On this date in 1993, Buckshot Shorty, the 5 Foot MC amd DJ Evil Dee released their first full-length album, Enta Da Stage, in 1993 on Nervous Records. This is undoubtedly one of the most pivotal albums to the sub-genre now coined as “backpack rap”.
With total in-house production from Evil Dee and The Beatminerz’ Mr. Walt, Enta Da Stage tells the narrative of the gritty streets of Crown Heights, Brooklyn from the perspective of young, Black teenagers submerged in that environment. With a very cinematic feel, the album captures the essence of the unforgiving streets while maintaining its conceptual focus of using the music to magnify the environment. The album also introduced fans to the poetic, weed-puffing duo Smif N Wessun and Heltah Skeltah, the origin of the late, great Sean Price.
Recorded entirely in the world-renowned and now-defunct D&D Studios, tracks that propelled the project include songs like “I Got Cha Opin”, “How Many MCs”, which was powered by a KRS-One sample, and the lead single, “Who Got The Props?”, the track that would forever etch Black Moon in Hip Hop history.
Salute to Buck, Evil Dee, 5Ft., Mr. Walt, Dru Ha, and the rest of the Duck Down/Boot Camp Clik family for this timeless classic!
Just ahead of the 30th anniversary of their critically acclaimed debut album, Dah Shinin’, Smif-N-Wessun announce the launch of “Still Shinin’,” a tour that takes them from Brooklyn to Borlänge, Sweden.
The duo, composed of Tek and General Steele, first appeared on Black Moon’s album, Enta Da Stage, and they’ve been consciously commanding the stage ever since. Within a year, they were on a remix of May J. Blige’s“I Love You” from her chart-topping sophomore release, My Life, then released their own album reaching the Top 5 of Billboard’s R&B/Hip Hop chart!
Featuring production from Da Beatminerz, cover art inspired by Roy Ayers, and the debut of the Boot Camp Clik super group, Dah Shinin’ would eventually be named one of The Source magazine’s 100 Best Rap albums and yielded such classics as “Bucktown,” “Let’s Git It On,” “Wontime,” “Wrekonize,” “Sound Bwoy Bureill,” and “Stand Strong.”
It wasn’t all smooth –– jazz funk and riddims –– for the Bucktown pair, however. After a cease and desist from gun company, Smith & Wesson, Tek and Steele temporarily released under the moniker Cocoa Brovaz with 1998’s The Rude Awakening, but the culture never let Smif-N-Wessun fade. In 2005, they released Smif-N-Wessun: Reloaded and Smif-N-Wessun: The Album.
In the following years, they delivered concentrated works with two more of hip hop’s most respected producers, Pete Rock for Monumental (2011), and 9th Wonder and his Soul Council for The All (2019), spawning collabs ranging from Styles P, to Bun B, Musiq Soulchild and Rick Ross.
In 2013, they pushed boundaries and the West Indian undertones laced throughout their music won diaspora-spanning respect and their first EP, Born And Raised, featuring reggae favorites, Jahdan Blakkamore, Junior Kelly and Junior Reid. It was entirely produced by Beatnick&K-Salaam. In 2018, a European tour showcased their stockpile of anthems and energetic flow with Champion Sound (Live From Prague).
Perhaps most known for their Timberlands and hook, “I shine, you shine, shine,” Smif-N-Wessun’s overall M.O. has acquired them a catalog and audience as loyal to them as they are to hip hop.
“When we on tour, we see generations that come to our shows,” says Tek. “At some shows, we have kids that are 9, 11, 13 years old with their dads, and their dads had their dad, and they all rocking, and they know the words too.”
For them –– and fans –– it still feels like 30 years ago. Coming off the 50th anniversary of hip hop and music industry-wide shake ups from lawsuits to rap beef, we can look forward to seeing Smif-N-Wessun enter the stage once again with some “super friends” for this “Still Shinin’ Tour.” “It’s Hip Hop, it’s going to be exciting,” says Steele. “I don’t want to say, ‘throwback’ but it’s going to have a feeling of just coming to a show and having fun.”
On this date three decades ago, Brooklyn rap duo Smif N’ Wessun dropped the premiere single “Bucktown” from their debut album Dah Shinin on the Wreck/Nervous imprint.
Tek and Steele left a lasting impression on Black Moon fans, making their first appearance on wax on the 1993 Enta Da Stage LP, leaving listeners in anticipation for the next offering from the brothers from Brownsville. Produced by DJ Evil Dee and Da Beatminerz’ Mr. Walt, Bucktown is unequivocally the K anthem of the 90s, reminding Brooklynites and out of towners alike that “The Planet” is indeed the “home of the orignoo gun clappaz”.
Even with its street centered concept, Bucktown still managed to garner charting position, peaking at number 93 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Salute to Tek, Steele, Evil Dee and Mr. Walt for this important piece of Hip Hop history!
On this date in 1995, Steele and Tek aka Smif N Wessun of the legendary Boot Camp Clik released their debut album Dah Shinin’ on the ultra-indie imprint, Wreck Records.
This was also the sophomore effort of the Boot Camp Clik, which exposed the skills of more of the artists that were heard on Black Moon’s debut project, Enta Da Stage. Tracks such as “Cession at da Doghillee” and “Sound Bwoy Bureill” introduced members of Heltah Skeltah, the duo that included the late Sean Price, as well as the Originoo Gunn Clappaz(O.G.C.), which completed the epic Brooklyn rap collective.
With in-house production courtesy of Da Beatminerz, the Roy Ayers’ Ubiquity-Esque feel that was captured on the album’s cover can definitely be felt through the verses over the haunting tracks. Even though the album never reached gold status in terms of sales, Dah Shinin’ is undoubtedly one of the albums that define its era.
On this date in 1995, Steele and Tek aka Smif N Wessun of the legendary Boot Camp Clik released their debut album Dah Shinin’ on the ultra-indie imprint, Wreck Records.
This was also the sophomore effort of the Boot Camp Clik, which exposed the skills of more of the artists that were heard on Black Moon’s debut project, Enta Da Stage. Tracks such as “Cession at da Doghillee” and “Sound Bwoy Bureill” introduced members of Heltah Skeltah, the duo that included the late Sean Price, as well as the Originoo Gunn Clappaz(O.G.C.), which completed the epic Brooklyn rap collective.
With in-house production courtesy of Da Beatminerz, the Roy Ayers’ Ubiquity-Esque feel that was captured on the album’s cover can definitely be felt through the verses over the haunting tracks. Even though the album never reached gold status in terms of sales, Dah Shinin’ is undoubtedly one of the albums that define its era.
