Unsigned Hype: Artifacts

"A young duo" named Artifacts were the featured artists in the April 1993 edition of Unsigned Hype in The Source magazine. MCs Tame and El the Sensei earn a comparison to fellow New Jersey rapper Redman in the first paragraph, which is aided by the fact that Tame and Redman are revealed to be cousins. Artifacts had already had some exposure through appearances on The Stretch Armstrong Show since the previous year after winning an over-the-phone rap contest. Artifacts incorporated "classic B-boy flavor into their lyrics" on the demo, with mentions of "train yards, third rails, mad color tips, black books and backspins" being common topics. One of the songs featured on the demo was an early version of "Wrong Side of the Tracks", featuring and produced by none other than Lord Jamar of Brand Nubian. Lord Jamar enlisted his fellow Brand Nubian member Sadat X to appear on the song "Check the Fine Print", which apparently featured "a verbal assault on the ex-Brand Nubian member" Grand Puba. T-Ray, who would go on to produce almost the entirety of the group's debut but at the time was best known for producing for the Double XX Posse, produced the song "Wicked Lyrics". "Although they had some serious help on the production side", Artifacts "show and prove skills of their own" to earn their appearance in Unsigned Hype.

With the name-drops of the Artifacts' connections in their write-up, it was no wonder they were immediately signed to a record deal with Big Beat, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records. On the label, they re-recorded "Wrong Side of the Tracks" with a new beat by T-Ray and without Lord Jamar's vocals, which became a hip hop classic and the group's most well-known song. Their debut album, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, was released in 1994 and peaked at #17 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Chart. Tame's cousin Redman features and produced the song "Cummin' Through Ya Fuckin' Block", while the group also secured a guest appearance from Busta Rhymes. Interestingly, there is no Brand Nubian contribution to the album, which seems odd considering the group's impact on the Artifacts demo. Artifacts would go on to release one more album, That's Them, in 1997 before disbanding. Both rappers embarked on solo careers and have since released multiple albums each.

It was no surprise that Artifacts were signed to a record deal after this feature, and it was even less of a surprise that they were featured in Unsigned Hype in the first place. This is the first Unsigned Hype demo tape I can recall that features artists with already established names. I hope I am not the only one busting to hear that demo version of "Wrong Side of the Tracks" with Jamar.

Edit: Anybody who wants to hear Artifacts' demo tape in its entirety now can through our YouTube playlist. Lord Jamar's appearance on "Wrong Side" is limited to hook duties but he and Sadat X go all out on "Check the Fine Print".