlord always on your back. Basically, that's what we was tryin' to come through on the album.

Craig: This group boats a female DJ. What's the reception you get when you perform with other rappers? Do they take you seriously?

Pam: Know one really knows that I'm a DJ until I perform. I'm sure when I get on stage, some people say, you go girl, and some people look at me like okay, what is she gettin' ready to do. I am not Spindarella at all, because all my cuts, you will know. I cut very hard, I cut crisp, I transform I do all of that. And I practice ..

Boots: In other words, she's raw.

Pam: when I get off the stage, everybody respects me then. Because like, when they see a girl on the stage, Tch! (sigh) What she gettin' ready to do? Bugga Bugga? (gestures like she's scratching) I don't do none of that. I do tricks and stuff like that. So you know ...

Craig: Any female djs inspire you?

Pam: No.

(laughter)

P: There aren't any. The only one that inspired me, I gonna tell you, you may laugh, was Joe Cooley. That's when I started back in the day with Joe Cooley. And Jazzy Jeff and Q bert. I know everybody's heard of Qbert. But Qbert taught me a little somethin', so you know. That's how I got into djin'. So I'll be in that New York Seminar battle.

Craig: Oh okay. For world supremacy.

Pam: So I'll be there in July, next month.

Boots: If we coulda hooked it up, we woulda display somethin' for ya.

Craig: I wanted that to happen too. We might be at the seminar too. You wanna take a call?

Boots: Sure!

Craig: You got a question?

Caller: I wanna know how they got the name The Coup.

E-Roc: The Coup basically means to takeover and overthrow. And that's what we talk about in our music.

Boots: You know, we tell everyday stories that happen to brothers and sisters, but they got a message behind it. When people first listen to it, like, "Not Yet Free," some people sayin' it was gangsta. What it is is one step up, 'cause gangsta is talkin' about your surroundings, what we're talking about is how it got that way in the first place. So that's going to lead you to solve the problem at the source. So that's why we talk about takin' over.

Craig: That answer your question, man?

Caller: Yeah.

Craig: Thanks for calling. Tell us about the video we're about to look at, "Dig It."

Boots: Well, it's our second single, you know uh .. did y'all play "Not yet Free?"

Craig: Yeah.

Boots: Okay. Basically, if you listen to the lyrics, we're talkin' about things that the government does to go against movement that we might have in the community and all that, you know. The rest of it you can get from the lyrics.

Craig: What is the Mau Mau?

B: The whole name is the Mau Mau rhythm collective. What it is is a bunch of rap groups, Point Blank Range is one of the groups we're puttin' out, Tenth Planet is another group we're puttin' out. We all talk consciousness at different levels. And we also work in the community. We have study groups and all that type of stuff.

Craig: What's some of the things you've done?

B: We've done some struggles in the past involving police brutality. We led a march that involved 600 people when we went over and took over city hall at the city council meeting and had these 10 cops fired that were well known for terrorizing the community. We're involved in the this other case that had to do with the BART police, which is the subway there, the office shot a young man in the back as he was walking away, because he thought that this young black man was going to come back and shoot him at a later date. We're involved in a lot of different things. We're growin' and we're tryin' to get out there. We don't want to be just be talking about conscious in our music and then we'd be hypocrites cause we're not really doin' nothing except for makin' music and makin' money off of it. We want to, you know, go back and bring something back to the community.

Freestyle Files: Redman

Redman and Method man were invited guests at a Free Slick Rick party we hosted at the Phono Booth in 1995. Only Redman showed up, making his second appearance on Wavelength. After a particularly amped interview, a cipher formed in the record store. These verses contains adult language and terms that are not allowed at the Laugh Factory.

Handle the truth

The first time I met D'angelo was in a nightclub in Richmond's Shockoe Bottom. A promoter was showcasing several local rap acts, among them a group called "Dirty Souls," a rap duo that included Marlon C., who was known around town as D'angelo's cousin. Dirty Souls were heads and shoulders above the average plain brown rapper that night and proved it with a song about masturbation that was based on The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Me and My Bitch." I remember one of Richmond's brighter talents, Danja Mowf, telling me that he wished he had thought of that.

After the show, Marlon talked about his record deal and sitting across the table from Sylvia Rhone as promises were made. Despite his cousin's popularity and pull with the label, the group was dropped without even releasing a single. I kept in touch with Marlon for awhile after the show and I remember him being a little bitter about how things went down.

The next time I heard Marlon C. was on a song called "Talk S**t to Ya," and which was almost good enough to redeem the ill-conceived coming of age movie it supported. It was bluesy and soulful with a hip hop edge, without being contrite or predictable, like that song Nas made with his pops. Despite help from his famous cousin on the track, labels didn't take notice. I didn't hear much about Marlon for awhile, until a friend told me he was opening for national acts at a local concert series ... with a guitar. What?

Three weeks ago, I notice a poster for a Marlon C. release as I was leaving my friendly neighborhood record store. I went back and and picked up the last copy of Ain't That Da' Truth Listening to the CD I was reminded of the rumors that Marlon was often an unattributed contributor to D'angelo's sound. Unpolished and raw, maybe this what Richmond's infamous recluse would sound like without a hefty production budget and "help" from seasoned songwriters.

On "Ain't That Da' Truth," Marlon C. manages to establish his own identity with unique phrasing, solid songwriting and a reverence for the spirits of soul music. Despite the tired skits that fill the CD, it's clear he's not just talking sh** anymore.

The Disciple

Shabazz the Disciple was the first voice in "Diary of Madman," the debut album from The Gravediggas. In one verse, Shabazz killed you, stomped on your corpse and threatened to buck you down if you tried to haunt him. It wasn't one of those rhymes you easily forget.

