Without a doubt, Sir Essence Don had one of the dopest names of the artists featured in Unsigned Hype. Don only had to turn in a two track demo for him to get featured in the September 1991 issue of The Source, but on the two songs he displays his "unique flavor", "suspense in his rhymes" and "originality in his cadence".
Sir Essence Don was one of the first Unsigned Hype artists to actually get signed, as he managed to link up with the-UK based Afrocentric label. Interestingly, this label only ever had three releases: one single by Don and two singles by fellow American-based artist Giant Size C. His only single for the label featured the song "Live from New York", which was one of the songs included on his demo (which the writer described as "more of that pure raw hip-hop"). The other song on the single is "First Step", which is a fantastic display of lyrical ability and begins with Don dedicating the song to his idol - "me". Both songs are produced by Lord Digga, who would later gain fame for being a member of Masta Ace Incorporated and the production duo Bluez Brothers. For some reason, the other song on Don's demo, "Sweet Like Sugar", never had an official release and is therefore not available on the Internet.
In 1993, Don made a guest appearance on the album International Dope Dealers by Kaos, an American group that were staying in Germany at the time because that is where they recorded the album. Don appears on the song "Go for the Kill" alongside Main One, Tic and DJ Chubby Chub of Original Flavor.
The following year, Don returned under the slightly modified name Essence Donn on the single "Show Me the Way". Released on Freeze Records and distributed through Priority Records, Donn made a huge come up between his first and second single with a gap that was only interrupted by a guest appearance on an album released solely in Germany. With production again supplied by Digga, the production this time sounds a lot more accessible than on his previous single, with "Show Me the Way" featuring the same Joe Sample sample used on 2Pac's "Dear Mama" one year before. The B-side, "Simple", features a style more reflective of Donn's early work with a beat that allows him to flex his lyrical style.
Donn's final release came on the 1996 compilation album Flippin' the Script: Rap Meets Poetry. The album had a sampler released through Mercury Records, but apparently the demand was not reached and the actual album was released independently on Mouth Almighty Records. Amongst spoken word poems by numerous poets and rappers Myka 9, Kool Kim and Sha-Key comes the Essence Donn poem "No Respect for Life". An acapella track like the rest of the album, it features Donn performing his poem infront of a live audience. I can't find a digital version of the song in full on the Internet, but the album goes for cheap on eBay so cop that if you feel like hearing it.
Donn had a short-lived career that definitely had several intriguing moments to it - an Unsigned Hype appearance, signings to both a UK and USA label, two singles, working with Lord Digga, one guest appearance, and a feature on a spoken word album. If anybody knows Donn, be sure to hit me up because I'd really like to find out more about his history.
Discography
1992: "First Step" - Sir Essence Don
1992: "Live from New York" - Sir Essence Don
1993: "Go for the Kill" - Kaos featuring Main One, Sir Essence Don and Tic
1994: "Show Me the Way" - Essence Donn
1994: "Simple" - Essence Donn
1996: "No Respect for Life" - Essence Donn
Legend
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