Shabazz built on his notoriety and released two singles on Penalty Recordings. He was promoting his first track,"Death be the Penalty," when he came to the Phono Booth Record Store in 1993.

Shabazz explains his opening verse on the Gravediggas single along with the religious imagery and symbolism in his debut clip.

Moments of Truth Pt. 1

It was rare that we would shoot Wavelength outside of Richmond, Va. But when I got a call from an EMI rep about Gangstarr being available at Georgetown hotel, we got on the road quick. My usual cameramen were unavailable, so I snatched up D.J. Reese from his Mom's house and explained how a video camera works on the way. (D.J. Reese woud later come up with an idea for what would become "Are You That Somebody? remix, but that's another post.)

This was before the days of mobile phones, which turned out to be a blessing. The label attempted to cancel the interview while we were enroute. There is something to be said for being out of reach. Anyway, we got to the Hyatt and and Guru was in the lounge with his road manager and couple of guys in suits, who were trying to interest the rapper in a business deal.

His partner, Premier was nowhere to be found. Guru left the hotel restaurant several times to phone his room. Each time, he'd come back with the same news.

"He'll be down in a minute. He's on the phone."

While we waited, Guru talked about his days a starving artist on Wild Pitch records, listening to Queen Latifah's "Wrath of My Madness," on repeat for days and working part-time in a lawyer's office.

After almost an hour, the hip hop duo reunited for a interview in the rear of the hotel's restaurant. When this inteview was done, Primo hadn't given many interviews and had a mystique about him. But for some reason, he felt like talking, so we let him.

Gangstarr remains one of the most consistent, solid and prolific rap duos in history. Guru's confident montone, Primo's scratches and drum kicks are essential elements of any hip hop collection. While the group's reign may have ended, their legacy remains untouchable.

CRAIG: What's up fellas?

GURU: Ay yo, we're just doin' this promotional tour, we stopping through.

DJ PREMIER: I'm coolin'. Jus' loungin' with you right here in the "HI" in G-town on Wisconsin.

CRAIG: Alright. Premier, what we're you doing before this happened? (Holds up a picture of Gangstarr's first LP, "No More Mr. Nice Guy."

PRIMO: Oh wow. I was, you know, djing all the parties and whatnot. I was into hip-hop like crazy already 'cause my brother was still in New York and he would send all the records to Texas and everything. While I was doin' that, a friend of mine named Top Ski, who was from Boston, he motivated me too take it to a music level and actually be in the business. I was for bein' in the business, but as a producer, not really as an artist. After constantly doin' little things together, with him rhyming, he motivated me to wanting to get a record deal. But things didn't work out too well with me and him and I ended up being on my own.

And this man over here (nods toward GURU) had a few singles out, and he was having some problems with the members of his group so we were both two lost souls tryin' to find the right niche. I sent a demo to the label that he was on at that time, and he liked my demo. He used to listen to all the demos that came to the office. The owner of the label called me and we started vibin' with each over the phone. I was always making beats and stuff, but actually not for anybody, just for my own enjoyment.

Once I heard this brother ... he had a song called "Bust A Move," he had a song called "To be a Champion." I actually saw one of his shows on the dl, but we didn't get to meet. I just saw him do a performance and everything and I liked his style. Once we hooked up, I already knew a little bit about his background, as an artist at least. Not as a person but as an artist. He liked my style, I like his, we hooked up. We're still Gangstarr.

CRAIG: Keith E, What were you doin' before you first LP?

GURU: Well, Before that [gestures towards first LP] happened, like he said, I had a couple of singles. Really how it all started, I moved from Boston to New York in '82 and I started shoppin' my demo all around. That's my advice to the young people out there that want to get into this rap game, you know, it's not about jus' battling. It's not about goin' up to someone and sayin' I wanna battle you. That's not going to get you a record deal. That's not going to get you nothing. It might get you a little respect on your block for a day or two, that' about it . What I was doin', goin' into record stores lookin' on the labels, the different rap labels gettin the address, or even gettin the address of the management company. A lot of times, labels won't even accept any demo material, unless its through a middle person. They call that unsolicited material, they'll send that back to you, without even listenin' to it.

So I went through all that for like four years. Then finally in 1986, I got signed to Wild Pitch. It was a good move as a far gettin' out there in the market, but we paid a lot of dues, on the financial tip. You know what I'm sayin'? Now things are gettin better, but it's all about looking at it as a business. It's not fun and games all the time.

CRAIG: You said you moved from Boston to New York. Do you think its possible for a hip hop act to break out of an area like Boston?

GURU: Ed O.G. is from Boston, he's one of the best rappers out today. He like myself, had to make connections in New York in order to get busy on the national tip. There's a lot of talent there. There's a new group called RSO from Boston on Tommy Boy, they got one called "One in the Chamba."

CRAIG: You were among the first rap acts signed to Chrysalis Records. Did you encounter any difficulties as they had never handled a rap act before?

GURU: For us it was cool, at least we got to be with some people that were takin' more of an interest in us. There were some ... you know little, minor problems during the course of "Step into the Arena" last year. That's probably why it didn't do as well as it should have. Now EMI bought Chrysalis, and EMI is like slammin'. Their black music staff is very dedicated. They respect us, they work with us, so things are fine right now.

I'll post Part 2 upon request.

Rappers from the Basement

It's hard to remember a time when a rapper could admit to enjoying role playing games and not expect complete humiliation. But once upon a time in 1993, we met A rap duo that wasn't afraid to talk about the dragons and dungeons,the Cella Dwellas.

Like many artists on Loud during this era, the Cella Dwellas (Phantasm the Tall Man & Augide the Imagination) found it hard to thrive in the shadow of the giant W mark of The Wu-Tang Clan. You would think with a name like Cella Dwellas, there would nowhere to go but up.